Why are apricot seed ingredients included in two forms, both oil and powder?
When looking at the ingredient list of a facial soap and seeing both 6% apricot kernel oil and 2% apricot seed powder listed together, one might wonder what role each plays.
It is a common formulation where 6% apricot kernel oil leaves a moisturizing feeling, and 2% apricot seed powder, which consists of fine particles, plays the role of washing away impurities from the skin surface during cleansing[1].
The oil is 6%, and the powder is 2%[2]. Although they are ingredients obtained from the same apricot seed, their physical forms and mechanisms of action are different from each other. In soap formulation, vegetable oil serves to form an oil barrier so that the skin does not dry out even after cleansing. On the other hand, powder made by grinding hard seeds creates fine friction when rubbed with water, serving to smooth out old dead skin cells on the skin surface.
온리원 살구 비누 (상큼 시트러스) is a facial cleansing soap for washing the face[3]. When lathering and washing off, the powder grains gently sweep away impurities, and after rinsing, the oil component wraps the skin, allowing for both neat cleansing and a moist finish at the same time.
The specific particle size or scrub intensity of the apricot seed powder has not yet been confirmed in official materials.