Soybean oil doesn’t have the name recognition of, say, argan oil, or the luxe connotations of something like rose oil, but it can be just as beneficial for certain skin types (especially dry skin). 

One of the most widely processed and sold oils in the world after palm oil, this ingredient can be found up in barrier-boosting, rich moisturizers for dry or sensitive skin. We spoke to skin experts about what it is, who it’s for (and not for), and of course, highlight some of the best products that contain it. 

What Is Soybean Oil?

Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from crushed soybeans—20% of the soybean produces oil, while the rest often becomes animal feed, explains Campbell, CA–based board-certified dermatologist Amelia Hausauer.

Who Should and Should Not Use Soybean Oil?

Soybean oil can benefit dry skin and combination skin, and can even be useful for healing post-treatment skin. “It is especially great for dry and sensitive skin,” says New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman. “Oils help make the skin supple and pliable. Since they are quickly absorbed, they help to reinforce the skin barrier, making it stronger and less vulnerable. 

Soybean oil contains linoleic acid which helps strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier (helps deliver essential fatty acids that can help maintain the skin barrier, decrease water loss, and aid skin hydration) and Vitamin E provides antioxidant and environmental protection for the skin,” she says. 

 All this makes it beneficial to anyone with a compromised skin barrier, too. “I’ve been seeing more clients than ever come to me with a damaged moisture barrier,” says Renée Rouleau, celebrity esthetician and founder of Renée Rouleau Skin Care. This, she explains, is “mostly due to the access consumers now have to products that can compromise the barrier. (Prescription retinoids and over-exfoliation are too culprits.).” Soybean oil, however, mimics the natural lipids found in the skin, which, Rouleau notes “is ideal in protecting and repairing the moisture barrier of the skin.”

It is not, however, recommended for oily skin as it’s high on the comedogenic scale. “Because of its occlusive properties, soybean oil can clog pores,” Hausauer says. In fact, vitamin E in high concentrations, which soybean oil is rich in, can also be linked to breakouts, she notes. 

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