Plant oils have been used for several purposes, including their integration in cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Plant oils are often used on the skin for cosmetic and medical purposes on account of their numerous positive physiological benefits. Plant oils may act as a protective barrier to the skin by an occlusive effect, allow the skin to retain moisture, lead to decreased TEWL.1 Sesame oil, obtained from the Sesamum indicum L. plant, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-mutagenic, anti-nociceptive, and antibacterial effects.2 Sesame oil is known to have skin barrier repair effect. It has been shown to relieve the inflammatory pain of joints and wounds.1

Topical application of sesame oil has the potential to reduce pain severity and frequency of received NSAIDs in patients with upper or lower extremities trauma. A randomized clinical trial divided 150 patients with upper or lower extremities trauma into two groups – 75 patients in control group and 75 in the intervention group. Patients in the intervention group applied topical sesame oil in addition to routine cares, while in the control group patients just received routine cares. There was a significant difference between intervention and control groups in the pain severity on the first, third, seventh and tenth days after the intervention. The frequency of received NSAIDs also showed significant difference in four days after the intervention in the intervention group and the control group. Sesame oil is thus recommended as a complementary medicine for pain relief.2

Sesame oil contains sesamin, sesamolin and sesaminol lignan fractions which are known to play significant roles in its oxidative stability and antioxidative activity.3

A study assessed the efficacy of sesame oil in controlling OA pain in experimental models. The oil was found to diminish early joint pain by inhibiting nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2)-associated muscular oxidative stress.4 In an experimental model with OA-induced joint pain, sesame oil treatment for 7 days significantly decreased OA-associated joint pain. The oil decreased muscular IL-6 and increased citrate synthase activity and myosin heavy chain IIa mRNA expression. It also decreased muscular lipid peroxidation, nuclear Nrf2 protein expression, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generations and increased glutathione production and glutathione peroxidase activity in OA models. The oil was shown to reduce joint pain by inhibiting quadriceps muscular oxidative stress.5 Lignans, such as sesamin, have been found to act against pain and inflammation.6

Use of sesame oil has also been suggested to promote skin barrier homeostasis.1 Sesamin is highly hydrophobic. Topical use of sesame oil may diminish oxidative stress by inhibiting the production of xanthine oxidase and nitric oxide.1 Exposure to UV light produces ROS in the skin giving rise to skin damage. The antioxidants present in sesame protects against ROS. Additionally, application of sesame oil with turmeric powder in milk on the face has been found to make the skin smooth, soft and remove pimples.7

Sesame oil can also be used to prevent and manage stretch marks during pregnancy. A triple-blind randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of sesame, sweet almond, and their combination oil on prevention of striae (primary outcome) in primiparous females. At 35 to 38 weeks of pregnancy, striae were evident in 59.2%, 16.7%, 14% and 82% of women in sweet almond, sesame, sesame and sweet almond oil and control groups, respectively. The occurrence risk of striae was significantly reduced in the sesame, sweet almond, and sesame and sweet almond oil groups, compared with the control group. Sesame oil seems to be effective in the prevention of striae and in reducing associated itching.8 Another study evaluated the effect of oil prepared from Pongamia pinnata leaves in Sesamum indicum oil on striae gravidarum. Fifty randomly selected pregnant women were segregated into two groups: Group-A (preventive) and Group-B (curative). The oil was applied for 3 months from 4th to 7th months of pregnancy. In the preventive group, 98% of cases did not develop striae gravidarum while in curative group, symptoms like itching and burning sensation were cured in first follow-up after 15 days and without recurrence.9

Thus, the use of sesame oil has potential benefits for maintaining skin barrier function, prevention and management of stretch marks, as well as in relieving aches and pains.

References

1. Lin T-K, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19:70.
2. Shamloo MBB, Nasiri M, Dabirian A, et al. The Effects of Topical Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Oil on Pain Severity and Amount of Received Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Patients With Upper or Lower Extremities Trauma. Anesth Pain Med. 2015 Jun; 5(3): e25085.
3. Kanu PJ, Bahsoon JZ, Kanu JB, Kandeh JBA. Nutraceutical Importance of Sesame Seed and Oil: A Review of the Contribution of their Lignans. Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research 2010;2(1):4-16.
4. Hsu D-Z, Chu P-Y, Jou I-M. Daily sesame oil supplement attenuates joint pain by inhibiting muscular oxidative stress in osteoarthritis rat model. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2016;29:36-40.
5. Hsu D-Z, Chu P-Y, Jou I-M. Enteral sesame oil therapeutically relieves disease severity in rat experimental osteoarthritis. Food and Nutrition Research 2016;60(1).
6. Monteiro EMH, Chibli LA, Yamamoto CH, et al. Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Sesame Oil and Sesamin. Nutrients. 2014 May; 6(5): 1931–1944.
7. Nagendra Prasad MN, Sanjay KR, Prasad DS, et al. A Review on Nutritional and Nutraceutical Properties of Sesame. J Nutr Food Sci. 2012;2:127.
8. Malakouti J, Khalili AF, Kamrani A. Sesame, Sweet Almond & Sesame and Sweet Almond Oil for the Prevention of Striae in Primiparous Females: A Triple-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2017 June;19(6):e33672.
9. Kumar V, Gupta S, Sinha M. Clinical efficacy of Karanja Patra Siddha taila in Kikkisa W.S.R. striae gravidarum. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 2015;4(4):1528-36.