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Many people use grape seed oil for skin, basically for its emollient properties. This oil can be found in a wide range of cosmetics like, lip balm, creams, moisturizers, sunblocks and lotions. Even many hair care products contain this oil. You can use grape seed oil for hair to promote hair growth, and make it smooth and soft. Due to its antioxidant properties, grape seed oil can delay skin aging by minimizing the damage caused by free radicals. Grape seed oil can provide protection against sun damage as well. It has astringent properties and therefore, can tighten the skin. The linoleic acid found in grape seed oil can be very beneficial in skin conditions like, acne, dermatitis and eczema. Linoleic acid can soothe and nourish the skin, and help it to repair. Vitamin E on the other hand, keeps the skin firm and smooth. Grape seed oil is easily absorbed by the body, and it can be used for reducing age spots, sun burn, wrinkles and stretch marks as well. Not only can grapeseed oil easily replace olive oil in a variety of recipes, but it also offers numerous health benefits stemming from grapeseed oil's high levels of omega 6, omega 9 and omega 6 fatty acids, as well as vitamin E, C and beta-carotene. Salads and Baking

Although grapeseed oil can have a slight grape flavoring, most varieties have a neutral taste that is non-nutty and non-greasy. Unlike some other oils, grapeseed oil won't turn cloudy if it's chilled. Because of its light, neutral taste, grapeseed oil is ideal for use in tossed salads, and can easily be substituted for olive oil. Grapeseed oil is also well suited for baking; when baking bread, use a pastry brush to apply a thin coating of grape seed oil on unbaked bread, which will give bread a brown, crispy crust when cooked. For added family fun, enlist your child to help "paint" the oil on the bread before it goes in the oven. Frying Grapeseed oil is ideal for pan frying because of its high smoke point. Because grapeseed oil doesn't begin to smoke until 420 degrees Fahrenheit, it can safely be used to cook at high temperatures. Virgin olive oil and peanut oil also have similarly high smoke points, so grapeseed oil can be substituted for both of these oils when frying. The clean, light taste of grapeseed oil, coupled with its high smoke point, makes it ideal for sauteing and stir-frying. Cold Pressing Cold pressing involves applying considerably less pressure in comparison to expeller pressing. As a result, the temperatures associated with cold pressing are much lower, ranging between 120 and 160 degrees F. The main benefit of cold pressing is that its lower temperatures leave more nutrients and flavor intact. Cold-pressed cooking oils have higher quantities of vitamin E, minerals and phosphatides in comparison to expeller-pressed cooking oils.

Cold pressed grapeseed oil is high in bioflavanoids, and antioxidants; and is a rich source of Vitamin E. It is one of the best sources of linoleic acid -- one of the essential fatty acids the body cannot produce. Grapeseed oil contains powerful antioxidants to protect against heart disease and free radical damage, and can assist in lowerering cholesterol. Grapeseed oil has a mild, clean, neutral flavour that is slightly nutty. It has the lowest saturated fat content of any oil and emulsifies really well, making it deal for use in home made salad dressings; and in home made condiments, such as mayonnaiseand aoli. I also like to use it to start a lot of my vegan soups and vegetarian stir-fries. Grapeseed oil is a fantastic substitute for butter in gluten free baked recipes. Most of my recipes are dairy free. But I do use a bit of organic butter in some gluten free cakes, pies and muffins. I will offer grapeseed oil as a substitute in order to make these recipes dairy free where appropriate.

But please note that it will change the personality of the dish. it has been my experience that grapeseed oil alters the cooking time, with the tops of cakes browning a lot quicker. The final product tastes a lot milder too. Often, you will need to add more sweetener, and possibly a little more of the other flavourings, in order to balance out the flavour blend. You will also need to lower the temperature of the oven slightly. But I will usually mention what has worked in my recipe trials. Grapseed oil is also fantastic for natural moisturizer for your skin. With its high Vitamin E content, it is a great carrier oil for use in aromatherapy blends. Please be careful when purchasing grapeseed oil. The wine grapes yield a small amount of oil; and so a lot of oil is chemically extracted, with added stabilizers. Look for cold pressed pure grapeseed oil at the health food store. A note to people with allergies to canola, soy, and sunflower oil: you may also be allergic to grapeseed oil. If you have severe food allergies, please consult your allergist before indulging in grapeseed oil.