safflower oil vs saffron oil
Written by Vahid Epagloo, Food Consultant

In many sources, safflower use instead of saffron in dishes and recipes. They have similarities and differences. Both of them have various products like oil, powder and masks. We are going to check the differences between safflower oil and saffron oil.

What is safflower and safflower oil?

The safflower plant is called Carthamus tinctorius. This plant is the member of the sunflower family. Today, this plant cultivated all around the world. It is used as a spice and also feeding animal. The most applicable product of this plant is its oil.

Safflower oil is a product of seeds of the safflower plant. There are two types of safflower oil, high linoleic that is rich in polyunsaturated fats and high oleic, which is full of monounsaturated fats. Using the high oleic is more common than the other one.

This oil is used in cooking. It is not a source of nutrients; it just has a high level of E vitamin. This oil is great for cooking due to having the high smoke point. In the special temperature, the fat begins to smoke and release free radicals, which are harmful and poisoning, this temperature is called the smoke point. When this point is high for a cooking material, it is great, because in the high cooking temperature no harmful radicals release.

This oil can be used as face and hair masks too. It has a great effect on the skin and hair.

The health benefits of safflower oil

Experts said that this oil is a great source of E vitamin. This oil contains 75 percent of linoleic acid. This acid helps your body to reduce blood cholesterol levels and help to improve the cardiovascular system. Many experts recommend using this oil in culinary use to reduce bad cholesterol and help your heart to be healthy.

You can rub this oil on your skin without any other ingredients. You should jut be careful about allergic, test this oil before use it. This oil is anti-inflammatory, have antioxidant effects, can repair your skin a wound healing.

If you use this oil as a body lotion, it can help you to reduce pain in joints and muscles, also it can help with arthritis pain.

safflower oil benefits and effects

What is saffron and saffron oil?

Saffron is the stigma of the lilac flower, named Crocus Sativus. These stigmas are long threads that called saffron threads. Actually, these threads are the most expensive spice all around the world. You can use these stigmas as the threads or powder. They have various quality and types. The threads of saffron are cut and dried to make the most famous types of it, which is called the Negin and Super Negin saffron. You can grind the Negin strands to make high quality saffron powder, then use this powder to make saffron oil.

Saffron has lots of product; one of them is saffron oil. As you may know, saffron has no seeds to make oil, saffron has a bulb and cultivate and grow from bulbs. In addition to this point, you may ask what is saffron oil?

Saffron oil is the combination of saffron threads and other types of oil like almond oil or olive oil. This combination is not simple and needs especial conditions. The final product is oil with the aroma and vibrant color of saffron. Due to these properties, this oil is called saffron oil.

You can also use saffron oil as a hair and face masks. Saffron could be a great remedy for skin problems. It could also help you have a healthier hair. There are many different types of saffron masks based on the ingredients. These masks have different effects on your skin and hair, you should first check your skin and hair type, then make and use these masks.

The benefits of saffron oil

Saffron as a magical spice has lots of health benefits. From the past it has been used as a treatment of most of the diseases in traditional medicine and today, it is a drug for many health problems.

Saffron could be the natural remedy for depression, anxiety, heart disease, cancer and eyesight problems. Saffron oil has all these properties. Of course there are some especial cases that have limitation about using this spice, but undoubtedly it has great heath effects.

Differences between saffron oil and safflower oil

Both of these oils have great health effects and used in cooking and skin care routine. But there are some differences too.

Source

The safflower oil is made from the seeds of safflower flowers. The saffron oil is the combination of this luxury spice and other types of oil.

Color

The safflower has a red color like saffron. But the color of saffron oil is a brilliant yellow color. The color of safflower seed oil is lighter.

Aroma

The saffron oil has the exotic and unique aroma of saffron, but the other oil has no special aroma.

Taste

The oil of safflower tastes like other types of oil, but saffron oil has a sweet taste like saffron.

Producing method

Making oil from seeds is a hard work and today the great company produce these seed oil, while making saffron oil is not a complicated work and you can make it at your home.

Conclusion

The safflower oil and saffron oil has similarities and differences. You can use both of them, due to the great heath effect that they both have. You can make saffron oil at your home with the oil of safflower and use this wonderful combination. You can cook with both of these oils and you can use them to decorate your dishes. These oils could be helpful to have a healthier skin and hair. You can make your saffron oil with other kinds of herbal or seed oil like olive, almond, sunflower or coconut oil.

FAQs

Can I use these oils together?

Yes, you can. There is no limitation to use these oils together.

Which type of saffron is better to make saffron oil?

You can make saffron oil with all types of saffron. It is better to use powder. It is recommended to use the highest quality saffron to make the oil.

Does safflower oil have health benefits?

Yes, this oil is great for removing bad cholesterols and helps blood circulation and heart health.