Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
Also known as Soybean Oil, Soya Oil, Soy Oil
“CIR Expert Panel says: safe as used in cosmetics.”
Refined soybean oil has an extensive safety record as a cosmetic emollient. A double-blind crossover study (PMID 3894482) demonstrated that commercially refined soybean oil caused no reactions in soybean-allergic individuals, as processing removes the protein allergens responsible for food sensitization. The 2024 CIR safety assessment of soy-derived cosmetic ingredients (PMID 38342963) confirmed 24 of 28 soy-derived ingredients safe as used in cosmetics. Soy sensitization in atopic dermatitis patients (PMID 23919016) is largely asymptomatic and relates to soy proteins not present in refined oil.
Rich emollient profile: primarily linoleic acid (48-59%), oleic acid (17-30%), and linolenic acid (4.5-11%), supporting skin barrier function and moisturization
Contains natural vitamin E (tocopherols), providing antioxidant protection against oxidative stress
Long history of safe use in cosmetics and as a food oil; well-characterized fixed triglyceride oil with no novel safety concerns
Considered safe as used in cosmetic formulations by the CIR Expert Panel:51-129, 2017)
Soy food allergy is common (IgE-mediated, protein-driven); however, refined soybean oil removes the protein fraction and is non-allergenic to soy-allergic individuals in double-blind oral challenge studies
Maleated soybean oil (a chemically modified derivative, not refined soybean oil) has been documented as a cosmetic contact allergen — this concern does not apply to the standard refined triglyceride oil (INCI: Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil)
Up to ~27% of atopic dermatitis patients show IgE sensitization to soy without clinical symptoms; caution is reasonable for products targeting severely sensitized individuals, though refined oil is generally considered safe
CIR Quick Reference Table (September 2022) — Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil row: Finding=S, Citation=IJT 36(Suppl. 3):51-129, 2017
“Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil | S | | IJT 36(Suppl. 3):51-129, 2017”— QuickReferenceTable_AllConclusionTypes.pdf, p. 203