Lycium Barbarum Seed Oil

Lycium Barbarum Seed Oil is the oil pressed from the seeds of the goji berry. The seeds are a byproduct of goji juice processing and contain about 12-17% oil.

Composition-wise, it's a linoleic-heavy oil. One processing methods study measured 65-66% linoleic acid and others put unsaturated fatty acids at 84-88% (mostly linoleic, oleic, and linolenic acids).

In practice, it makes a lighweight, non-greasy emollient in the same family as Rosa Canina Fruit Oil or Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil.

It's good for softening skin and support the skin barrier, which is why it's officially classified as a skin conditioning agent in the CosIng database.

There isn't much research on what this oil actually does to human skin; most of what exists was done on mice.

In one 2026 study, researchers put goji seed oil on mice that had been exposed to UV light. The treated skin held up better under the microscope, showed more of the enzymes skin uses to clean up sun damage, and had lower levels of the inflammation markers + collagen-breaking enzymes that UV normally kicks up.

Another study showed you can build a stable lotion with 15% of the oil in it without it separating. These studies are encouraging but mice aren't people, and nobody has run a proper human trial on it yet.

Concentration-wise, there's no regulatory cap. Formulators typically use it as a supporting oil at roughly 1-5% and research formulas go up to 15%.

As for fungal acne, it may not be Malassezia safe. It's a triglyceride oil dominated by C18 fatty acids and the Malassezia species need long-chain C12-24 fatty acids to feed on.

Allergy-wise, there's no published contact-allergy or irritation case reports for the seed oil itself, but the food is a genuine food allergen. A study found 6% sensitization prevalence, but this pressed/refined oil does not carry the allergen protein.

The cosmetic risk is low but unrefined cold-pressed oils can retain traces. So be sure to patch test if you have a known lipid transfer protein, peach, tomato, or goji allergy.