Vegetable fats and oils are mainly used in food and cosmetics, they consist of 99% triglycerides. They are rich in phytosterols, unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins.

The problem is that palm oil, palm fat, coconut fat, and other vegetable fats and oils that are not exactly healthy in that they may contain significant amounts of saturated fat can be hidden behind this generic term.  Generally, manufacturers who are more inclined to emphasize the health aspect of these ingredients specify. 

In general, it is an ingredient that, unless it includes the name of the vegetables from which it is derived, I would advise against.

Instead, let's look at the benefits of so-called "good" vegetable fats and oils for health.

Food

There are many fats and vegetable oils that are added to food products to enhance taste and appearance. The first distinction to be made is between saturated fats (which can create health problems) and unsaturated or monounsaturated fats (which generally have a positive effect on health).

Replacing saturated fats with an equivalent amount of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats in the diet brings health benefits. The Mediterranean Diet, which includes a plant-based diet low in saturated and total fats, has been associated with better quality of life, longevity, lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and other major diseases (1).

The most commonly used fats and oils in food are: 

Soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, olive, maize germ, palm (recently there is less of it, but unfortunately still present), palm kernel, peanut, rice, sesame, shea, coconut, walnut, almond, etc.

Cosmetics and dermatology

Vegetable fats and oils are generally used by cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies as skin moisturisers in personal care products, especially in products for children and babies. Vegetable oils are obtained by a mechanical cold-pressing process.

The most commonly used fats and oils in cosmetics and dermatology are: 

• Olive, coconut, sunflower, oat, argan, shea, castor, rapeseed, soya, jojoba, avocado, borage, evening primrose, kukui, sacha inchi, mustard, eucalyptus,  lanolin, neem, marula etc.

Within these vegetable fats and oils are acids that are very interesting for medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. I only mention a few as the list is very long.

Saturated fatty acids: lauric acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, capric acid, caprylic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, beenic acid, lignoceric acid, etc.

Unsaturated fatty acids: oleic acid, linoleic acid, petroselinic acid, gondoic acid, erucic acid, nervonic acid, pucinic acid, etc.

Triglycerides, which make up 99% of vegetable fats and oils, have specific dermal activity as emollients and can therefore provide the skin with proper hydration.

For more information:

Vegetable fats and oils studies

References_____________________________________________________________

(1) Willett WC, Sacks F, Trichopoulou A, Drescher G, Ferro-Luzzi A, Helsing E, Trichopoulos D. Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Jun;61(6 Suppl):1402S-1406S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/61.6.1402S.