Babassu Oil Benefits for Hair & Skin

There’s far more to good health than a nutritious diet and regular exercise. Your skincare regimen is vital to your overall health; as you may have heard, your skin is essentially your body’s largest organ! The soaps, lotions, oils, creams and other products you use are absorbed through your skin and can affect your overall health in important and sometimes scary ways, so you should take extra care to review their ingredients for toxins, chemicals and synthetic fragrances.

What do you replace them with? Luckily, there is a growing industry for chemical-free skincare products! More and more people are taking the time to carefully select skincare products that contain all-natural ingredients that care for your skin and hair without the harmful side effects from chemicals.

Babassu oil is one of these gifts from nature.

[ Related Article: "14 Wildly Potent Anti-Aging Ingredients from the Amazon Rainforest" ]

What is Babassu Oil?

Babassu oil, also sometimes called babassu seed oil, comes from a palm fruit. It is solid at room temperature, but will melt when it touches your skin. The oil contains some very important vitamins and fatty acids.

Visual Properties: Clear/light yellow color

Origin: Babassu palm seeds

Location: Amazon region of South America

Uses: Food, skin care and cleaning products

The oil is rich in healthy fatty acids, primarily lauric and myristic acids, and because it melts on contact with the skin, it’s a very effective moisturizer.

Babassu oil is very similar to coconut oil -- they have a very similar texture -- and the two natural oils are used for similar purposes of cooking, cleaning, and moisturizing skin and hair.

[ Related Article: "Babassu Oil vs. Coconut Oil" ]

Benefits of Babassu Oil for Your Hair

One of the common complaints of coconut oil as a hair moisturizer is that it’s heavy and requires additional rinsing after application in order to remove the lingering oily sheen.

Babassu oil for hair care is a fantastic alternative to coconut oil, since it’s far more lightweight and doesn’t necessitate washing it out. It doesn’t feel oily, and after about an hour from application you probably won’t even notice it.

Since it acts as a deep conditioner, the babassu hair benefits are remarkable. Just use it for a couple of weeks and you’re likely to notice smoother ends and less breakage. Some people like to add a few drops to their shampoo and conditioner to simplify consistent application.

• Tip: Heat the oil briefly until it melts, then add it to your shampoo/conditioner and shake well to mix. You might want to experiment with small amounts until you learn the best ratio of oil to shampoo/conditioner.

A dry scalp is an unhealthy scalp, and the properties of babassu oil for hair growth can promote a healthy scalp and nourished hair. By restoring your hair’s elasticity and strength, and moisturizing the skin of your scalp itself, your hair doesn’t fall out as quickly.

The oil is also fantastically nourishing to your scalp as a massage oil, and it won’t cling to the roots of your hair as coconut oil does. Babassu oil can reduce the symptoms of a variety of scalp irritations, including dandruff.

Benefits of Babassu Oil for Your Skin

Babassu oil is most commonly used for its benefits as a skin emollient (moisturizer). Babassu oil for skin care uses is advantageous for its soothing, protective and moisturizing qualities. It is lightweight and melts upon contact with your skin for quick-drying and easy application, and since it doesn’t clog your pores, it’s great for people with oily skin or a tendency for acne.

Since it’s rich in essential acids that promote healthy cells, babassu oil will help to restore your skin’s strength and reduce water loss for better skin hydration. Babassu oil is anti-microbial to enrich your skin with vitamin E, which is essential for cell regeneration.

The myristic and lauric acids in babassu oil help it to create a cooling sensation when applied, which can be a wonderful relief if you’re moisturizing in a hot or warm environment. It dries into a protective, powder-like (yet unnoticeable) coating to protect your skin from pollutants and contaminants that may cause breakouts.

Babassu oil is an antioxidant and will help destroy the free radicals that cause premature aging and cancer. The oil is naturally anti-inflammatory and is often used to treat skin conditions such as eczema.

The extremely mild scent of babassu oil makes it an excellent carrier oil to combine with your favorite essential oil, shea butter, or salt/sugar for a homemade scrub.

Ways to Use Babassu Oil

In addition to being incredibly moisturizing, babassu oil can be used for a long list of problems and conditions. The following are just a few!

Babassu Oil for Your Hair:

• Smooth, soften, shine
• Repair split ends
• Moisturize the scalp
• Promote healthy hair and scalp
• Treat scalp irritations
• Effective beard treatment

Babassu Oil for Your Skin:

• Treat chapped lips, mild burns, shallow cuts, cracked heels and other minor wounds
• Cure bug bites, stings, plant rashes, and other issues
• Reduce and/or eliminate skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or rosacea
• Soften your cuticles and strengthen your nails

At Teadora, we use Babassu oil in our RainforestHydration™ Elixir which is a combination of 5 superfruit oils from the Amazon rainforest + Argan Plant Stem cells. We utilize this elixir in two of our products: Our Brazilian Glow™ Multi-tasking Oil for skin, hair and nails and our Brightening and Exfoliating Mud, which helps to detox, exfoliate and brighten your skin.

Love yourself, find your joy, share your passion.

Cheers, Val