Baobab Oil is a dark, golden yellow colour with a distinctive nutty cum coffee aroma. It contains almost equal measures of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids – oleic acid, linoleic acid and Omegas 3, 6 and 9 and is high in vitamins A, E, F and the sunshine vitamin, D3. It is a superb moisturiser that penetrates quickly and easily without leaving a greasy film and it is non-siccative (drying). It relieves dry, cracked skin and helps skin and hair retain moisture. Cold pressed Baobab Oil is pure and unrefined with no additives and is stable.
Baobab Oil is extracted from the seeds of the magnificent and iconic Baobab tree, one of the oldest trees in Africa. The tree only grows in hot, dry areas where there is little rainfall but can live for over 3000 years. In especially arid regions, a ‘young’ baobab will need to reach 200 before it can start bearing fruit.
The Baobab tree is the stuff of legends and the Bushmen of South Africa believe it has magic qualities and is unlike other trees. The fruit of the baobab is considered a super food and the oil is a valuable ingredient in many skin care products, especially organic ones.
The tree grows very slowly and when it reaches 1000 starts to hollow out. It is incredibly difficult to kill and will survive bark stripping, burning, cutting and up-rooting. When it does die however, it suddenly collapses and some have been known to spontaneously combust and completely disappear. It should come as no surprise then that Baobab Oil is especially suited to dry, damaged skin and that it can perform some magic of its own in restoring youth and health.
Baobab Oil is emollient, soothing, rejuvenating and healing. It improves the elasticity of the skin, helping it regenerate new cells whilst keeping it soft and healthy. The omega fatty acids and high antioxidant content also protect skin from the outside, contributing to the skin’s lipid barrier against toxins and moisture loss. It alleviates pain from burns and reduces scarring by enhancing growth in the epithelial tissue.
Baobab Oil can be used on the face, body and hair, either neat or added to other creams, lotions or fixed oils or to conditioner. You can put it around the eye area, on dry lips, hands, knees and feet. It can be mixed with a bit of water and spread over the entire body or added to bath water. It is also lovely added to a carrier oil for massage. When massaged into the scalp, it relieves dry and itchy skin and nourishes hair and hair follicles. Great for burns, scars, stretch marks, sun spots, ageing skin, skin cancer, pigmentation, eczema and psoriasis.
The WHO does not include Baobab Oil as an edible substance, but in Africa it is widely used for medicinal purposes to treat hypertension, diabetes, obesity and abdominal ailments. Lately it has been elevated to ‘cure-all’ status and has gained quite a reputation through anecdotal accounts of its effectiveness in treating HIV.
- 20 ml Tamanu Oil
- 10 ml Acai Berry Oil
- 10 ml Baobab Oil
- 10 ml Brazil Nut Oil
- 10 ml Maracujá Oil
- 10 drops essential oil of your choice (optional)
Ingredients
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- Combine all the oils together and put in a small, clean glass bottle.
- Use a small amount after a bath or shower, when skin is still slightly damp and warm.
- 15 grams beeswax
- 30 grams Shea Butter
- 30 ml Baobab Oil
- 30 ml Marula Oil
- 30 drops Lavender Oil
Ingredients
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- Melt the beeswax in a double boiler, then add the shea butter and as soon as it melts, remove from the heat.
- Mix in the oils and stir to combine
- Decant into two or three small, clean glass jars and apply to burns as needed
- Alternatively, use Marula Oil neat.