Conditioning oilCold-pressed seed oilIn three skin-type blends

Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil

Adansonia digitata · INCI Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Baobab oil is pressed from the seed of the African baobab, the broad, ancient tree sometimes called the tree of life. In our formulas it is one of the conditioning oils that give the Dry Sensitive, Dry and Balanced blends their softness, and it does a plain, useful job well.

The research supports two things for this oil, softening the skin and slowing water loss.

Baobab seed oil, cold-pressed from the seed of the African baobab.
Baobab seed oil, cold-pressed from the seed of the African baobab.

What it is

Baobab seed oil, Adansonia digitata, is a cold-pressed organic oil made up mostly of oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids, with vitamin E and a share of plant sterols. That balance of fatty acids is what makes it a good emollient: stable, easy-going and quick to soften the skin without feeling heavy.

What it does in our formulas

Baobab seed oil softens the skin and helps it hold on to moisture.

01

It softens and conditions

Baobab is rich in oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids, with vitamin E and plant sterols. On the skin that makes it a straightforward emollient, filling the surface, smoothing it and leaving it more supple.

Well characterised
02

It slows water loss

In a small topical study on skin, baobab oil reduced the water lost through the surface and improved the skin's moisture reading, behaving as a light occlusive that helps the skin hold on to what it has.

Small human study

What the research does not show

Baobab attracts more than its share of grand language, helped along by the "tree of life" name. Two claims are worth correcting.

Marketed as Rich in omega-3
Baobab seed oil is dominated by linoleic acid (omega-6), oleic acid (omega-9) and palmitic acid, and carries very little omega-3. The omega-3 headline that follows it around does not fit the oil.
Marketed as An anti-ageing, collagen-building oil
The evidence is for softening, moisture retention and slowing water loss, not for building collagen or reversing ageing.

On the label and in the range

Baobab appears in the Dry Sensitive, Dry and Balanced blends, high on the ingredient list since it is one of the main oils. On the label it reads by its INCI name, shown with its common name, and marked as cold-pressed and organic. The exact percentage is published on each product page.

Is it suitable for me?

Baobab oil is well tolerated, and in a small controlled study it did not irritate the skin any more than water did. It suits a vegan routine and sits comfortably on sensitive skin, which is why it anchors the Dry Sensitive blend. It carries no restrictions under UK or EU cosmetic law.

Vegan-friendlySensitive-skin suitableWell tolerated

As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.

Naturally derived
Naturally derived
Made to be gentle on skin
Made to be gentle on skin
Science led
Science led

The research behind this page

We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.

  1. Komane BM, Vermaak I, Kamatou GPP, Summers B, Viljoen AM. Beauty in Baobab: a pilot study of the safety and efficacy of Adansonia digitata seed oil. Rev Bras Farmacogn 2017;27(1):1-8. →
  2. Vermaak I, Kamatou GPP, Komane-Mofokeng B, Viljoen AM, Beckett K. African seed oils of commercial importance: cosmetic applications. S Afr J Bot 2011;77(4):920-933. →
  3. Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. Int J Mol Sci 2018;19(1):70. →
Found in the Dry Sensitive, Dry and Balanced blends Shop the range