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 and Dry Sensitive blends their softness, and it does a plain, useful job well.
We use it for what the research actually shows, softening the skin and slowing water loss, and we leave the grander "tree of life" claims to one side.
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.
It is worth being clear about one thing the marketing tends to get wrong. Baobab is often called an omega-3 oil, but the seed oil is really an omega-6 and omega-9 oil, with only a trace of omega-3. That does not make it any less useful, it just makes the usual headline inaccurate, and we would rather describe the oil that is actually in the bottle.
What it does in our formulas
Two things, both about softening the skin and helping it hold moisture.
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 characterisedIt 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 studyWhat 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
Marketed as An anti-ageing, collagen-building oil
What is left is honest and worth having: a stable, conditioning oil that softens the skin and helps it hold moisture, with a small but real study behind that.
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, as it is for everything we use.
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. As a plant seed oil it carries no restrictions under UK or EU cosmetic law.
As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.
The research behind this page
We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.
- 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. "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjp.2016.07.001", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjp.2016.07.001"}" rel="nofollow">→
- 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. "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2011.07.003", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2011.07.003"}" rel="nofollow">→
- 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. "https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19010070", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19010070"}" rel="nofollow">→