Baobab Oil Straight from The Tree of Life

Baobab Oil Straight from The Tree of Life

So what makes baobab seed oil such a highly-desired natural beauty ingredient?  It produces collagen that increases skin elasticity and fights premature signs of aging, and is a non-irritating treatment for skin ailments from eczema and sunspots to acne. Baobab seed oil is also a key ingredient in many restorative hair masks.      

 Baobab oil comes from the seeds of the exalted African baobab tree (Adansonia digitata), a symbol of the continent itself, and the core of African remedies and folklore. A prehistoric species predating mankind, baobab trees grow in 32 African countries and can live up to 5,000 years, growing to massive proportions – up to 100 feet tall and 165 feet around.  As a succulent in a climate where little else can survive, it stores water in its vast trunk, and then produces one of the world’s most nutrient-dense fruits during the dry season, providing shelter, food and water for animals and communities, many of which are built around baobab trees for just that reason. It is a symbol of life and positivity. The baobab is sometimes referred to as arbre a palabra, or “the place in the village where the elders meet to resolve problems,” but it is most widely known as “The Tree of Life.”

 As you might expect, every part of such a tree – not just its oil – is valuable. The bark is used for rope and clothing, the leaves are edible, and African women have turned to its antioxidant-laden fruit as a natural source of health and beauty for centuries. In traditional African medicine, baobab is a virtually universal remedy for almost any disease; specific documented uses include the treatment of fever, toothache, malaria, tuberculosis, anemia, and microbial infections like dysentery.

Baobab seed oil is used mainly for cosmetic purposes, and the tree itself does a lot of the extraction labor: Baobab is the only fruit in the world that dries naturally on its branch; it stays on the tree, baking in the sun for six months. The seeds are then easily removed from the dried fruit pulp and stored for months before being cold pressed to release their oil. This part of the process often represents an important source of income for African women’s cooperatives.

Beyond its many cosmetic uses, baobab seed oil has been shown to reduce fatigue, boost immune function, and (due to its high vitamin D content) increase calcium absorption. And as a natural prebiotic, baobab is great for your gut.

You’ll find the healing powers of baobab seed oil in Silktage’s Pure African Fusion Oil.