Rowan & Thistle

PLATE No. 006

Ingredient Collection

Babassu Oil

Attalea speciosa

Botanical plate of Babassu (Attalea speciosa): a palm with a crown of feathery fronds and a long hanging cluster of brown fruit, beside a cream flower, a whole oval fruit, a fruit cut lengthwise, a nut opened on its pale kernels, and a golden drop of oil.

Figure Key

  • Fig. 1 Babassu palm & fruit cluster
  • Fig. 2 Flower
  • Fig. 3 Whole fruit
  • Fig. 4 Longitudinal section
  • Fig. 5 Open nut showing kernels
  • Fig. 6 Babassu oil

The Ingredient

Babassu comes from a towering Brazilian palm whose fruits conceal oil-rich kernels beneath an exceptionally hard shell. The kernels produce an unusual oil that is creamy and solid when cool but melts readily with warmth. Naturally rich in lauric acid, it helps soften and condition both skin and hair without an overly heavy feel.

From Plant to Ingredient

  1. Babassu Oil, step 1 — Babassu Fruit: a whole oval, glossy brown babassu fruit.

    1. Babassu Fruit

    The palm produces clusters of hard, oval fruits.

  2. Babassu Oil, step 2 — Inside The Fruit: a babassu fruit cut lengthwise showing the fibrous husk, hard shell and pale kernels.

    2. Inside The Fruit

    A hard inner shell protects the kernels within.

  3. Babassu Oil, step 3 — Babassu Kernels: a babassu nut broken open to show four pale kernels.

    3. Babassu Kernels

    Inside the shell are the small kernels that contain the oil.

  4. Babassu Oil, step 4 — Babassu Oil: a single golden drop of oil.

    4. Babassu Oil

    The kernels yield the botanical oil used in our formulas.

Why We Chose It

Babassu gives skin and hair substantial conditioning while maintaining a lighter, silkier feel than many rich botanical oils. It helps soften, reduce moisture loss, and condition dry hair. It also gives us a valuable alternative to coconut oil, allowing us to create select formulas without relying on coconut as the source of those qualities.

What You'll Notice

  • Silky Softness — Helps soften and condition dry-feeling skin and hair.
  • Moisture Support — Helps reduce moisture loss for a softer, more comfortable feel.
  • Smoother Hair — Helps dry hair feel softer and better conditioned.
  • Light Finish — Rich conditioning without an excessively heavy or greasy feel.

Botanical Profile

Scientific Name
Attalea speciosa
INCI Name
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Plant Part Used
Kernel
Final Ingredient
Solid Oil
Origin
Brazil

A Closer Look

Babassu challenges what we normally picture when we hear the word “oil.” At cooler temperatures it’s a creamy white solid, but around 76°F it begins to soften and melt into a clear liquid. Both forms are the same oil—the change happens simply with temperature.

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