Babassu Oil helps hydrate your hair and scalp as it is packed with hair healthy nutrients like vitamin e for moisture and shine, and fatty acids like lauric which may help reduce protein loss. A voiding protein loss is important since hair is made of a protein called keratin, and without proteins your hair may not grow as strong or healthy as it could.
Babassu oil also contains oleic acid which has been known to help regulate sebum production. But babassu oil has about 10% oleic acid by weight according to wikipedia compared to argan oil which has 43% - 49%, and the 55% to 80% found in olive oil, so it is likely less impactful.
The oil is extracted from the babassu palm which comes primarily from the amazon in northeastern Brazil. It is also considered sustainable and has been studied since the 1930’s when they discovered it is dominated with nearly 50% lauric acid. This is similar to coconut oil and palm oil in that aspect.
The main hair healthy nutrients in babassu oil include:
- Vitamin E
- Lauric acid
- Myristic acid
- Oleic acid
The lauric and myristic acids help to moisturize hair with their emollient properties, along with vitamin E that can act as a natural hydrator. Myristoleic acid has been seen in some studies like this one to enhance anagen signaling, which is the stage which is the growth phase of your hair’s lifecycle.
Babassu oils are mostly known for their ability to hydrate and moisturize hair, which is why they’re common in conditioners and some hair treatments. So if you’re looking for a hair treatment or conditioner with sustainable ingredients, give one with babassu oil a try.
