Baobab oil

The Candlenut, is a flowering tree, in the Euphorbiaceae family, also known as Candleberry, Indian walnut, Kemiri, Varnish tree, Nuez de la India, Buah keras or Kukui nut tree. A medium or large sized, spreading, tropical tree up to 50-80ft tall. Cooked nuts are generally edible, although some strains contain high amounts of cyanide. Usually the nut is pressed for its oil, which is used for a variety of industrial purposes like soap making, varnishes, and fuel. The oil is sometimes used medicinally similar to castor oil, as well as a laxative. In Southeast Asia, the oil is sometimes applied topically to treat headaches, fevers and swollen joints. In Ancient Hawaii, kukui nuts were burned to provide light. The nuts were strung in a row on a palm leaf midrib, lit one end, and burned one by one every 15 minutes or so. This led to their use as a measure of time. One could instruct someone to return home before the second nut burned out. Hawaiians also extracted the oil from the nut and burned it in a stone oil lamp called a “kukui hele po” (light, darkness goes) with a wick made of kapa cloth. Other uses of the oil were found in Hawaii such as a coating of fishing nets with kukui oil in order to preserve them. In Tonga, even today, ripe nuts, named tuitui are pounded into a paste, tukilamulamu, and used as soap or shampoo. As recently as 1993, candlenuts were chewed into sweet-scented emollient utilized during a traditional funerary ritual in the outlying islands of the Kingdom of Tonga. Their scent was also used for making various sweet smelling oils for the skin.

Modern cultivation is mostly for the oil. In plantations, each tree will produce 30-80 kg of nuts, and the nuts yield 15 to 20% of their weight in oil. They grow very well in tropical climates with ample rainfall, but also adapt to dry climates. Candlenut's need little if any care after they are established.

Kukui Nut Oil is a clear, pale, yellow, non-greasy oil, ranking very high amongst polyunsaturated vegetable oils, and can be used for skin and hair care. It is high in linoleic and linolenic acids. Kukui nut Oil also contains Vitamin A, E and F, and therefore, it is a good oil for anti-aging, revitalising and especially restoring sun damaged skin. The oil has been known to be often used in products that treat psoriasis and eczema, as well as acne.

Historically, camellia oil is the main cooking oil used in the southern provinces of China. Camellia oil was found to reduce bad cholesterol. This is a high quality culinary oil that remains stable at high temperatures while providing the same nutritional and culinary properties of olive oil. On a dermatological level is a penetrating oil, making it an oil of choice for products and cosmetic formulations.

The tamanu tree is indigenous to tropical Southeast Asia; it is found in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, South India, Sri Lanka, and the Melanesian and Polynesian islands. It grows up to three meters tall, sporting cracked, black bark and elliptical, shiny leaves. The tamanu tree blooms twice annually with fragrant, white flowers, which later yield clusters of yellow-skinned spherical fruit. The fruit's pulp tastes similar to an apple, within which a large nut is embedded. The nut contains an odorless pale kernel. This kernel is dried in the sun until it becomes sticky with a dark, thick, rich oil; it must be protected from humidity and rain during drying.

This sticky oil is cold-pressed to make a greenish oil. Polynesian Natives believed the tamanu tree was a sacred gift of nature. It was an answer to skin protection from hot sun, high humidity and ocean wind.

It is reputed to have wondrous wound-healing properties, as well as being a cure-all for almost every skin ailment you can think of, from acne to eczema to psoriasis, but all of the miraculous claims are hinged on anecdotal, not scientific, evidence. There’s no harm in using this oil in skin care.

Based on those traditional uses, tamanu oil has been thoroughly researched, and the conclusive evidence on its ability to heal damaged skin is overwhelming. Its benefits are notable for scarring, stretch marks, minor cuts and abrasions, rashes, sores, and much more. It can be used directly on the skin or mixed within formulations. Stores well under any condition but extreme heat will lessen the shelf life.

Tamanu oil has a rich, deep scent with a bold dark colour and because of this it may alter the colour and aroma of cosmetic creations. Tamanu oil may naturally separate or solidify at cold temperatures.

The tucumã kernel oil is very similar in appearance, consistency and properties to the the palm kernel oil. It is ideal for cooking. Due to their low level of free acids the refining process becomes much simpler compared to the palm oil. The high concentration of lauric acid (47%) detected in the tucumã kernel oil qualifies it with excellent properties for soap processing. Rich in omega 3, 6 and 9, it is an excellent moisturizer, used in cosmetics for skin hydration, body lotions and hair care products for damaged hair. It is also an excellent emollient with high spreadability. This oils is rich in beta-carotene being ideal for sun related skin care.

The fruit oil is highly nutritious containing one of the highest concentrations of β-carotene (180 to 330 mg/100 g of oil), only equaling the value of buriti pulp (Mauritia flexuosa). This exceptional high natural concentration of β-carotene, known as one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, forms a protective film and enhances the brilliance and vitality of dry and brittle hair. Contains high levels of vitamins A and C, in addition to the anti-oxidant properties, the topical application of these vitamins can improve the elasticity and firmness of the skin.