What Does Baobab Oil Do For Your Hair?

Baobab oil is one of the best oils for dry, dull, and brittle hair and I share 2 awesome baobab oil recipes for hair in this article.

It’s also featured prominently in Grow Your Hair Healthy and Long With Natural Oils.

In this comprehensive article about baobab oil, I’ll be covering:-

• Baobab oil benefits for hair
• How to use baobab oil on hair
• Baobab oil for hair growth
• Baobab oil side effects
• Best baobab oil for hair
• Baobab oil hair products

Baobab oil (Adansonia Digitata) is obtained from the seeds of the baobab fruit native to tropical areas of Africa.

The baobab tree has long roots that reach deep into the earth to search for nourishment enabling it to live up to 2,000 years.

It is aka the upside-down tree because it looks like the roots are also growing upwards.

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In the tropical areas of Africa, the baobab tree pulp and seeds are consumed as well.

In 2009, the US FDA approved it as a food product while it was recognized as a novel food in Europe in 2008.

Baobab fruit powder features in many food supplements. Baobab fruit powder can also be used in baking or as a thickener in soups and dressings.

What is Baobab Oil?

Baobab oil is cold-pressed from the dried seeds of the baobab tree. It is pale yellow and has a mild nutty scent.

Baobab oil is light, non-greasy and is quickly absorbed into hair and skin. It is a popular ingredient in cosmetic formulations.

The pulp is also ground into a powder that’s very popular in wellness and beauty circles.

10 Amazing Baobab Oil for Hair Benefits

Below are some of my favorite baobab oil benefits for hair and what makes it so good for dry, dull, and brittle hair:-

1. Non-greasy for Fine Hair

Baobab oil is non-greasy and quickly absorbed into hair yet nourishing.

Because of this lightness, it won’t weigh down the hair and is a big benefit for fine hair.

2. Improves Hair Texture & Elasticity

Baobab oil has a high vitamin C content – 6 times more than an orange. Nourishing vitamin C improves texture and elasticity in dry hair.

Elasticity is what happens when you pull on your hair while wet, release it and it bounces back.

3. Baobab Oil is Very Stable

Baobab oil is a stable oil with a long shelf life of almost 3 years. It can be added to DIY recipes to stabilize them.

It can also be mixed in with other complementary oils that have a limited shelf life.

4. Promotes Shine and Glossy

A few drops of baobab oil worked through the hair to finish off a style leaving hair shiny with a glossy and silken look. It will also help keep frizz under control.

5. Treats Several Scalp Issues

Baobab oil has anti-inflammatory properties that help treat and alleviate scalp issues such as dryness, itchiness, eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff.

There’s a great baobab oil recipe for dry & itchy scalp below. It’s a soothing and gentle treatment.

6. Vitamins A & E for Softness

Baobab oil contains vitamins A and E, which help soften dry hair when activated with heat. Additionally, it can help repair damaged hair over time.

7. Aids in Detangling Hair

The polyunsaturated fatty acids contained in baobab oil create the film that makes it an effective emollient as well as a suitable aid in detangling.

You can use it as one of the oils in this popular detangling oil recipe I use after taking down braids. 

8. Prevents Moisture Loss from Hair

The emollient properties of baobab oil help hair maintain an optimal moisture balance by preventing moisture from leaving the hair too quickly.

In other words, baobab oil helps lock in moisture for longer for high porosity hair.

9. Protects Hair from Elements

If you have dry hair, you know environmental aggressors like heat, dust, and wind make it much worse.

Baobab oil helps protect the hair from these environmental aggressors and prevents them from wicking moisture out of hair.

10. Eliminates Breakage

Going back to baobab oil’s moisture-locking abilities, dry and brittle hair tends to start breaking off.

If your hair is already going into this stage, including baobab oil in your regimen can help curb hair breakage faster.

Baobab Oil for Hair Growth

As I mentioned earlier, the best use of baobab oil is for restoring moisture and enhancing elasticity in dry and dull hair.

It is not an oil that I would recommend for hair growth. If you are interested in oils for hair growth then your best bet is the oils recommended HERE.

Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, you can then combine it with baobab oil.

I explore combining oils effectively for different hair issues extensively in Grow Your Hair Healthy & Long With Natural Oils.

How to Use Baobab Oil on Hair

Baobab Oil Recipe for Dry & Itchy Scalp

This recipe is ideal for dry and itchy scalp as well as for treating dandruff.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of baobab oil
• 1 tablespoon of borage seed oil
• 1 tablespoon of cranberry seed oil
• 1 teaspoon of lemongrass oil or neem oil
• 7 drops of peppermint essential oil or rosemary essential oil
• 4 oz bottle like this one

Directions

• Open the bottle and pour in all the oils.
• Close and shake thoroughly.
• To use, place the bottle in a warm water bath then section your hair.
• When the scalp oil is warm enough, apply to scalp in thin layers then massage into your scalp until absorbed.
• Repeat 3 – 5 times a week before bed until regimen day when you shampoo and deep condition.

Baobab Oil Hair Styling Recipe

This recipe is for promoting gloss and shine and using it as a styling oil along with a leave-in cream or another styling cream.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of baobab oil
• 1 tablespoon of monoi tiare oil
• 1 tablespoon of camellia oil
• 5 drops of jasmine oil
• 5 drops of vitamin E oil
• 4 oz bottle like this one

Directions

• Open the bottle and pour in all the oils.
• Close and shake thoroughly.
• To use, layer over a leave-in cream or styling cream before braid outs, twists out, etc.
• When the style is dry, apply a little bit to your hands before undoing the braid out or twist for optimal shine.
• You can also apply after refreshing a hairstyle with water mid-week.

When using baobab oil on hair, you should expect a marked improvement within 4 weeks.

You can combine baobab oil with so many other types of oil to achieve different results.

For more on this, I highly recommend Grow Your Hair Healthy & Long With Natural Oils.

It features over 20 types of oils specifically for dry, dull, and brittle hair. Learn more HERE.

Baobab Oil Side Effects

There are no major indications that baobab oil causes an allergic reaction when used topically especially on hair.

If you want to be sure anyway before trying it, you can always conduct a patch test a few days before full application on hair.

To conduct a patch test, rub a little bit of baobab oil on your inner elbow and leave for 24 hours.

If nothing happens to the skin, you’re good to go with baobab oil. If the skin reddens or itches, then baobab oil is not your friend.

You can find many suitable oil recommendations for dry and dull hair in Grow Your Hair Healthy & Long With Natural Oils to use instead of baobab oil.

Where to Buy Baobab Oil for Hair?

The best baobab oil for hair is cold-pressed and unrefined. Below are some suitable recommendations:-

Baobab Oil Hair Products

• Sienna Naturals Baobab Oil Moisturising Leave-in Conditioner 
• Kashmira Professional Baobab Oil Biotin Sulfate-Free Repairing Conditioner
• Burt’s Bees More Moisture Shampoo With Baobab 
• Burt’s Bees More Moisture Conditioner With Baobab 
• Peter Lamas Baobab Oil Hydrating Conditioner 

• The Mane Choice Ancient Egyptian Anti-Breakage and Repair Antidote Hair Mask 
• Aveda be curly style-prep
• Virtue Recovery Conditioner
• Josh Rosebrook Enrich Hair Mask
• Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Conditioner 

Baobab oil may also be listed on products as Adansonia digitate oil and Adansonia oil.

References

• Nutraceuticals for Skin Care: A Comprehensive Review of Human Clinical Studies
• Profiling Hydroxycinnamic Acid Glycosides, Iridoid Glycosides, and Phenylethanoid Glycosides in Baobab Fruit Pulp (Adansonia digitata)

Curly Abi

Abi is a curly hair expert, researcher, product tester, and author of the highly-rated Healthy Hair Care Series. She is also the founder of Ade Ori Hair Care, Healthy Natural Hair Products, and Natural Oils for Hair & Beauty. HNHP has strict editorial standards and ensures all the information on Healthy Natural Hair Products is the best for natural hair care. Learn more about our Editorial Policies