Babassu oil is a light oil pressed from the kernels of the babassu palm, which grows in the Amazon basin and the northeast of Brazil. It melts at about skin temperature, so it glides on silky and sinks in without a greasy film. We use it in one formula, The Midnight Youth Potion, where it helps give a blend of thirteen botanical oils its light, silky feel. Here is what babassu is, how it behaves on skin, and why it earned its place.
Where babassu comes from
The babassu palm, Attalea speciosa, is native to the rainforests of Brazil, especially the states of Maranhão, Piauí and Tocantins. The oil is pressed from the kernels inside its nuts and is listed on labels as Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil.
Communities in those regions have harvested the palm for centuries and use nearly every part of it. Much of the gathering and nut cracking has traditionally been done by women, and the oil has long been used locally for cooking and fuel as well as on skin. It is an ingredient with deep roots in South America, which is part of its appeal to us.
The way it melts
Babassu's most distinctive quality is physical. In a cool room it is soft and solid, a little like coconut oil. Its melting point is about 26°C (79°F), just below the temperature of your skin, so it turns to liquid the moment it touches you.
To melt, it draws a little heat from the skin, and that produces a faint cooling sensation as you apply it. Then it spreads in a thin, silky layer and absorbs quickly. Few oils feel quite like this: substantial in the jar, almost weightless on the face.
What it is made of
Babassu is mostly made of saturated fatty acids. Lauric acid accounts for close to half, followed by myristic acid, with a smaller share of oleic acid. Lauric acid also occurs naturally on skin, so babassu brings something skin already knows.
That saturated profile has a practical benefit. Saturated fats are slow to oxidize, so babassu is a stable oil that holds up well in a blend. It sits comfortably beside more delicate oils that are richer in unsaturated fatty acids. The oleic portion adds softness and helps the oil feel moisturizing rather than dry.
Babassu and coconut oil
The comparison is natural, because the two oils are chemically similar and both melt near body temperature. The difference is in how they feel. Coconut oil can feel heavy and leave a sheen, especially on oily skin. Babassu is lighter and less greasy on the face, so it suits leave-on formulas where a heavy finish would be a drawback. Coconut oil is excellent in soaps and body products, where its lather and richness are an advantage. On the face, babassu does a similar job with a lighter touch.
Why it is in The Midnight Youth Potion
The Midnight Youth Potion is the oil-serum we make for evenings. It blends thirteen botanical oils: grape seed, avocado, babassu, flax, jojoba, rosehip, marula, carrot seed, passionfruit, baobab, camellia, tamanu and Kalahari melon. They are joined by niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate and a vitamin C ester, with a faint floral note from tiare flower and no added fragrance.
A blend this full could easily feel heavy. Light oils such as grape seed, listed first, and passionfruit carry it, while avocado and baobab add cushion. Babassu sits between them. It brings a silky glide and a soft, velvety finish without adding greasiness, which is why the potion goes on silky and settles in quickly. Skin feels deeply hydrated and nourished rather than slick, and you wake to skin that looks brighter, softer and well rested.
How to use it
Press four to six drops into clean skin as the last step of your evening routine. Warming the drops between your palms first helps the babassu melt and spread. If you also use a night cream, the potion goes on first and the cream over it: our Midnight Glow pairs the potion with the Wrinkle Reducing Ultra Peptide Intensive Night Cream for exactly that order.
How it suits different skin
- Dry and mature skin. Babassu's softness works alongside the richer oils in the potion, avocado, baobab and marula among them, for skin that wants overnight comfort.
- Oily and combination skin. Because babassu feels light and non-greasy, it helps make a multi-oil serum wearable for skin that usually avoids face oils.
- Sensitive skin. Babassu itself is mild, but the potion contains other botanicals, including carrot seed oil and tiare flower. Patch test first if your skin reacts easily.
Questions about babassu oil
Is babassu oil the same as coconut oil?
No, though they are similar. Both come from palms and melt near skin temperature, but babassu feels lighter and less greasy on the face.
Which Marianella product contains babassu oil?
The Midnight Youth Potion, our evening face oil-serum. Babassu is one of its thirteen botanical oils.
Why does babassu oil feel cool when I apply it?
It melts just below skin temperature, and as it melts it draws a little heat from the skin, which you feel as a faint coolness.
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