Where Baobab Oil Shows Up in Our Face Oils, and Why

Baobab oil is in three of our face formulas: The Royal Kalahari Face Serum, The Midnight Youth Potion and The Royal Kalahari Under Eye and Lip Serum Roller Oil. We use it because it softens and cushions dry skin, sinks in without a greasy film, and stays fresh in the bottle for a long time, which matters when every batch is poured by hand. Here is what it brings to each formula and how to use them, especially now that the heating is back on and indoor air has turned dry.

Baobab oil in brief

Baobab oil is pressed from the hard, kidney-shaped seeds inside the fruit of the African baobab tree, Adansonia digitata. Its golden color and faint scent come from the seed itself. It began as a food oil and is now widely used in skin care, where it appears on labels as Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil.

The seeds are fatty for a fruit seed, though how fatty depends a great deal on where the tree grew. In one analysis of Sudanese seeds, the kernel held 23 percent oil while the hull held only 5.4 percent. What you are buying is the inside of the seed. In a formula, the oil works in two ways at once: as an emollient that softens the skin's surface, and as a light occlusive that slows the water evaporating from it.

Three reasons we chose it

The way it feels

Analyses of baobab oil keep finding the same three main fatty acids: oleic, linoleic and palmitic. One study reported 37 percent oleic, 29 percent linoleic and 30 percent palmitic acid. Read those numbers as a texture. Oleic acid gives a rich, smooth spread. Linoleic acid keeps the oil from feeling heavy. Palmitic acid adds body. On skin, that adds up to an oil that cushions dry patches and still absorbs, which is why it layers well with the lighter oils in our blends.

It stays fresh

Many plant oils go stale before the bottle is finished. Baobab holds up. One analysis recorded a low iodine value, a measure of how many fragile double bonds an oil has, and a low peroxide value, a measure of how much it has already oxidized. Both point to a stable, good-quality oil. It also carries its own vitamin E. For a brand that makes small batches by hand, an oil that keeps well is a practical choice as much as a skin-care one.

It is worth what it costs

Good baobab oil is not cheap, and the reason is yield. A 2025 study compared extraction methods and found that gentle, solvent-free extraction took about 9 percent oil from the seed by weight, against 37 percent from hot pressing. The oil in our formulas is cold-pressed, and the same trade applies: gentler pressing leaves more oil behind in the seed. We would rather pay for an oil handled with care.

Baobab in The Royal Kalahari Face Serum

The Royal Kalahari Face Serum, winner of People's Star Beauty Award for Best Facial Care Product, is a blend of botanical oils led by Kalahari melon seed oil, a light, fast-absorbing oil rich in linoleic acid. Baobab and camellia seed oils sit beside it to cushion and soften dry skin. Passion fruit seed oil helps skin look brighter and more even, and tamanu comforts skin that looks dry or stressed. Mongongo, monoi de Tahiti and vitamins C and E complete it. Baobab is a large part of why the serum feels nourishing without being heavy.

To use it, warm four to six drops between your fingertips and press them into face and neck, morning and night. Wear sunscreen over it during the day.

Baobab in The Midnight Youth Potion

The Midnight Youth Potion is the oil we make for evenings: thirteen botanical oils blended with niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate and a vitamin C ester. Light oils like grape seed and passionfruit carry the blend, while avocado and baobab add cushion, so skin feels deeply hydrated and nourished rather than greasy. Press four to six drops into clean skin as the last step of your evening routine. It is the one to reach for on nights when the heat has been running for hours and skin feels tight.

Baobab in the Under Eye and Lip Serum Roller Oil

The Royal Kalahari Under Eye and Lip Serum Roller Oil is built from the same family of oils as the face serum: Kalahari melon, baobab, mongongo, passion fruit, camellia, grapeseed and tamanu. Castor oil adds a soft, glossy cushion, monoi de Tahiti a faint floral warmth, and vitamin E keeps the oils fresh. The skin under the eyes and on the lips is thin and dries first, so a stable, softening oil like baobab earns its place. The steel ball lets you trace a line under each eye and over your lips in a few seconds. Under the eyes, skin looks smoother and softly hydrated; on lips, it leaves a soft gloss.

Getting the most from baobab in cold weather

• Apply oils last, on damp skin. An oil holds in water that is already there; it does not add any. After washing, use your water-based steps first, then press in the oil.
• Warm the drops first. Rub them between your palms or fingertips for a couple of seconds so they spread further.
• Give it a minute in the morning. Let the serum settle before sunscreen and makeup go on.
• Store it in a cabinet. Even a stable oil keeps best away from sunlight and the radiator.
• Patch test anything new. Try a new oil along the jaw for a few nights before using it all over.

Questions about baobab in our formulas

Which Marianella products contain baobab oil?

The Royal Kalahari Face Serum, The Midnight Youth Potion and The Royal Kalahari Under Eye and Lip Serum Roller Oil, along with sets that include them, such as The Kalahari Icon Duo. Our Ingredient Library lists every ingredient and the products it is found in.

Should I use the serum or the potion?

The Royal Kalahari Face Serum is made for morning and night. The Midnight Youth Potion is an evening oil-serum that goes on as the last step. You can use the serum in the morning and the potion at night.

Why does baobab oil cost more than other plant oils?

Yield. The oil sits in the kernel of a hard seed, and gentle extraction takes far less of it from the same fruit than hot pressing does.

Can I use the roller on my lips?

Yes. It is made for the under-eye area and the lips, and on lips it leaves a soft, nourished gloss.