# What Is Desert Date Oil? Origin, Texture and How to Use It - Link: https://aunaturalorganics.com/best-desert-date-oil-the-hidden-treasure-of-skin-care/ - Published: 2023-08-27T08:34:09+00:00 - Author: Au Natural Organics Team Desert date oil comes from the seed kernel of _Balanites aegyptiaca_, a thorny, evergreen tree that grows wild across the dry belt of Africa, from Mauritania and Senegal through the Sahel to Sudan and Uganda, and in parts of the Middle East. It is sold under several names, including desert date oil, Balanites oil and lalob oil. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the date palm. ## Where desert date oil comes from The tree grows to about 10 metres and copes with long droughts, poor soil and heat that few crops survive. Its olive-sized fruit ripens in the dry season, when little else is available, and the sweet, slightly bitter pulp is eaten by people and livestock. Inside each fruit is a hard nut, and inside the nut a small, oily kernel. Those kernels hold a lot of oil: studies of fruit from Uganda, Sudan and Mauritania put the oil content at roughly 40 to 51 percent of the kernel’s weight. The fruit is usually gathered by hand from wild trees, the pulp is removed, and the nuts are cracked one by one to free the kernels. That slow step is the main reason the oil is still made in small quantities. ## How it is made Desert date oil is typically cold-pressed or expeller-pressed from the dried kernels, then settled and filtered. Unrefined oil is light yellow to golden with a mild, nutty smell. Colour and scent can shift a little from batch to batch, because the growing region and the dryness of the season change the oil’s makeup. ## What is in desert date oil The oil is mostly unsaturated. Linoleic acid is usually the largest fatty acid, at around 30 to 40 percent, followed by oleic acid at roughly 25 to 30 percent, with palmitic and stearic acids making up most of the rest. It naturally contains vitamin E, mainly alpha-tocopherol, and plant sterols such as beta-sitosterol. That balance gives it a medium-light texture: richer than jojoba, lighter than shea butter or batana oil. ## How to use desert date oil * **Face and body:** press a few drops onto damp skin after washing to soften dry- feeling areas. * **Hair:** smooth a small amount through the lengths and ends, or use it as a pre-wash oil. * **Blending:** use it to dilute essential oils, or add it to balms, body butters and soaps. Patch test on the inner arm before first use. Keep the bottle closed and away from heat and light. Oils high in linoleic acid keep best in a cool cupboard, or in the fridge once opened. ## Traditional uses Across the Sahel the kernel oil has long been used in cooking. The fruit contains natural saponins and is used locally for washing, which is why the tree is sometimes called the soapberry tree. ## Where to buy desert date oil Our [Desert Date Oil, 3.4oz (100ml)](https://aunaturalorganics.com/shop/desert-date-oil-100ml/) is unrefined and single-ingredient. Makers and salons can choose the [1 litre size](https://aunaturalorganics.com/shop/desert-date-oil-1liter/). For the botany and how the kernels are processed, read the [desert date ingredient guide](https://aunaturalorganics.com/ingredient/desert-date/).