The desert date, Balanites Roxburghii, is a typical tree of Africa and of several regions of the Middle East belonging to the Zygophyllaceae family. From the cold pressing of the seeds of its fruits we obtain an oil with interesting cosmetic properties that we will see in detail in the next paragraphs.
Desert date oil, properties for the beauty of the skin
Desert date oil is healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant thanks to the substances contained in it such as flavonoids, able to act against free radicals, and saponins, which counteract inflammation and fight the action of fungi and bacteria (Chothani et al, Pharmacogn Rev, 2011 - Mohamed et al, Plant Foods Hum Nutr., 2002). This oil is also moisturizing and protective for the skin barrier since it contains important fatty acids such as linoleic acid, 75%, palmitic acid, 14%, and stearic acid, 9% (Elhardallou et al, Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 2014 - Tzu- Kai Lin et al, Int J Mol). Therefore, given these characteristics, you can use desert date oil on acne-prone skin, sensitive and irritated skin but also, given the moisturizing properties of the cosmetic, in case of dry skin. You can apply a drop in the evening on a damp face or on the whole body after a shower, in this case a teaspoon of oil is enough.
Desert date hair oil
Desert date oil is also an excellent treatment to strengthen hair, to make it elastic and to repair damages. Dampen the hair and massage a couple of teaspoons of date oil on the skin and lengths. Wrap the head in a plastic wrap and leave on for 15 minutes. Then rinse with your shampoo.
Desert date oil and rheumatism
Not only skin and hair, tradition (Elhardallou et al, Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 2014) associates desert date oil with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties useful in case of rheumatism. Therefore, in these cases, the oil can be used to massage the affected part. To maximize the properties in case of pain you can add ten drops of camphor essential oil, anti-inflammatory, to 100 ml of date oil.
