Today we’re going to talk about a ‘butter’ product that not a lot of people might know about. I certainly did not know about it until I was introduced to it as a free sample! This exotically named buttery product is unique in many ways. It feels great going on the skin (if you buy the right kind), and it also has some pretty amazing hair care applications as well!

Babassu produces two main byproducts – it can produce a liquified oil (likely through a similar process to liquid coconut oil through fractionation, which takes the solid form and modifies it to be a liquid oil). It can also produce a solid butter, that is very similar to the texture and properties of coconut oil.

Some actually like it better than coconut oil though, it tends not to feel as heavy on the skin when applied. Coconut oil may feel heavier to some, more ‘masking’, while babassu can be a lighter feel. Related: Hair & Skin Benefits of Panthenol

Vitamin E

Babassu butter contains high amounts of vitamin E, which is important to skin health. Vitamin E also is just a naturally healing vitamin when applied topically. It is often recommended for everything from sunburns to abrasions as an extra agent for fast healing.

This healing property also has benefits for the hair. Remember, our hair is really just an extension of our skin. It turns over very rapidly, just like skin, and it needs constant topical “nutrition” in order to maintain optimal health. Vitamin E can be helpful not only to keep moisture in the hair, but also helps to protect the hair from sun damage with its coating effect. It’s also fantastic for scalp health.

Natural Detangling!

As we touched on briefly, babassu oil is much more velvety and light than coconut oil. This trait helps to actually detangle the hair (although it is definitely recommended to still use a detangling agent in your conditioner!) Related: How Often Should You Condition Your Hair? So babassu can be a really great complement to any conditioning regimen, although it’s not going to officially replace a real detangling agent that was made for that specific purpose.

Because babassu butter also absorbs really well and does not leave an oily residue, it just makes it all that much better as an addition to a healthy hair and scalp regimen. It’s just amazingly soothing, protective and rejuvenating to hair that is stressed, over-styled or processed, or aging hair that needs a little more TLC.

What Does Babassu Butter Come From?

I thought this myself when I first learned of this very important butter many years ago. It comes from a type of palm tree that grows in the Amazon. So, you can see why it is very similar to coconut oil! It comes from the seeds that are produced by these trees.

It should be solid, but easily will melt in a warmer room or immediately upon applies to the skin. Be wary of consistency. I have inadvertently purchased a babassu butter that was WAY harder in consistency than it should have been. Almost like candle wax, so check reviews or contact the distributor first.

It wouldn’t even melt in to a liquid on the stove, so it was clearly adulterated in some way. Be sure that your babassu butter is comprised only of one ingredient, and does not have other additives in it.