Macadamia oil

Q: What are the benefits of macadamia oil in cosmetics?

CosIng classifies it as an emollient. Skin data are limited to a formulation study at 10% oil comparing two textures, with no oil-free group described, and a 24-hour patch test on 20 people. We found no controlled trial on the oil alone.

Q: Is macadamia oil safe?

No restriction applies to the ingredient in the EU and it is not on the list of fragrance allergens. The CIR judged the 244 vegetable oils of its report safe, though we could not check here whether this INCI is on the list. We retained no source on tree nut allergy risk: flag it on the product sheet if your target audience is sensitive. During pregnancy, as with any skincare product, a healthcare professional's advice remains the rule.

Macadamia oil is the fixed oil obtained from macadamia nuts, of the Proteaceae family10. Across 15 cultivars, it contains 61.74 to 66.47% oleic acid and 13.22 to 17.63% palmitoleic acid1. CosIng classifies it as an emollient10. Skin data are limited to small formulation and safety studies.

Mohamed El HjoujiFounder and CEO · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time 8 min

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Macadamia oil at a glance

Entry from our cosmetic ingredient glossary. Regulatory data from the European Commission's CosIng database10. Copy the identifiers in one click for your files.

INCI name: MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA SEED OIL
Other names: Macadamia oilMacadamia nut oil; macadamia oil
CAS number: 128497-20-1 / 129811-19-4Two CAS numbers for the same CosIng entry10
EC number: Not listed in CosIngThe CosIng entry gives no EC number10
Botanical origin: Macadamia (Proteaceae)CosIng describes a fixed oil obtained from the nuts of Macadamia ternifolia10. The analyses cited here concern Macadamia integrifolia1 or macadamia nuts without further detail2
Composition: Triglycerides, oleic and palmitoleicOleic 61.74 to 66.47%, palmitoleic 13.22 to 17.63%; main triglycerides: triolein (19.2 to 26.1%) and palmitoyl-dioleoyl-glycerol (16.4 to 18.2%) (15 cultivars)1
Minor constituents: α-tocopherol, squalene, polyphenols, α-tocotrienolα-tocopherol: the most abundant tocopherol in the nuts studied, macadamia included, except walnut2; polyphenol, α-tocotrienol and squalene levels vary by cultivar1
CosIng functions: Emollient"Skin conditioning - emollient"10
EU status: No restriction specific to the ingredientNo annex listed in CosIng10; the name Macadamia does not appear in Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 consolidated on May 1, 2025
Allergen to declare: NoNot on the list of fragrance allergens in Regulation (EU) 2023/1545. No source retained on the risk of tree nut allergy
Safety (CIR): Report on 244 vegetable oilsCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) report on 244 vegetable oils: judged safe as used in cosmetics. We could not check here whether this INCI is among the 244 oils; check it in the report9

What the research says

Each result shows the protocol and the level of evidence. The higher the level, the better the result carries over to a finished formula.

Clinical trialReview or consensusLaboratory

Composition and materialChemistry

An oleic oil, rich in palmitoleic acid

Laboratory

15 Chinese cultivarsMacadamia integrifolia

All the oils are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids: oleic acid from 61.74 to 66.47% and palmitoleic acid from 13.22 to 17.63%. The main triglycerides are triolein (19.2 to 26.1%), 1-palmitoyl-2,3-dioleoyl-glycerol (16.4 to 18.2%) and 1-palmitoleoyl-2-oleoyl-3-stearoyl-glycerol (11.9 to 13.7%)1.

Minor constituents: tocopherol, squalene, polyphenols

Laboratory

Macadamia and other nutsAnalysis of the extracted oil

Oleic acid is the main monounsaturated fatty acid, with a notable share of palmitoleic acid in macadamia. α-tocopherol is the most abundant tocopherol in the five nuts studied, except walnut2; across the 15 cultivars, polyphenols, α-tocotrienol and squalene vary1.

Skin and bodySkincare, bodycare

A cream with 10% oil: the nanocream did better

Clinical trial

Cream with 10% macadamia oil4 weeksSkin analyzer

The nanocream gave better results than the conventional cream on hydration, pore size, melanin and wrinkles. The abstract describes no oil-free group and gives neither sample size nor values: the effect of the oil alone is not isolated3.

A 24-hour patch test

Clinical trial

20 participants aged 22 to 59Emu and macadamia oils

The oils stayed on the back for 24 hours under a patch. Reaction scores, on the scale of the Japanese patch test research group, appear in tables with no written conclusion in the abstract4. Raw data, with no statistical analysis announced.

An oleic profile: the reviews' benchmark

Review

2018 and 2022 reviewsOleic acid and skin barrier

The reviews link a high content of oleic acid, which is irritating, to a risk for the barrier when skin is already weakened; on unaffected skin, an oleic-rich oil does not necessarily react negatively, and frequency and duration of use matter5 6. These reviews did not study macadamia oil itself.

What reviews and experts saySafety, uses

Safety: a report on 244 vegetable oils

Review

2017 CIR report244 oils

The expert panel concludes that the 244 vegetable oils assessed are safe as used in cosmetics. The review focused mainly on skin effects9.

This page summarizes published literature on a cosmetic ingredient. It does not describe the effect of a finished product, which depends on its formula, and it is not medical advice. Several of the studies cited were run or funded by industry; this is indicated in the sources.

Which products use macadamia oil?

Our white label catalog includes 9 formulas with macadamia oil: the key active in 1 of them, a supporting ingredient in the others. Every category can be customized (formula, fragrance, packaging).

1Face

Oil in the ultra-light hyaluronic acid cream.

Face creams1

5Body

Oil in dry oils (aftershave, body), the professional massage oil and the beard serum.

Aftershave Dry OilKey active

3Hair

Oil in leave-in sprays and detanglers, the anti-frizz serum and the strengthening beard and hair serum.

In our formulas, it is most often paired with

Vitamin E 7 Argan oil 6 Shea butter 3 Jojoba oil 2 Niacinamide 2

Macadamia, apricot, sweet almond or olive?

Four oils dominated by oleic acid. Only macadamia is rich in palmitoleic acid.

	Macadamia oil	Apricot kernel oil	Sweet almond oil	Olive oil
Oleic acid	61.74 to 66.47%1	70.70%8	67.2%7	66.4%7
Palmitoleic acid	13.22 to 17.63%1	0.70%8	Not quantified in our sources	Not quantified in our sources
Linoleic acid	Not quantified in our sources	22.41%8	22.8%7	16.4%7
EU regulation	No restriction	No restriction	No restriction	No restriction
Carmel catalog formulas	9 formulas	11 formulas	74 formulas	13 formulas

Frequently asked questions about macadamia oil

What is macadamia oil?

It is the fixed oil obtained from macadamia nuts, of the Proteaceae family10. Its INCI name is MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA SEED OIL. It is dominated by oleic acid and rich in palmitoleic acid1.

What are the benefits of macadamia oil in cosmetics?

CosIng classifies it as an emollient10. Skin data are limited to a formulation study at 10% oil comparing two textures, with no oil-free group described3, and a 24-hour patch test on 20 people4. We found no controlled trial on the oil alone.

Is macadamia oil good for hair?

We found no controlled study measuring its effect alone on hair: it is a formulation use. In our catalog, it goes into leave-in sprays, detanglers and hair serums.

Is macadamia oil comedogenic, and is it suitable for the face?

We found no official or peer-reviewed source giving a comedogenicity rating, so this page gives no figure. Reviews note that oils very rich in oleic acid can interfere with the barrier of weakened skin5 6; tolerance is checked with tests on the finished formula.

What is the composition of macadamia oil?

Across 15 Chinese cultivars, oleic acid makes up 61.74 to 66.47% and palmitoleic acid 13.22 to 17.63%1. The profile varies with the cultivar, hence the value of a certificate of analysis for each batch.

Is macadamia oil safe?

No restriction applies to the ingredient in the EU10 and it is not on the list of fragrance allergens. The CIR judged the 244 vegetable oils of its report safe9, though we could not check here whether this INCI is on the list. We retained no source on tree nut allergy risk: flag it on the product sheet if your target audience is sensitive. During pregnancy, as with any skincare product, a healthcare professional's advice remains the rule.

Can you manufacture a macadamia oil or a macadamia product for my brand?

Yes. Our ISO 22716 certified lab offers 9 formulas containing macadamia oil (dry oils, massage oil, beard care, hair care) that you can customize, or a custom formula. Samples are free.

Sources

Peer-reviewed studies and official regulatory sources, checked on November 3, 2026.

Shuai X, Dai T, Chen M, et al. Comparative study of chemical compositions and antioxidant capacities of oils obtained from 15 macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia) cultivars in China Foods. 2021;10(5):1031. doi:10.3390/foods10051031
Maguire LS, O'Sullivan SM, Galvin K, et al. Fatty acid profile, tocopherol, squalene and phytosterol content of walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and the macadamia nut Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2004;55(3):171-178. doi:10.1080/09637480410001725175
Hanum TI, Laila L, Sumaiyah S, et al. Macadamia nuts oil in nanocream and conventional cream as skin anti-aging: a comparative study Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019;7(22):3917-3920. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2019.533
Miyashita T, Koizumi R, Sagane Y, et al. Safety data on single application of emu and macadamia nut oil on human skin Data Brief. 2017;15:720-723. doi:10.1016/j.dib.2017.10.026
Vaughn AR, Clark AK, Sivamani RK, Shi VY. Natural oils for skin-barrier repair: ancient compounds now backed by modern science Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018;19(1):103-117. doi:10.1007/s40257-017-0301-1
Poljšak N, Kočevar Glavač N. Vegetable butters and oils as therapeutically and cosmetically active ingredients for dermal use: a review of clinical studies Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:868461. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.868461
Orsavova J, Misurcova L, Ambrozova JV, et al. Fatty acids composition of vegetable oils and its contribution to dietary energy intake and dependence of cardiovascular mortality on dietary intake of fatty acids Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(6):12871-12890. doi:10.3390/ijms160612871
Stryjecka M, Kiełtyka-Dadasiewicz A, Michalak M, et al. Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of oils from the seeds of five apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivars J Oleo Sci. 2019;68(8):729-738. doi:10.5650/jos.ess19121
Burnett CL, Fiume MM, Bergfeld WF, et al. Safety assessment of plant-derived fatty acid oils Int J Toxicol. 2017;36(3_suppl):51S-129S. doi:10.1177/1091581817740569
European Commission. CosIng, entry MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA SEED OIL (CAS 128497-20-1 / 129811-19-4). ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing

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