Baobab oil

Q: Is baobab oil good for hair?

CosIng lists it as a hair conditioning agent. No published study measures its effect alone on hair: it is a formulation use.

Q: Is baobab oil safe?

No restriction applies to the ingredient in the EU and it is not among the allergens to declare under Regulation (EU) 2023/1545. We retained no CIR or SCCS assessment. Quality depends on the process and storage. During pregnancy, as with any skincare product, a healthcare professional's advice remains the rule.

Baobab oil is extracted from the seeds of Adansonia digitata7. It contains mostly palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids, and cyclopropenoic and cyclopropanoic acids characteristic of its botanical family1. CosIng classifies it as an emollient and a skin and hair conditioning agent7. We found no controlled cosmetic trial: the evidence covers composition.

Mohamed El HjoujiFounder and CEO · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time 6 min

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Baobab oil at a glance

Entry from our cosmetic ingredient glossary. Regulatory data from the European Commission's CosIng database7. Copy the identifiers in one click for your files.

INCI name: ADANSONIA DIGITATA SEED OIL
Other names: Baobab oilBaobab oil; baobab seed oil
CAS number: 91745-12-9
EC number: 294-680-8
Botanical origin: African baobab (Malvaceae)Oil obtained from the seeds of Adansonia digitata L., the "monkey bread tree"7
Main fatty acids: Palmitic, oleic, linoleicDepending on the population: palmitic 21 to 46%, oleic 15 to 40%, linoleic 12 to 32% (six Adansonia species)2
Cyclopropenoic fatty acids: PresentMalvalic acid (3 to 28%), sterculic acid (1 to 8%) and dihydrosterculic acid (1.5 to 5.1%) in the oils of six species2
CosIng functions: Emollient, skin and hair conditioning"Skin conditioning - emollient", "skin conditioning" and "hair conditioning"7
EU status: No restriction specific to the ingredientNo annex or restriction is shown in CosIng for this entry7; the name and the CAS and EC numbers do not appear in the consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 of May 1, 2025
Allergen to declare: NoNot listed in Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 or in the consolidated Annex III
Safety: No CIR or SCCS assessment retainedWe found no official opinion specific to baobab oil

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

Three major fatty acids and cyclopropenoic acids

Laboratory

Gas chromatographySeeds of all Adansonia species

All the oils contain mostly palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids, plus cyclopropenoic and cyclopropanoic acids, characteristic of the Malvaceae. The profile is not enough to identify the species with certainty and does not vary significantly with the place, soil or climate of harvest1.

Highly variable cyclopropenoic acid contents

Laboratory

Six Adansonia speciesMadagascar and Africa

The seeds contain 8 to 46% oil depending on the species. Malvalic acid varies from 3 to 28%, sterculic acid from 1 to 8%2. The supplier and the batch therefore matter.

Heating during refining reduces these acids

Laboratory

Crude oil from TanzaniaHeating at 150, 200 and 250 °C

Cyclopropenoic fatty acids, which the authors consider a concern for the consumption of the crude oil, break down mostly at 200 °C. The authors recommend refining between 200 and 250 °C3. This is a study on ingestion: it does not apply to application on the skin.

The extraction process changes yield and indices

Laboratory

Seeds from GhanaSolvent or mechanical extraction

Solvent extraction gives 27.75% oil versus 5.422% for mechanical extraction; peroxide values are 11.89 (solvent) and 15.09 mEq/g (mechanical)5.

Supercritical CO₂ gives a profile close to hot pressing

Laboratory

Optimization at 77 °CComparison with hot pressing

The yield is 9.3 ± 1.1% versus 37% for hot pressing. The profile remains comparable (oleic 37%, linoleic 29%, palmitic 30%) and the oil is solvent-free4.

What reviews sayTraditional uses

One oil among seven African oils studied

Review

2022 review and interviewsShea, coconut, palm, soybean, baobab, python

The authors describe the traditional uses and properties of these oils, with no numerical result specific to baobab in the abstract. They attribute adverse effects mostly to the process and storage hygiene6. We found no controlled trial of baobab oil applied to the skin or hair.

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 can use baobab oil?

No formula in our white label catalog features baobab oil yet. Our formulation lab can add it to a custom formula or to a catalog formula. Its common uses:

Face

Supporting oil in serums and care products for dry facial skin.

Body

Care and massage oils for dry skin.

Hair

Nourishing oils and masks for lengths and ends.

Frequently asked questions about baobab oil

What is baobab oil?

It is the oil extracted from the seeds of the African baobab, Adansonia digitata. It contains mostly palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids, with cyclopropenoic acids typical of the family1. Its INCI name is ADANSONIA DIGITATA SEED OIL.

What are the benefits of baobab oil in cosmetics?

CosIng classifies it as an emollient and a skin and hair conditioning agent7. We found no controlled trial measuring its effect, so this page gives it no numerical effect. A review lists it among the African oils of traditional use6.

Is baobab oil good for hair?

CosIng lists it as a hair conditioning agent7. No published study measures its effect alone on hair: it is a formulation use.

What are the fatty acids in baobab oil?

Mostly palmitic, oleic and linoleic. According to the study of six species, palmitic acid varies from 21 to 46%, oleic from 15 to 40% and linoleic from 12 to 32%2. The profile does not vary significantly with the place of harvest1.

What are the cyclopropenoic acids in baobab oil?

These are particular fatty acids, such as malvalic and sterculic acids, typical of the Malvaceae1. Their content varies a lot (malvalic acid from 3 to 28%)2. They break down mostly around 200 °C during refining3. Refining and batch control are therefore points to discuss with the supplier.

Is baobab oil safe?

No restriction applies to the ingredient in the EU7 and it is not among the allergens to declare under Regulation (EU) 2023/1545. We retained no CIR or SCCS assessment. Quality depends on the process and storage6. During pregnancy, as with any skincare product, a healthcare professional's advice remains the rule.

Can you manufacture a baobab oil product for my brand?

Our catalog does not yet include a formula that features baobab oil. Our ISO 22716 certified lab can include it in a custom formula, after checking the batch. Samples are free.

Sources

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

Razafimamonjison G, Leong Pock Tsy JM, Randriamiarinarivo M, et al. Fatty Acid Composition of Baobab Seed and Its Relationship with the Genus Adansonia Taxonomy Chem Biodivers. 2017;14(8). doi:10.1002/cbdv.201600441
Ralaimanarivo A, Gaydou EM, Bianchini JP Fatty acid composition of seed oils from sixAdansonia species with particular reference to cyclopropane and cyclopropene acids Lipids. 1982;17(1):1-10. doi:10.1007/BF02535115
Msalilwa UL, Makule EE, Munishi LK, et al. Physicochemical Properties, Fatty Acid Composition, and the Effect of Heating on the Reduction of Cyclopropenoid Fatty Acids on Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Crude Seed Oil J Lipids. 2020;2020:6691298. doi:10.1155/2020/6691298
Gashi F, Turner C, Mustafa A, et al. A sustainable approach to extracting baobab oil: neat supercritical CO(2) optimization RSC Adv. 2025;15(27):21803-21810. doi:10.1039/d5ra02490k
Ofori H, Bart-Plange A, Addo A, et al. Impact of Different Oil Extraction Techniques on the Physicochemical Properties of Adansonia digitata Seed Int J Food Sci. 2023;2023:6233461. doi:10.1155/2023/6233461
Ayanlowo O, -Adeife OC, Ilomuanya M, et al. African oils in dermatology Dermatol Ther. 2022;35(3):e14968. doi:10.1111/dth.14968
European Commission. CosIng, entry ADANSONIA DIGITATA SEED OIL (CAS 91745-12-9, EC 294-680-8). ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing

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Baobab oil at a glance

What the research says

Composition and materialChemistry

Three major fatty acids and cyclopropenoic acids

Highly variable cyclopropenoic acid contents

Heating during refining reduces these acids

The extraction process changes yield and indices

Supercritical CO₂ gives a profile close to hot pressing

What reviews sayTraditional uses

One oil among seven African oils studied

Which products can use baobab oil?

Face

Body

Hair

Frequently asked questions about baobab oil

Further reading

Sources

Tell us about your project