Babassu oil

Babassu oil (INCI: Orbignya oleifera ) is a clear, yellow vegetable oil, which is extracted from the seeds of the Babassu or Cusipalme ( Attalea speciosa ), which grows in the Amazon region of South America.

Use

Babassu oil is a non- drying oil that is used as a food, but also for the manufacture of cleaning products such as soaps and other skin care products. The properties of the oil similar to coconut oil, and it is also used for the production of a similar product range and replaces it in the increasing extent.

Lauric acid and myristic acid, are present chemically bonded in the oil to glycerol, having a melting point which is relatively close to the human body temperature. Babassu oil is applied to the skin, it can produce a cooling effect by heat transfer. Babassu oil has nourishing, protective and softening properties and is designed to counter dehydration.

In February 2008, a mixture of babassu oil and coconut oil in a sponsored by Virgin Atlantic Airways flight of a Boeing 747 between London Heathrow and Amsterdam was tested as an alternative fuel.

Composition

Is babassu oil - as well as other vegetable oils - a triglyceride that is a triple esters of glycerol with the corresponding fatty acid residues derived from the following acids: