Red Palm Oil: A Red Well Full of Skin & Hair-Care Benefits

Red Palm Oil has many benefits for skin and hair that are not so well known. And it works well in formulations with Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Kombo Butter and other better known ingredients, absorbing easily and adding beautiful, rich colour to the final product.

Palm oil does not hold the best reputation these days but thankfully, with Baraka, I know it is sourced from small-holder farmers and hand-grown and harvested. Check out their blog on why Baraka Palm Oil is sustainable here.

Red palm oil can be a good healthier alternative since it is less refined, allowing it to keep much more nutrients.

BENEFITS OF RED PALM OIL

Red palm oil has a number of uses and great benefits for health in general and for the hair and skin that probably never crossed your mind! Besides cooking amazingly with some other ingredients, it is perfect to add to body butters, balms, facial and hair masks and other products.

I started using Red Palm Oil a few years back and it is one of my favorite ingredients for beauty DIY products. Why?

Let me tell you a couple of reasons:

MY ACNE GOT SO MUCH BETTER

I used to deal with acne problems, on and off since my teenage years. The usual supermarket/store facial creams against acne never really did it for me - sometimes they would help but it always seemed that with time they were becoming less and less efficient. I started using this face mask with red palm oil and that was a real game changer. My acne got so much better and my skin got super smooth!

IT HELPED STRENGTHEN MY HAIR 

After my skin trial I started wondering what were the other benefits of using red palm oil. Probably like you I googled a bit and found out that this oil is rich in Vitamin E and beta carotene which are two key ingredients for a strong and healthy hair. My hair is shiny and strong as never these days!

REDUCES CHOLESTEROL LEVELS 

So my Google search also told me that red palm oil can help reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood and help to keep your heart healthy and strong. Yes, yes yes. I have started introducing red palm oil in my diet with great recipes after reading this!

To be honest these are only some of the benefits of this oil. I found a wide number of them from anti-aging properties to slowing down progression of heart disease so to be honest I don't know why you wouldn't add it to your diet.

MY FAVOURITE WAYS TO USE RED PALM OIL

HAIR TREATMENT 

Sometimes I use red palm oil by itself, sometimes I like to mix it with avocado oil for a boost in nutrients and Vitamins. It is pretty simple, just apply the oil to your hair (as any hair mask), massage the hair and the scalp and leave it for about 15-20 minutes.

After that just rinse it and wash your hair normally (use a bio shampoo for better hair care if you can). Do this once a week and you will start noticing an improvement on your hair strength and general healthiness!

SOAP RECIPE 

Disclaimer: This was a soap recipe by Soap Deli News that I found on my Google search and I would like to share it integrally with you below:

HAWAIIAN RED SEA SALT & RED PALM SOAP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS 

• 12.6 oz. of Baraka Red Palm Oil
• 7.2 oz of Baraka Coconut Oil
• 3.6 oz. of GMO free sunflower oil
• 3.6 oz. of GMO free safflower oil
• 1.8 oz. of castor oil
• 7.2 oz. of pomace olive oil
• 11.8 oz. of distilled water
• 4.86 oz. of lye / sodium hydroxide
• 2 tbsp. of Hawaiian red salt
• Optional: 2.25 oz. of fragrance oil
• Optional: 2 tbsp. of kaolin (white cosmetic) clay
• Optional: 2 tbsp. of titanium dioxide powder
• Optional: Activated charcoal powder (for pencil line)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. You’ll need to follow your cold process soapmaking instructions to make this cold process red palm soap recipe. (If you’ve never made cold process soap before you can find a great, inexpensive beginner’s cold process soap recipe here.) Be sure to take proper safety precautions when working with lye including goggles and gloves.
2. Begin by measuring out the distilled water in fluid ounces. Pour into a heat safe pitcher. Using a digital scale you’ll now weigh out the lye. Slowly pour the lye into the water in a well ventilated area and stir until all of the lye has dissolved. Now set the lye-water aside to cool.
3. Now weigh out the soap-making oils using a digital scale and combine in a stainless steel pot. Heat over medium heat until melted then remove from heat and set aside to cool. (See more behind the scenes photos like this one by following Soap Deli News on Instagram!)
4. When both the lye-water and oils have cooled to 90°-95°F you’re ready to mix them together. Pour the lye-water into the liquified soap-making oils and mix using a stick blender until you reach a light trace. Add fragrance oil if you’re using one and then mix again until well blended and soap is at a medium-heavy trace.
5. Pour half of the soap into your prepared mold. If you want a pencil line evenly spread a thin layer of activated charcoal on top of the soap you just poured.
6. With the remaining soap still in the pot add the Hawaiian red sea salt, kaolin clay and titanium dioxide. (The titanium dioxide will make the top half of the soap loaf a beautiful yellow.) Mix well to incorporate the ingredients, then pour onto the top of the soap previously poured into the mold.
7. Level the soap with a butter knife by first running it across the width of the poured soap along the entire length of the mold. Then run it long ways down the length of the soap all the way across the width of the mold. Top with Hawaiian red sea salt if desired. Lightly cover the mold.
8. Allow the soap to rest for 24-48 hours before un-molding. Then un-mold and cut into bars. Allow to cure 4-6 weeks before use.

This soap is great to help not only with acne but also with keeping your skin healthy and bright in general. Try it yourself - it will be worth your time!

TO LEARN MORE...

To learn more about our products, use the links below to review blogs and other information:

• Purchase Baraka Palm Oils and Recipe Kits
• Check out our blogs to learn more about palm oils and its benefits
• For DIY recipes using Baraka Palm Oil
• Watch a video interview about Baraka Palm Oil

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marta is a runner, a yogi and a DIY lover. During Corona she became a DIY fanatic, trying out a number of natural products and different way to apply them. She also lives in London, surfs in Spain and adventures globally.