When we discuss hair oils we do not often veer off from the most common like coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil. Our world is chocked full with amazing oils that often date back thousands of years and in the most unlikely of fruits, nuts, or even seeds for that matter. One overlooked but gaining popularity daily is the remarkably beneficial date seed oil that comes from none other than our regular date. Dates are a sweet fruit dating back to 7000 B.C. They grow on the date palm tree or Phoenix dactylifera and are a major staple food in areas of North Africa and the Middle East. Dates are oblong, one-seeded berries with a fleshy and sweet pericarp. The date palm grows about 75 ft. tall with floral spikes branches, and male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. More than 1,000 dates may grow on a single bunch weighing around 18 lbs. or more and all parts of the palm yields products of economic value.
Besides being a tasty fruit, dates have amazing health benefits and are full of nutritional value with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. While being high in sugar, they are also high in calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper, and even oil. Date seeds contain major nutrients like potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous, but they also are loaded with essential fatty acids beneficial for our bodies. The dates have oil, but the seeds what have an even bigger content. According to Science Direct, date oil is extracted from the seeds and has an impressive composition of vitamins, nutrients, and essential fatty acids, including 50.10% oleic, 19.23% linoleic, and 10.24% lauric, 9.83% palmitic, and 7.51% stearic fatty acids.
Read more: Oleic and Linoleic Acid: The Reasons You Love Oils So Much
Why is this oil so great for hair?
Date seed oil is plentiful with fatty acids but has over 50% of its fatty acid content from oleic acid. Oleic acid is one of the reasons curly girls love natural oils so much. Oleic acid is an Omega-9 fatty acid that controls water loss in hair strands and makes them look and feel softer and more pliable. The second most prevalent fatty acid is linoleic acid and this is also another oil we love and for good reason. Linoleic is an Omega-6 fatty acid that our bodies need but cannot create and it stimulates hair growth while helping to maintain a healthy scalp. It also controls water loss so moisture is kept right where it belongs…in the hair strands. Lauric acid is third in abundance in this oil and with its antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties it creates a healthier scalp that is free from irritants like dandruff or other scalp aliments. It also promotes an environment for hair growth because it binds with hair proteins and prevents hair loss.
Read more: You Need These Fatty Acids for Healthy Hair
Date seed oil is packed with nutrients, which nourish the hair follicles and keep hair at optimal growth and maintenance. This makes for stronger strands and a healthier scalp. This oil is wonderful for hair and scalp massages and you get one-stop shop with its ability to maintain a healthy scalp while strengthening the hair. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with other oils, and if wanting to buy some you may have better luck looking for it just as date oil. While finding products with date seed oil or date oil may be challenging, simply eating dates is another great way to harness their amazing abilities to keep your hair and scalp healthy and strong.
Read more: 4 Acids that are Great for Your Hair
Products with date seed oil
- SheaMoisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Nourish & Silken Shampoo
- SheaMoisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Nourish & Silken Conditioner
- SheaMoisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Nourish & Silken Hold Mist
