Brazil Nut Oil - (Bertholletia excelsa, Lecythidaceae)

• Extraction Method: cold pressed.

• Part of the plant used: seed (ironically "Brazil-Nut" is a seed)

• Quality: 100 % pure, cold pressed without any chemical treatment, cosmetic quality.

• Country of origin: Brazil.

• Culture: wild harvested.

• Appearance:  thin oil.

• Color: pale yellow.

• Smell: light nutty.

• Touch: dry oil, absorbs fast.

• For chemical data and fatty acid composition refer to pictures.

Due to its anti-free radical, antioxidant, and moisturizing properties, Brazil Nut oil is widely used by the cosmetic industry in aging-well skin products. It is also considered one of the best conditioners for damaged and dehydrated hair.

Brazil Nut Oil also acts as an inhibitor of melanin biosynthesis, being used on the treatment of melasma and sun and age spots.

PROPERTIES:

• High Selenium Content

• Rich on vitamin E 

• Antioxidant and Moisturizing Properties

 APPLICATIONS

• Dry and Aging Skin

• Dark spots

• All Hair Types

• Damaged and Chemically Treated Hair

IDEAS:

• Hot Oil Hair Treatment

• Massage Oil

• Sugar Scrubs

• Soapmaking

 IN PRACTICE:

• Can be used straight on skin and hair.

• Brazil nut oil is an excellent emulsifier for body creams or butters.

• It makes a rich, moisturizing cold process soap. 

Brazil Nut Oil is sold VERY cheap on some sites because:

“Greenpeace notes that large international cosmetics companies can set prices that do not conform to established fair trade practices. Investigate the retailer's and manufacturer's fair trade policies before you buy Brazil Nut skin care products.”

BIOLOGY

Castanha do Pará, more recently renamed the Brazil nut, is one of the most important species of Amazonian trees that produces a commodity. This tree plays a key role in the socio-economic organization of large forested regions. It is a very large tree, leafy and majestic, often reaching a height of 50 meters (165') and can be more than 2 meters in diameter. The fruit of the Brazil nut is a large capsule containing 10 to 25 seeds (nuts).  To remove the seeds the capsule needs to be broken, which has a very hard and woody shell that has an opening (when mature) that is small and does not allow the seeds to fall out.

The wood is of excellent quality for construction and shipbuilding. Currently, it is prohibited by law to log native Brazil-nut trees, and even the exportation of the oil is allowed but under heavy scrutiny.

A mature tree produces an average 125 liters of seeds (at an average 45 seeds per liter). The peeled seed is approximately 70% oil. An oil press can extract (without the use of solvents) 40% of the oil, which means each tree can produce up to 50 liters of oil per year.

Local river women use this oil for cooking, baking, hair and skin care.

As a curiosity: despite the name Brazil-Nut is not a nut but rather a seed. 

My oils and butters are are wild harvested, grown naturally in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest without any pesticides, they are fair traded and sustainable resources.

Product for cosmetic use only, not suited for human consumption!

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Warnings: Avoid contact with eyes, do not ingest. In case of eye contact, flush thoroughly with water, call physician if irritation persists. Keep out of reach of children.

This product does not contain color additives or the presence of poisonous or deleterious substances, such as pathogenic microorganisms. This product does not contain TSE/BSE contamination.