Oenocarpus Bataua (Patauá) Fruit Oil
Pataua oil, also known as seje, milpesos, ungurahua or ungurahui, has a dreamy, cushiony texture that absorbs readily and leaves behind a soft, almost powdery feel. Because it absorbs so well, it’s the perfect vehicle for transdermal delivery.1 This means it can help transport other active ingredients into the skin, boosting their effectiveness. It’s abundantly rich in oleic acid, various sterols, carotenoids, and tocopherols.
Each pataua palm, which is native to tropical rain forests located from Panama through to South America, produces on average only 2 bunches of fruits per year. The fruit is harvested from June to December, for an equivalent of 32kg of fruit which yields only 2.4 liters of oil. This fact makes this prized oil extremely expensive to produce.
Pataua oil has been recognised for its ability to nourish hair and scalp and has been used for this purpose in the Amazon for generations. Recently, research has shown promise for pataua oil as an inhibitor of melanin biosynthesis, being used on the treatment of melasma and sun and age spots.2 Pataua oil also possesses skin firming properties due to its rich vitamin E, vitamin A and amino acid protein content.
references
[1] Wang, Tsu-I. Catherine, and Bruce Vincent Biundo. "Testosterone Booster Transdermal Compositions." U.S. Patent Application No. 14/011,541.
[2] Teixeira, Raquel da Silva, Rocha, Paula Rafaela, Polonini, Hudson Caetano, Brandão, Marcos Antônio Fernandes, Chaves, Maria das Graças Afonso Miranda, & Raposo, Nádia Rezende Barbosa. (2012). Mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity and major fatty acid constituents of Amazonian native flora oils. Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 48(3), 399-404. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1984-82502012000300006
