Every time you turn around, there seems to be a new “best kept secret” on the natural beauty scene, but Crambe Abyssinian Oil really does seem to be on the lips of researchers (and on the labels of the products they’re developing). That’s because Abyssinian Oil contains an abundance of vitamins A and E, plus an omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid.

“This rich combination of nutrients has been 
said to prevent environmental damage and add elasticity to skin and strands, which makes it more resilient and flexible when brushing and styling and less likely to become brittle or break.”

It coats the hair shaft, adding moisture and shine, decreasing frizz.
Abyssinian Oil contains very high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, which creates a richer feel and is ideal for thicker, coarser hair. Even with its rich nature, it’s still easily absorbed, never feeling sticky or greasy.

Its high levels of unsaturated fatty acids provide an excellent conditioning effect, smoothing hair and strengthening its fibers so it’s easier to detangle and style.

Where It’s Sourced

Abyssinian Seed Oil comes from a mustard plant and is native to the Mediterranean region. It’s removed from the Crambe Abyssinica seeds using a mechanical crushing process without heat source, so the nutrients are kept intact. The seeds are approximately 3 mm diameter and contain about 30% Abyssinian Oil.

The Behind-the-Scenes Science

In one study, tresses were cleansed with a non-conditioning shampoo, dried overnight under controlled humidity (60%) and then coated with Abyssinian Oil or argan oil. Both equally improved the manageability of the hair, enhancing the shine and strengthening the hair fibers, but when the Tensile Tester was introduced to quantitatively evaluate comb-ability of hair treated with both oils, Abyssinian Oil-treated hair was shown to have less breakage than both untreated hair and that which was treated with argan oil.
In another study, chemically relaxed hair was shown to have 170 broken fibers per 10,000 grooming strokes (basically what hair experiences when being brushed over time). The same type of hair was treated with Abyssinian Oil and saw a 93% reduction in breakage. When brushed with 10,000 grooming strokes, the number of broken fibers went down to 10.3.

In an experiment measuring shine, the natural shine of untreated hair was found to be 165 technical shine units. After applying Abyssinian Oil the shine levels almost doubled to 300 units.

References

Lybbert TJ, Aboudrare A, Chaloud D, Magnan N, Nash M. Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011; 108 (34): 13963-8. PPCC.

1. Charrouf Z, Guillaume D. Argan oil: Occurrence, composition and impact on human health. Eur J Lipid Sci Technol 2008; 110: 632-6.
2. Guillaume D, Charrouf Z. Argan oil. Monograph. Altern Med Rev 2001; 16 (3): 275-9. 4 Garcia ML, Diaz J. Combability measurements on human hair. JSCC 1976; 27: 379-98.
3. Evans TA, Park K. A statistical analysis of hair breakage. II. Repeated grooming experiments. JSCC 2010; 61: 439-55. 6 McMullen R, Jachowic.
4. Lybbert T.J. et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Aug 23; 108(34):13963-8 - Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest.
5. Charrouf Z., Guillaume D., Eur. J. Lipid Sci. Technol. 2008, 110, 632-636 - Argan oil: Occurrence,composition and impact on human health.
6. Guillaume D., Charrouf Z., Altern Med Rev. 2001 Sep;16(3); 275-279 - Argan oil. Monograph.
7. Garcia M.L., Diaz J., JSCC, 27, (1976) 379-398 - Combability Measurements on Human Hair.
8. Evans T.A., Park K., JSCC, 61, (2010) 439-455 - A statistical analysis of hair breakage. II. Repeated grooming experiments(6) McMullen R, Jachowicz J, JSCC, 54, (2003) 335.
   

This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to be used to treat any health conditions. Medical advice should always come from your physician. The articles mentioned are for reference only and are unaffiliated with Prose.