Date Seed Oil for Hair and Skin: How to Use an Overlooked Botanical
The date palm is one of the defining plants of the Middle East. Its fruit is part of daily life and hospitality across the region, and has been for thousands of years. Its seed, usually set aside, is less familiar. Pressed, it gives a fine golden oil that moves easily between hair and skin. This guide explains what date seed oil is and how to use it.
What is date seed oil?
Date seed oil is pressed from the seeds of the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera. Each date holds a single hard seed, and it takes a great many of them to produce a small amount of oil. That is part of why date seed oil remains less common than familiar carrier oils.
FAYNAN Pure Date Seed Oil is a single ingredient, with nothing added.
Date seed oil for hair
Before the wash
Used as a pre-wash oil, date seed oil goes onto dry hair and scalp before shampooing:
- Warm a few drops between your palms.
- Apply along partings at the scalp, then smooth through the lengths and ends.
- Leave for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Shampoo thoroughly.
Hair feels softer afterwards, with a natural-looking shine. For the full method, read How to Use a Pre-Wash Hair Oil.
As a finish
On dry, styled hair, a single drop warmed between your palms and smoothed through the ends is enough. Use less than you think; you can always add more.
As a carrier for your own blend
Date seed oil makes a gentle base for a drop of essential oil. If you would like to add rosemary, read How to Dilute Rosemary Essential Oil first: essential oils must always be diluted.
Date seed oil for the body
After a shower or bath, smooth a little over damp skin. Damp skin helps the oil spread thinly and evenly, so a few drops go a long way. Skin feels soft and supple.
Date seed oil for the face
One or two drops, pressed onto clean skin in the evening, is enough. If your skin is sensitive, test on a small area first. For a face oil chosen specifically for the evening, see An Evening Face Oil Ritual with Pomegranate and Saffron.
Date seed oil or a finished blend?
A single oil is simple and flexible: one ingredient, many uses. A finished blend, such as our Botanical Hair Ritual Oil, brings several botanicals together for one specific moment, before the wash. You may find a place for both: the blend for wash day, the single oil for everything in between.
A few things to keep in mind
- For external use only.
- Test on a small area of skin before first use.
- Keep away from the eyes.
- If your hair is color-treated, try a small strand first.
- Store tightly closed, away from heat and direct light.
The part that is usually set aside
There is something fitting about a ritual built from the part of the date most people never notice. One seed, one oil, many quiet uses. For the wider picture, read our guide to Middle Eastern hair rituals.