Paradise nut oil
Paradise nut oil can be obtained from the nuts of the paradise nut trees. This tree, which grow up to 40 metres high and belong to the Lecythidaceae family (potted fruit trees), grow in northern South America. There are a total of 26 different species of Lecythis. The robust wood is often used for railway sleepers, flooring, and ship keels, but the preservation of tree populations is becoming increasingly important in terms of biodiversity. The trees produce somewhat oddly shaped, woody capsule fruits that visually resemble a pottery jug. These fruits have a kind of lid that falls off after ripening and releases the seeds. The seeds – also called paradise nuts – are similar to the popular Brazil nuts, but they have a thinner shell and are often much larger. Connoisseurs also claim that the taste of paradise nuts is better and more aromatic compared to Brazil nuts.
The positive properties depend on the selenium content
However, there are also paradise nuts that are considered inedible and even toxic. However, this does not depend on the type of tree, but on the selenium concentration in the soil. The trees are considered so-called selenium accumulators, which means that they absorb selenium from the soil, where it then accumulates in the seeds. It is assumed that the tree absorbs the selenium as protection against predators.
Incidentally, selenocystathionine was isolated from paradise nuts as early as 1965. The formula: HOOC-CH(NH2)-CH2-CH2-Se-CH2 -CH(NH2)-COOH. In the right amount, selenium is a very important trace element, but too high a selenium intake through excessive consumption of paradise nuts can, in the worst case, lead to selenium poisoning. However, this poisoning is usually not life-threatening, at most it leads to temporary nausea and a temporary loss of hair and nails.
For this, however, several hundred of the seeds would have to be consumed. An external application of paradise nut oil in an appropriate dosage, on the other hand, has no side effects. Moreover, paradise nut products are considered the most natural of all selenium sources. There are now even dietary supplements, for example in capsule form, that contain natural selenium from the seeds of the paradise nut tree. After all, the trace element is indispensable for human and animal health.
For the people along the Río Magdalena in Colombia, where the trees thrive particularly well, harvesting the nuts is incidentally an important source of income that ensures survival.
One of the Lecythis species is the relatively small Lecythis minor, also called monkey pot tree. It grows between 5.0 and 25.0 metres high and thrives best at an annual temperature of 24.4 to 26.5 degrees Celsius and a soil pH of 5.0 to 8.0. In the meantime, the Lecythis minor is also increasingly cultivated as an ornamental tree, for example in the magnificent “Summit Botanical Gardens” in Panama.
The seeds are extremely rich in oil, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids can be up to 75 percent. However, it is a long way from the seed to the paradise nut oil. To obtain just one litre of paradise nut oil, two kilograms of paradise nuts are required. After being collected, they are laboriously cracked, shelled, and cleaned by hand. Then they are ready for further processing into paradise nut oil.
Paradise nut oil in cosmetics
In cosmetics, paradise nut oil can be used in many different ways. This is mainly due to the impressive content of unsaturated fatty acids. These are distributed as follows in paradise nut oil: The proportion of palmitic acid is about 21.0 percent, the stearic acid content is about 7.0 percent and the proportion of linoleic acid is 31 percent. Oleic acid is contained in paradise nut oil at about 38 percent.
Paradise nut oil has very good moisturising properties. It forms a kind of protective film on the epidermal layer, which ensures that moisture does not evaporate so easily. In this way, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) can be significantly reduced. For this reason, paradise nut oil is not only suitable for dry skin, but also excellent for anti-aging care.
It has already been proven in clinical studies that paradise nut oil fights the visible signs of ageing and can soften wrinkles. 90 percent of all participating test persons stated that they had noticed a positive effect with regard to the depth of wrinkles in only four weeks. Paradise nut oil can also be used by people with sensitive skin.
It is particularly suitable for face and body creams; shower gels and make-up removers can also be enriched to a high standard with paradise nut oil. It can also be used in shampoos and colour shampoos for coloured hair. Depending on the area of application, a concentration of between 1.0 and a maximum of 20.0 percent is recommended.
Incidentally, the fruit of the tree is very popular in indigenous medicine, as it is said to have an anti-asthmatic and depilatory effect.
Fact Sheet: Oil of Paradise Nut
INCI: Lecythis Minor Seed Oil
Description: Oil from the seeds of the tree Lecythis Minor, one of 26 currently known Lecythis species.
Occurrence: South America, mainly from the Maracaibo lowlands in Venezuela to the north coast in Colombia.
Ingredients: palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, vitamin E
Effects of paradise nut oil: film-forming on the skin, moisturising, reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL), makes the skin supple, can reduce the depth of wrinkles
Paradise nut oil in high-quality formulations from Cosmacon
The oil from the seeds of the paradise nut tree contains many valuable ingredients that have a positive influence on our skin. It can be used for both dry and sensitive skin and is an excellent ingredient for anti-aging products. Cosmacon will be happy to develop sophisticated formulations with paradise nut oil for you.