BATANA OIL FOR HAIR GROWTH

What is batana oil?

Also known as ojon oil, batana oil is extracted from the nut of the American oil palm for use as a skin and hair care product. In its final form, batana oil is actually a thick paste rather than the more liquid form the name suggests.

The American oil palm is rarely planted, but occurs naturally across the Muskitia region in the most eastern part of Honduras. The indigenous Miskitu communities harvest the American palm for various purposes, from using the leaves for building construction to using the fruit for cooking. The fruit, once dried in the sun and cooked, can be processed to leave a fibrous pulp and a seed. The layer that surrounds the seed is called the endocarp, and this is what the Miskitu communities use to make batana oil. 

Batana oil benefits

Batana oil suppliers claim a long list of uses for their products, from bringing shine to beards to naturally dying white hairs. The communities who produce batana oil are known for their hair, with the Tawira Miskitu group’s name even being a reference to straight hair. Purported benefits of batana oil for hair include:

Repairing damaged hair

Encouraging thicker and shinier looking hair

Darkening white or gray hairs back to their natural color

Purported batana oil benefits for skin include:

Acting as an emollient to soften and soothe skin

Helping to fade scars and stretch marks

Exfoliating skin

How long does it take for batana oil to work?

Supplier recommendations range from applying batana oil and leaving it for 25 minutes before rinsing it out, through to leaving the product in overnight. Some suppliers claim their products instantly improve the condition of hair and skin. While this is an improbable timescale for all of the claimed benefits of batana oil, as an emollient, certain moisturizing effects are likely to be immediate.

It is not possible to say how long batana oil would take to work for hair growth, as it cannot be said with any certainty that it actually does work for this purpose.

How long can you leave Batana oil in your hair?

If desired you can leave Batana oil in your hair for 20 minutes or even overnight. However, most users desire to wash it out after short applications.

Using batana oil for hair growth

Batana oil has been traditionally used to improve the quality and health of hair by imparting oils essential to strengthening, straightening, and hydrating hair.

Does batana oil regrow hair?

In short, there is no direct evidence that using batana oil for hair regrowth works. There have been no direct clinical studies concerning batana oil for hair growth, and indeed many suppliers focus primarily on their product’s uses for improving the appearance and health of existing hair.