Elaeis guineensis, commonly known as the African Oil Palm, is a tropical tree native to West and Central Africa. It is primarily cultivated for its edible oil, known as palm oil, which is widely used in cooking, food processing, and various industrial applications. The tree is also valued for its ornamental appeal and ecological benefits.

Botanical Classification:

Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Elaeis
Species: Elaeis guineensis

Plant Characteristics:

Growth Form: Elaeis guineensis is a tall, single-stemmed palm tree that can reach heights of 15 to 20 meters. It has a smooth, gray trunk with a canopy of large, feather-like fronds at the top.
Leaves: The leaves are pinnate, with long, slender leaflets arranged along a central rachis. They are dark green and can grow up to 5 meters in length.
Flowers: The palm produces small, inconspicuous flowers that are grouped in dense clusters. The flowers are typically yellowish-white and are unisexual, with separate male and female flowers on the same tree.
Fruit: The fruit is a small, round or oval drupe with a reddish-orange color when ripe. Each fruit contains a single seed encased in a hard shell, known as the palm nut. The fleshy part of the fruit, or mesocarp, is the source of palm oil.

Chemical Composition and Structure:

Palm Oil: The oil extracted from the fleshy part of the fruit is rich in saturated fatty acids, primarily palmitic acid (around 44% of total fatty acids). It also contains monounsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, and a smaller amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Nutrients: Palm oil is a source of tocotrienols (vitamin E), which have antioxidant properties. It also contains small amounts of carotenoids, giving the oil its distinctive color.
Palm Kernel Oil: Extracted from the seed, palm kernel oil has a higher lauric acid content compared to palm oil and is used in various food and cosmetic products.

How to Cultivate It:

Soil: Elaeis guineensis thrives in well-drained, loamy soils with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5-6.5). It can tolerate various soil types but prefers deep, fertile soils.
Climate: The palm requires a tropical climate with high humidity and consistent temperatures between 24-30°C. It is sensitive to frost and cold temperatures.
Watering: Regular rainfall is ideal, but the palm can tolerate some drought once established. Supplemental irrigation may be necessary in dry periods.
Propagation: Elaeis guineensis is typically propagated from seeds, which are collected from mature fruit. The seeds are sown in nursery beds and transplanted once seedlings are established.
Maintenance: The palm requires regular maintenance, including weed control, pest management, and nutrient fertilization. Pruning is necessary to remove dead or damaged fronds and to facilitate harvesting.

Uses and Benefits:

Culinary: Palm oil is widely used in cooking and food processing due to its stability at high temperatures and long shelf life. It is found in products such as margarine, baked goods, and snack foods.
Industrial: The oil is used in various industrial applications, including biodiesel production, soap manufacturing, and cosmetics. It is valued for its emulsifying and stabilizing properties.
Nutritional: While palm oil is a source of saturated fats, it also provides essential fatty acids and vitamins. Its role in nutrition is debated due to its high saturated fat content.
Ornamental: Elaeis guineensis is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in tropical landscapes due to its stately appearance and large fronds.

Applications:

Food Industry: Palm oil is used as a cooking oil and in processed food products. It is favored for its high stability and resistance to oxidation.
Cosmetics: Palm oil and its derivatives are used in skincare products, soaps, and shampoos for their moisturizing and emulsifying properties.
Biofuels: Palm oil is used in the production of biodiesel, providing an alternative to fossil fuels.

Environmental and Safety Considerations:

Environmental Impact: The cultivation of Elaeis guineensis has significant environmental impacts, including deforestation, habitat loss, and biodiversity decline. Sustainable palm oil production practices are crucial to mitigate these effects.
Safety: Palm oil is generally considered safe for consumption. However, excessive intake of saturated fats can contribute to health issues such as cardiovascular disease. It's important to consume palm oil in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

INCI:


Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.

Skin conditioning agent - Emollient. Emollients have the characteristic of enhancing the skin barrier through a source of exogenous lipids that adhere to the skin, improving barrier properties by filling gaps in intercorneocyte clusters to improve hydration while protecting against inflammation. In practice, they have the ability to create a barrier that prevents transepidermal water loss. Emollients are described as degreasing or refreshing additives that improve the lipid content of the upper layers of the skin by preventing degreasing and drying of the skin. The problem with emollients is that many have a strong lipophilic character and are identified as occlusive ingredients; they are oily and fatty materials that remain on the skin surface and reduce transepidermal water loss. In cosmetics, emollients and moisturisers are often considered synonymous with humectants and occlusives.

Hair conditioning agent. A significant number of ingredients with specific and targeted purposes may co-exist in hair shampoo formulations: cleansers, conditioners, thickeners, matting agents, sequestering agents, fragrances, preservatives, special additives. However, the indispensable ingredients are the cleansers and conditioners as they are necessary and sufficient for hair cleansing and manageability. The others act as commercial and non-essential auxiliaries such as: appearance, fragrance, colouring, etc. Hair conditioning agents have the task of increasing shine, manageability and volume, and reducing static electricity, especially after treatments such as colouring, ironing, waving, drying and brushing. They are, in practice, dispersants that may contain cationic surfactants, thickeners, emollients, polymers. The typology of hair conditioning agents includes: intensive conditioners, instant conditioners, thickening conditioners, drying conditioners. They can perform their task generally accompanied by other different ingredients.

Surfactant - Foam booster. It has the effect of introducing gas bubbles into the water and affects the cleaning process by helping to spread the cleanser. Since sebum has an inhibiting effect on the bubble, more foam is produced in the second shampoo.
Synonyms:

CAS: 8002-75-3 EC number 232-316-1