Macadamia oil for hair: what it is, what it does, how we blend it
Macadamia is the cushiony one: a medium-rich nut oil unusually high in palmitoleic acid, which makes it feel closer to skin's own oil than most seed oils and gives lengths a soft, glossy slip.
| Role | Base oil |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3 of 4, medium-rich |
| Chosen for | Softness, shine |
| On the label | Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil |
| In our blends | Not in a signature blend yet |
| Builder limit | Up to 85% of a hair blend |
| Allergy | Tree-nut oil. Tell the quiz you are allergic and we block it everywhere. |
What it is
Pressed from macadamia nuts, the oil is about 55 to 60% oleic acid and 15 to 20% palmitoleic acid, an omega-7 fatty acid that few plant oils carry in that quantity (sea buckthorn is the other). It is pale gold, faintly nutty, and stable. It is a tree-nut oil, blocked by the quiz and builder when you tell them about an allergy.
How it feels on hair
Weight 3 of 4, medium-rich. It feels silkier than sweet almond, spreads well and leaves a smooth, shiny finish that is noticeable but not sticky. The scent is soft and nutty.
Who reaches for it
Dry, coarse or coloured lengths that want shine and softness; people who find argan too light; wavy hair that frizzes. Less suited to the scalp or to fine hair.
Where it sits in our blends
No signature blend uses macadamia yet, which makes it one for the builder: start from a blend that is close and swap it in, or build from scratch. Every blend is weighed to the gram and the recipe is printed on the label.
How to compose with it
As a base it can take up to 85% of a hair blend. It is not in a signature blend yet. Use it as a second base behind camellia or argan for a glossier length oil, with marula or baobab as actives and a woody essential oil.
Good to know: Tree-nut oil. Tell the quiz about allergies and it is blocked everywhere.
Compose with macadamia Find your formula
Weighed to the gram and blended to order in New Jersey, with the recipe printed on the label. For external use only; patch test before first use. Every oil, with its INCI name, is in the oil library.