INCI Name: Cyperus esculentus root oil

SYNONTYMS: Cyperus esculentus L.

CAS Number: 223748-92-3

SKU code:

EXTRACTION METHOD: Cold pressed

PARTS USED: Tuber/ Roots

ORIGIN: Niger (non-GMO organic cultivation)

COMMON NAMES: Saad oil, Geeliuintjie/ Aard-amandel, Indawo, Ndir, Chuffa Sedge, Nut Grass, Yellow Nutsedge, Edible Tigernut, Tigernut sedge, Earth almond, Erdmandel, Tigernuss, Souchet comestible, amande de terre, noix tigrée, pois sucré...

APPEARANCE: Pale yellow to golden fluid oil.

ODOUR NOTE: Characteristic very mild nutty sweet

QUALITY: 100 % pure, unrefined, and filtered (No chemicals) organic carrier oil.

STORAGE CONDITIONS: Keep tightly closed, in a cool, dry place away from light and heat sources. (May solidify at temperatures below 18°C as it contains palmitic and stearic acids)

COMPOSITION/ FATTY ACID PROFILE: 67.90% OLEIC ACID (OMEGA-9), 14.40 % PALMITIC ACID, 11.40% LINOLEIC ACID (OMEGA-6), 5.40% STEARIC ACID, VIT. E (alpha-Tocopherols +/- 240 mg/100 g), phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium - saponification value (mg KOH/g) =192)

Note: This is Tigernut oil, the cold- pressed virgin oil (fixed oil) from Cyperus esculentus. 

Not to be confused with Cyperus scariosus root essential oil (Cypriol oil from India aka Coco Grass, Nutgran, Purple nutsedge, Nagarmotha, Mustak or Umbrella sedge) 

or Cyperus rotundus root essential oil, that are steam-distilled, volatile, root extracts.

SHORT DESCRIPTION - INTERESTING FACTS: 

Little known in the west just a few years ago, this oil is becoming more and more popular the world over. Tigernut oil has been used around the Mediterranean, the middle east, east Asia, and part of Africa (around the Nile countries) for thousands of years and is an overall soothing, softening and highly restorative carrier oil, that helps restore the skin elasticity and preserve its good hydration levels.  

Tigernut oil has gained its special “epilation aid” reputation in the west, for its bonus active effect at slowing-down unwanted body hair re-growth (*). Its discreet sweet nutty aroma makes it a perfect choice for your home-made serums, massage oils and other daily personal skin and hair care products.

Our Tigernut carrier oil is cold pressed from the edible, highly nutritious tubercules of the yellow nutsedge or Chufa plant (Cyperus esculentus), which have been consumed and applied throughout human history, for their benefits to health, skin, and hair. 

Tigernut oil is naturally rich in vitamin E and has plenty beneficial minerals (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and iron) that are great at maintaining a good, healthy skin. It is a fast absorbing, comfortable oil, that is easy to use in a variety of wellbeing and personal care routines.

Tigernut oil is suitable for all skin types, including oily skins (Its high content in oleic acid (omega 9) and in palmitic acid helps keep skins soft and hydrated, making it especially beneficial for dry, flaky, and itchy skin conditions that need soothing as well as nourishment.

Tigernut oil antioxidant qualities are great to consider for maturing and mature skin daily care, for a boost in skin elasticity, and tonus.

When used as a hair conditioner, Tigernut oil helps sheath hair fibres, making them smooth and soft without adding weight. It is popular in hair/ beard grooming serums.

(*) Tigernut oil appears to work directly at the hair follicle level, by gradually delaying the development of fresh hair bulbs. That is why Tigernut oil uses extend to dry, coarse or rough hair conditions. Applied as a finishing serum on hair (tip and lengths), It will nourish, smooth, and soften the hair texture, with no detrimental consequences on their normal growth. The mechanism of action of Tigernut oil as a “hair re-growth retardant” is still not fully studied nor explained. Its reported properties on body hair re-growth are mainly based on centuries of traditional uses and observation for this specific application and results a variable.

COMEDOGENIC*: 1

• HYDRATING, MOISTURIZING: +++
• ANTIOXIDANT: +++
• ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, CALMING: ++
• SLOWS DOWN/DELAYS BODYHAIR RE-GROWTH: +++

*COMEDOGENIC SCALE (Causes clogging of pores) 0=NO, 1 to 2 = HARDLY, 3 to 4 = YES, 5= VERY

Tigernut carrier oil is famous in skin care around the Mediterranean, the middle east, east Asia, and part of Africa (around the Nile countries). There, Tigernut oil is used as a daily care for body or face, and is applied after threading, waxing or epilation, to increasingly extend the periods in-between sessions. Tigernut oil seems to soften the hair texture, making coarse hair thinner, sparser and limit hair re-growth, both in time and in quantity.

Recommended for all genders, this oil known to Egyptian women for more than 4000 years, brings comfort and soothing to the skin, after an epilation or waxing session.

Beside its numerous recognised uses for nutrition and health, Tigernut oil is found in:

• Skin care creams, balms, serums for problem skin (redness, irritation… patches) 
• Creams for 30+ skin care.
• Products for hair removal; in depilatory waxes to soothe skin and limit hair re-growth.
• Hair care ranges for dry, coarse, devitalized hair (serum, conditioner…) 
• Dry nails, cuticles and hands oils, lotions, and manicure products.
• Wellbeing massage oil, as a base oil or combined to other carrier oils (properties comparable to compared to sweet almond, olive oil, macadamia oil)
• Soaps for dry skin conditions
• Aromatherapy massage oils, as a dilution base for essential oils. 

Good for: 

• Daily care, maintenance care of Dry, very dry, flaky skins.
• All Skin massages and daily applications; good hydrating, light base oil.  Absorbs fast, without leaving an oily film.
• 30+, maturing, mature skins, wrinkles & lines. 
• Excessive or unwanted body of face hair or fuzz. 

Tigernut oil can be used:

• Pure, as is, by itself.
• In blends, mixed with essential oils, other carrier oils, aloe vera, butter, ready-to-use bases, and many other active ingredients (clays...)

Recommended dosage:

• 1 to 100%
• You can add about 30-35 drops of essential oils in total per 100ml of carrier oil in your body or hair blends.
• For a daily skin maintenance, you can use Tigernut oil at 4% in a neutral body cream or lotion, added to shea body cream… (4ml for 100ml= a small teaspoon per 100ml of base cream)

FOR WELL BEING: ++

• Skin nourishing and skin softening body massages oil.
• In aromatherapy massage oils to dilute essential oils.

FOR NATURAL SKINCARE for body or face +++ 

Use:

• To make all kinds of nourishing oils and balms for daily applications.
• In hydrating daily lotions, serums, and creams
• For pre and post body and facial hair, fuzz removal.
• As soothing aftershave care (for sensitive areas: armpits…)
• As/To make regenerating and hydrating lip balms or gloss for dry or chapped lips.
• Add to your body exfoliating scrubs.
• As a smoothing, nourishing and protective haircare for everyday uses.
• As/ to make nourishing serums for curly hair.
• To create deep conditioning hair masks, pre-poos and leave-in conditioners.
• Added to base shampoo or conditioners.
• As a finishing/ styling hair serum.
• With waxes or neutral gels for split ends and dry hair.

ABOUT PRE OR POST EPILATION CARE (WAXING/ THREADING), ANTI-HAIR REGROWTH OIL: +++

Note that:  the “anti-re-growth” qualities of Tigernut oil seem to work better after the whole hair follicles have been plucked out, namely after epilation, waxing or threading. 

The slow or non-growth effects doesn’t seem to work as well after shaving (razor) or after using depilatory creams.

• Apply pure and massage for 5 min, right after hair removal (legs, armpits...) for a week or more, for soothing and maintenance. 
• Tigernut oil can be applied daily on all concerned areas of the face (chin, sides, neck, eyebrows) and body (arms, legs, armpits, bikini/panty lines, tummy...) 
• Tigernut oil is particularly soothing after facial hair removal on delicate and sensitive areas of the face that are the eyebrows, cheek, upper lip, and chin. Apply 1-2 pure drops of Tigernut oil on the tip of your clean fingers. Rub your fingers together to gently warm the oil and dab softly on the concerned areas of your face. Massage until fully absorbed.  
• Or as an ingredient added to your evening body cream, lotion, oil, to nourish and maintain freshly  waxed areas, 
• According to some users, the depilatory or thinning effects may become visible after 1 to 2 months of regular applications. Results vary from one person to another, of course. Patience, perseverance, and regular daily use seem to be key for this application…

AS A SOOTHING, HYDRATING AND NOURISHING DAILY SKINCARE, 

Tigernut oil is perfect for daily applications on dehydrated, sensitive, or damaged skins. Its nutrition to the skin is often compared to that of Macadamia, Sweet almond, Olive oil with whom Tigernut oil shares a similar fatty acid profile. Apply and massage in a few drops directly to concerned areas.

AS AN AFTER-SHAVE CARE 

Tigernut oil is an excellent after-shave care. Its composition in vitamin E and phytosterols helps to soothe irritations caused by razor blades and promote the fast and smooth healing of small cuts. Tigernut oil helps soften the hair texture. As such Tigernut is good at preventing ingrown hair and related skin inflammations.

Apply to fresh shaved areas.

FOR NATURAL HAIRCARE: ++

• beard, and moustaches grooming.
• For hair care applications to condition protect dry, unruly, straw-like, devitalized, dull hair (chemical damages, after-swimming…).
• Smooth hair fibers, brings softness to frizzy hair and restores shine.

TO TAKE CARE OF DRY HANDS, NAILS & CUTICLES++

• Evening primrose, Hempseed oil for regenerating facial serums/ massage oil (@ 10%)
• Use mixed with other carrier or essential oils, in your homemade recipes. With Clary sage, Rosemary ct. Verbenone, Carrot seeds essential oil or Rosewood leaf essential oil to limit hair regrowth.
• Add up to 20% Tigernut oil to Macadamia oil, Hemp seed oil, Calendula oil or Sweet almond oil to further soothe the discomfort after hair removal sessions, or to deeply nourish dry or sensitive skins day after day.
• Add to neutral body creams, hand, and body lotions (@ 4%)
• For a Middle East inspired “Snake Oil” hair treatment, that is all together strengthening, anti-dandruff, regenerating, stimulating, volumizing, protective and controls hair losses, add Tigernut oil (@4%) to Castor oil, Abyssinian crambe/Radish seed oil, Sesame seed oil, Laurel berry Carrier Oil, and dilute a few drops of Sandalwood, Ylang-ylang, and Spikenard jatamansi essential oils. Apply on hair lengths and wrap in a cotton towel/old T-Shirt. Leave to condition for 20 min to an hour before washing.
• Combine with Aloe vera gel and Jojoba oil for a cooling post wax body lotion.

Cyperus esculentus (Tigernut) is a perennial grass from the Papyrus family. It grows wildly in humid environments and produces edible 2cm roundish tubercules (the size of hazelnut) at the end of its rhizomes (roots). Cyperus esculentus (Tigernut) plants can be found, and are, nowadays, widely cultivated in many regions of the world. Tigernut tubers are edible and have been part of people diet all over the Mediterranean region, Northern and west Africa. Their extended uses have been traced back to pre- historic times and are well documented since Ancient Egypt times. The tubercules are a rich nutrition source with a sweet almond, nutty taste. They can be enjoyed raw or grilled and are used to make the traditional Spanish sweet drink “Horchata de chufa”. 

Raw Tigernut tubers are rich in magnesium and are traditionally used by woman throughout Africa as a natural diet complement for hot flushes (cooling) associated with menopause. 

Fresh Tigernut juice or “milk” is enjoyed as a vegetarian, gluten-free, substitute to cow/animal milk and sometimes given to toddlers after the breastfeeding phase, as a nutritional drink.

Our Tigernut oil comes from the cold pression of those rich nutritious tubercules. Tigernut are harvested twice a year and cold pressed for oil extraction.

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

As a general rule, always perform a skin patch test before using your essential oils for the first time.

WARNING: These properties, indications and methods of use are taken from reference works or websites in aromatherapy, hydrolatherapy and phytotherapy. They are found there regularly and for many confirmed by observations in scientific circles. However, this information is given for informational purposes, it cannot in any case constitute medical information, nor engage our responsibility. For any use for therapeutic purposes, consult a doctor.