Searching for Africa batana oil? Ude Aki is its African cousin. Batana comes from the American oil palm in Honduras. Ude Aki comes from the West African oil palm in Nigeria. Same family, different home, same job.
Before it crossed the ocean, it was ours
Ude Aki is black palm kernel oil, made the way it has been made in Nigeria for generations. The kernels are cracked out of the palm nut and roasted on a live firewood fire. The heat itself drives the oil out, and it drains through a sieve into the pot below. No press, no solvents, no bleaching. One ingredient, nothing added.
People know its cousin from Honduras by another name. This one is the African original, from the soil the palm came from.
What is in the jar
- One ingredient. Elaeis guineensis (palm) kernel oil. No carrier oils, no fragrance, no fillers.
- 4 oz net weight (113 g), in a wide mouth jar you can get two fingers into.
- Solid when cool, melts on contact. Scoop a little, warm it between your palms, and it turns to oil.
- Smoky, nutty scent. It smells like the fire it was made on. That is the proof, not a fault.
- Roasted in Nigeria. Packed in the USA by JEB FOODS LLC, Union, New Jersey.
How to use it
Hair and scalp. Warm a small amount in your palms and work it into the scalp and lengths. Leave it in, or use it as a pre wash treatment for thirty minutes before shampooing.
Skin. Use it as a body balm on dry patches, elbows, knees and heels. A little goes a long way.
Beard. Warm it and work it in from the skin outward.
If you want a softer scent, add two or three drops of rosemary or lavender oil to your palm before you apply it.
Is Ude Aki good for dry 4c hair?
Yes, as the step that seals in moisture. Dry 4c hair needs water first, then an oil to hold it in. Mist your hair with water or apply your leave-in, then warm a pea-sized amount of Ude Aki and smooth it from the lengths to the ends. It moisturizes, softens and seals in moisture. For the full routine, read how to keep 4c hair moisturized.
Four things that surprise people
- It arrived soft or liquid. Palm kernel oil melts near body temperature. A warm truck softens it. Put it somewhere cool for an hour and it firms back up. Nothing is lost.
- The colour is not the same as last time. Every batch is roasted over a live fire by hand, so the shade moves between deep caramel and rich brown.
- The surface looks grainy. That is the oil crystallising as it sets. Warm it in your hands and it goes smooth.
- The smell is strong at first. It fades over a few hours.
Our written guarantee
- One ingredient. Black palm kernel oil and nothing else.
- Roasted in Nigeria, on a live firewood fire, by hand. Never made in a factory in China.
- Filled to the line and sealed. If the seal is already broken when it reaches you, do not use it.
- No press, no solvents, no bleaching.
If your jar is not everything on this list, send it back. We refund you in full, including what the return postage cost you.
Every jar carries a QR code and a LOT number. Scan it, or go to jebfoods.com/real, and check your LOT against our list to confirm the jar came from us.
Also available on
Part of the profit funds our nonprofit organization, Save All Africa Kids
Save All Africa Kids (saak.org) is the working name of JEB Foundation Inc, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2012. It brings food, clothing, medical supplies and school materials to orphaned and underprivileged children in Nigeria. Not all of the profit, and we will not pretend otherwise. Part of it. You can see the work at saak.org.
Care and safety
External use only. Patch test first. Avoid the eyes. Keep out of reach of children. Store below 75 F and out of direct sunlight. This product is a cosmetic. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
