Wild Apricot: A Kernel, a Fruit and a Mountain Tradition

In the high valleys of the Himalayas, the wild apricot is one of the great trees of the mountain household. The fruit is eaten fresh and dried for winter. The hard stone is cracked to reach the kernel inside, which is pressed for oil. What remains after pressing can be ground into a fine meal. Very little is wasted.

That whole-fruit tradition is close to the heart of NTFDP: take from the forest, and from the tree, in a way that allows it to fruit again next season.

The kernel oil

Apricot kernel oil is a light oil, rich in oleic and linoleic fatty acids and naturally containing vitamin E. It absorbs readily and is well tolerated by most skin types, which is why it has long been used for massage, for dry skin and as a carrier for other botanicals.

It is a comfortable, gentle oil. It is not a treatment, and we will not describe it as one.

The meal

Ground apricot kernel meal has a soft, grainy texture that has traditionally been used as a gentle physical exfoliant, mixed with water, yogurt or milk. As with any scrub, a light hand matters more than the ingredient: skin in midlife, which renews itself more slowly, benefits from exfoliation that is occasional and kind rather than frequent and harsh.

In the mountains, the apricot is used whole. Nothing need go to waste.

Why it matters to us

Wild apricot connects the two frameworks behind Himalyan Naturals. NTFDP, because it is a fruit and a seed, harvested from a living tree, within a long tradition of community knowledge. And Endo Neutral, because a simple, single-origin oil is one of the most straightforward ways to reduce the number of ingredients meeting the skin every day.

Apricot kernel oil is not suitable for anyone with a known allergy to apricots or stone fruit. Patch test before first use.