Locsanity Daily Moisturizing & Refreshing Spray and Batana Oil

We know that taking care of our bodies, inside and out, is top of mind at the beginning of a new year. This includes hitting the gym to get in the cardio and the resistance training, eating healthy, actually taking (not just looking at) your supplements, and getting Zen with your meditation practice. But for black people, men and especially women, this also means keeping our grooming habits tight. So, we’re happy to share two new haircare finds that will lighten the load and enhance your 2026 glow.

For those of us with natural styles, especially locs, we know that dryness can be a source of discomfort in the scalp and lifeless looking hair.  Well, we’ve got two great fixes for you! From Locsanity – the black female owned natural hair and body care company –  comes their Daily Moisturizing & Refreshing Spray. This bottle comes tightly capped with a separate, lockable spray nozzle (great for travel) that you insert yourself. The nozzle allows you to precisely deliver the product in a misting spray. The feel is light and – you guessed it – moisturizing, bringing instant relief to dull, dry, frizzy, brittle hair. Even better, the product comes in irresistible, original scent combos like Rosewater & Peppermint, Lavendar Coconut Aloe, Shea Apricot, Passionfruit,  Pure Orange Blossom, and Grapefruit Coconut Lime.

But Jamaican-born Founder, Charmaine James, also has most of your hair and body needs covered with shampoos, conditioners, mousses, pomades, gels, and oils for your hair care needs, and sprays and washes that do double or even triple duty on face, hair, and body!

Next up, if you have yet to hear of batana oil, you may have just woken up from a long winter’s nap. Batana oil is an ancient “miracle oil” first known to have been used by the Miskito indigenous people (Tawira) of Kalpu, Honduras. Known as the “beautiful hair people” the ancient Miskitos developed practices to extract the thick, amber-toned oil by hand from the American Palm Tree (Elaeis oleifera). The oil was a part of everyday life along the Caribbean coast of Central America.

American Palm Tree (Elaeis oleifera)

 

At room temperature, genuine batana oil often appears semi-solid or paste-like but will soften or melt when warmed in your hands. A multi-purpose cosmetic, it has traditionally been used by the Miskito people for hair and skin care in regions where extreme sun, salt air, and humidity were normal. The traditional  process of harvesting and extracting the oil included first collecting the bunches of fruit from the trees, picking the small round individual fruits from their stems, washing them, boiling or roasting the ripe fruits (around two hours), crushing the cooked fruit in a mortar and pestle to create a mash, extracting and cracking the nuts by hand, and crushing and grinding the kernels before heating them with water in pots over wood fires.

Fruit of the American Palm Tree (Elaeis oleifera)

 

It is during this stage that the oil separates, in skilled hands, without being scorched. As the fat-rich portion rises, it is skimmed off and allowed to cool and solidify. These painstaking ancient harvesting and preparation methods means that genuine batana oil doesn’t come cheap and availability rightfully fluctuates with harvests.

Grinding boiled fruit of the American Palm Tree (Elaeis oleifera)

 

The magic of batana oil rest in its unique mixture of saturated and monounsaturated fats, its deep golden-to-amber colour, and its nutty, earthy, or smoky smell. More specifically, batana oil has Oleic Acid (Omega-9), Linoleic Acid (Omega-6), Palmitic Acid and Stearic Acid, Vitamin E, and the antioxidant carotenoids. Together they form an oil that has deep conditioning, moisture retention, protective, and strengthening properties.

Apply batana oil to hair and scalp

 

Most companies recommend that you massage the oil into your hair and scalp, leave it to deep condition for hours or overnight, and then shampoo your hair to avoid scalp irritations or clogged follicles. But don’t be fooled by cheap knockoffs and do not purchase just any old palm oil. Batana is a specific oil, from a specific plant (the Elaeis oleifera), typically made in a specific country (Honduras), using specific traditional small batch techniques. So, beware, low prices often signal industrial production outside of the Central American nation which do not benefit the indigenous peoples of the regions who have perfected this “miracle oil” over millennia. But there are now dozens (if not more) companies pushing batana oil, so it is not hard to find an ethically-sourced, high-quality brand that suits your needs. We suggest trying Batana Oil from Batanaful, the black-owned, UK-based company founded by Caribbean-British footballer Kieran Agard. Batanaful products are backed by an authenticity pledge and a commitment to protect the cultural roots and ensure fair trade for Honduran communities.