By now, we’re familiar with Moroccan argan oil and its supercharged antioxidant benefits. Next up from Africa, a tongue-twisting ingredient emerges with fountain of youth hopes: baobab.Also known as the “monkey bread tree” for the vitamin C-rich fruit it blooms of the same name, the hulking species stores massive amounts of water and grows up to 98 feet tall with trunk diameters of up to 36 feet wide. Local communities use the fire-resistant tree bark for clothing and rope, and pick the leaves for medicine and the coconut-shaped fruit for food.Beauty product formulators are intrigued by the average 1,000-year lifespan of the tree (though the oldest one in existence is believed to be a 6,000-year-old carbon-dated one in South Africa), as the longevity indicates incredible anti-aging properties.“Baobab has far more benefits than just being an antioxidant. The oil provides instant, lasting hydration and the extract also has anti-inflammatory properties,” explains Ni’Kita Wilson, YouBeauty Cosmetic Chemistry Expert.In fact, baobab oil extracted from the tree’s seeds has been shown to tighten, tone and encourage skin cell regeneration. Baobab is rich in the amino acid lysine that is crucial to collagen creation, and is filled with essential fatty acids like omega-6 and omega-9.Experts say that dry, aging skin in particular benefits from the powerful extract.Check out how baobab is springing up in beauty products below.