If there’s anything we love, it’s a natural ingredient with multiple benefits. When you think of natural oils and skincare, you’re probably already familiar with crowd favorites like coconut oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil. But how much do you know about marula oil?
While it’s still growing in popularity within the cosmetic industry, marula oil is known to contain the perfect components for benefitting skin, hair, and nails. From hydration, moisture, anti-aging, antioxidant, and UV-protection properties, we’ll give you the full rundown on marula oil and tell you why you should absolutely think about including this product in your skincare routine.
What is Marula Oil?
Marula oil is drawn from the marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea), which grows in the southern regions of Africa. The oil comes from the nuts, seeds, and fruit of the tree and has been used in Africa for thousands of years for its medicinal purposes. It’s even the star of a popular African alcoholic beverage, Amarula, which bears a majestic elephant as its logo. In the wild, when the fruit falls from the tree and begins to ferment, it’s a common local legend that elephants will eat it and get intoxicated – a truly funny sight to behold! So whether it’s used on the body or consumed, the natural gifts from the marula tree are enjoyed by both humans and animals alike. Once it’s been processed from the tree, marula oil has a beautiful yellow-gold color with a rich, fruity, nutty scent.
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Benefits of Marula Oil for the Skin
So, what exactly are the benefits of marula oil for the skin? We love to know the inner workings of what we put on our bodies and how they benefit us. Here are some of the natural components of marula oil and what they do for our skin:
- Amino acids: these include glutamic acid and L-arginine, which have anti-aging and hydrating effects on the skin.
- Antioxidants: these include phenolic compounds (plant substances) and vitamins C and E, which protect against free-radical damage, UV rays, and pollution.
- Fatty acids: these include myristic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids, which all contain emollient and moisturizing properties.
Now that we know the molecular structure of marula oil, let’s explore how it works on our different skin types.
Which Skin Types Should Use Marula Oil?
Since marula oil contains so many nourishing properties, any skin type can benefit from it, though it’s particularly great for dry skin or smoothing out fine lines and the appearance of wrinkles. It’s a light absorbent oil, not thick or too cloggy on the pores. Along with hydration and moisture, it also has the potential to reduce inflammation and skin irritation caused by eczema and other conditions.
Marula oil is a great natural moisturizer to use on acne-prone and oily skin due to its light, non-greasy texture and consistency, as well as its antimicrobial properties. It’s also an emollient, meaning it has the natural ability to smooth and soften the skin. The oleic acid in the oil helps penetrate the skin and keep oil production balanced.
For those with dry lips, especially in the wintertime, marula oil is the perfect remedy. It can be applied directly to help heal and soothe chapped, cracked lips. It can also act as an excellent primer for make-up due to its moisturizing, protective, and fast-absorbing properties. Because it’s lightweight, it’s perfect for creating a dewy glow before applying foundation or concealer.
How to Use Marula Oil
To incorporate marula oil into your skincare routine, you can either use the essential oil itself and dilute it with a natural fragrance-free moisturizer or cleanser, or seek out products that use it as a main ingredient. If you choose to buy it in oil form, make sure it’s pure or virgin marula oil, as that means it should have a high concentration of all those nourishing ingredients you’re looking for. You can use it daily as part of your morning and evening skincare routine.
Just be careful using marula oil if you have a nut allergy. Before using the product on your face, apply one or two drops on your inner arm (known as a spot check). Wait twenty-four hours and if there’s no allergic reaction or skin irritation, you can go ahead and apply it to your face!
Get Your Marula On
Now you’re aware there’s a natural oil apart from coconut and olive oil that’s great for your skin, think about trying marula oil and see how it works for you. It will benefit all skin types, specifically dry, oily, acne-prone, and aging skin. Use it daily as part of your cleansing, treatment, or moisturizing regime. Let us know if you’ve tried marula oil before, how it worked for you, and if you use it for anything else beyond your skincare!
