If you’re like most people, you’ve probably never even heard about Marula oil, but this wondrous oil considered by some to be the “elixir of youth,” is definitely one you’ll want to know more about. It’s a fruit native to the southern region of Africa, and has been harvested wild for centuries, used as a natural remedy for healing a wide range of conditions.
Extracted from the nuts of the Marula tree, this is a rare oil that has a fragrant floral, nutty aroma along with powerful properties, including protective antioxidants – in fact, while it is similar to the much more famous Moroccan Argan oil, it actually contains 60 percent more antioxidants.
Long a part of diets, and for other purposes, in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, it’s been used to preserve meats, for a variety of cooking purposes, in cosmetics, to treat leather, and much more. The Tsonga people have used it in place of water for cleaning themselves, as a body lotion, and even as a massage oil for babies. In Southern Africa, it’s been a part of multiple beauty rituals for hundreds of years in order to protect the skin and hair from the harsh weather conditions in the country.
The Western world has just begun to discover this oil’s many benefits. By now, your personal beauty products are likely to include all sorts of tools, including items such as coconut oil and Argan oil. But if Marula oil is not included in that assortment, it’s time to change that. Whether used unrefined on its own or as a key ingredient in a beauty product, you’ll find that it’s light in texture, super fast-absorbing, loaded with nutrients and fatty acids that fight environmental damage, and incredibly hydrating.
Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, Marula oil is a multipurpose tonic that can reportedly reverse photo damage, boost cellular activity, aid in building collagen, protect against environmental toxins, and support the health of the skin and hair. While it’s generally not cheap, remember, you pay for what you get, and you only need two to three drops at a time, so it will last quite a while.
The best place to buy Marula oil is from this page on Thrive Market. Alternatively if you are not a member (and here’s why you should be) then you can also get yours from this page on Amazon.
If you need to find out more before adding another oil to your collection, here’s a closer, more in-depth look at Marula’s many benefits.
1. Protecting Against Environmental Damage
The number of candles on your birthday cake isn’t the only thing that determines how fast your skin ages. Alongside your skin care regimen, lifestyle and diet, there are a number of environmental aggressors that play a significant role in the aging process. You’re probably well-aware of the damage caused by the sun, which can result in wrinkles, fine lines and age spots, but apart from UV rays, elements like pollution, smoke, artificial heating and cooling, and the weather, such as wind, heat and cold, all play a part in environmental damage.
It’s been scientifically shown that being exposed to all of these irritants actually doubles the rate at which the skin ages. In fact, you probably didn’t realize that these factors are the No. 1 cause of skin aging, responsible for approximately 80 percent of it.
These environmental aggressors harm the skin as they produce free radicals, which causes chronic skin inflammation at a cellular level. That irritation can lead to collagen and elastin breaking down in the skin which increases the appearance of age spots, wrinkles, and fine lines, as well as leaving your skin dehydrated, rough and dull.
Applying sunscreen daily is not enough to protect your skin against all of these environment assaults, which means to ward off those aggressors, you really need to apply products to your skin that will help strengthen its natural protective barrier while targeting pre-existing environmental damage at the same time. And, Marula oil can be the ideal answer as it works day and night to protect your skin from the damaging effects of environmental elements, including the harsh rays of the sun, cold, wind, and pollution. It even works while you sleep through the natural renewal process of the skin in order to help reverse the damage while fortifying the skin from the inside with a blend of enriching, conditioning, and nourishing nutrients.
There are internal factors at work when it comes to skin damage too, and Marula is tough enough to handle those as well, such as fatigue, emotional stress and hormones. Hormonal changes can have negative effects on the skin, but Marula oil plays an active role in making sure that all of these internal attacks do not affect it adversely.
One of the best ways to use it for this purpose due to its lightweight nature is to apply it very lightly as a primer to the skin about 10 to 15 minutes before applying makeup. Thanks to its regenerative, cell renewal properties, it’s very good for the chest and decolletage area too.
2. Preventing Stretch Marks & Reducing The Appearance Of Scars
Marula oil can help reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks, and possibly help prevent them from occurring in the first place, thanks to being rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It absorbs easily, leaving the skin nourished, supple, elastic and firm. If you’re pregnant, or someone who already has stretch marks and/or scars, you’ll definitely be able to benefit from its healing, rejuvenating properties. Using it as a massage oil is ideal, as it offers relaxation benefits while beautifying the skin. For this purpose, aim to rub it onto affected areas twice each day.
3. Heal & Prevent Skin Disorders Like Eczema
Many of the mainstream products you find on grocery store and drugstore shelves for eczema and other skin conditions contain petroleum, a by-product of the oil industry. But petroleum based products only give the illusion of moisture, as all they really do is create a barrier on the skin. This suffocating barrier leads to clogged pores, traps in dirt and sweat while preventing the skin eliminating toxins. Plus it tends to keep out air and moisture, leading to more dryness.
Many store-bought products also contain parabens and phthalates that can wreak havoc with the hormone system. Avoiding these is of the utmost importance. And then there are artificial fragrances and chemicals that can make eczema even worse than it was in the first place as they’re irritating to the skin. Fortunately, nature has given us natural oils that can nourish the skin – similar to petroleum jelly, these plant extracts for a barrier to protect the skin, but that barrier still allows the skin to breathe as they’re more like our skin’s natural oils, so the body can use them for healing.
As the best products for treating eczema are ones that improve skin hydration and boost its barrier function, this is where Marula oil comes in. Some preliminary studies have suggested that its omega-6 fatty acids can help further reduce eczema symptoms.
4. Flawlessly Smooth, Soft Skin
As Marula oil has been shown to deeply penetrate the skin, even in areas where it’s the thickest, it can enhance the appearance of your complexion. It works to improve the firmness of skin, while helping to smooth out areas of cellulite, and reduce the appearance of pigmentation patches as well as scars, resulting in flawlessly smooth, remarkably soft skin with regular applications, thanks to its blend of vitamin C and monounsaturated fatty acids. Like so many others, you may be stunned to find that it leaves your skin ultra-smooth and soft to the touch in only an instant – but what’s even more impressive, is that it will help maintain that silky texture by hydrating and reversing the damage that left skin rough in the first place.
5. Great For All Skin Types
From dry or oily to normal or sensitive skin, surprisingly, Marula oil is great for all skin types as it’s rich in oleic acid, which is a must for beautiful, healthy skin. It’s naturally soothing, fast absorbing without clogging pores, and never leaves that annoying, greasy residue. It actually helps to balance moisture levels, whether you use it on its own as is, or add a few drops to one of your favorite products, it helps to lock in moisture without leaving a thick residue. At the same time, it has the ability to battle free radicals that can threaten the health of your skin.
6. Anti-aging
One of the best anti-agers around, Marula oil is chock full of omega oils and fatty acids, along with vitamin C and E, which all work together to fight free radical damage, which, as mentioned, accelerates the signs of aging.
Plus, your skin will have that youthful glow – in more mature skin, it boosts the skin’s natural ability to repair and regenerate while encouraging it to produce collagen to restore suppleness.
7. Fighting acne
Because of its potent hydrating and antimicrobial properties, applying Marula oil to problem areas of the skin can help reduce the size and appearance of all types of blemishes. Plus, if you have acne scars, it can help diminish their appearance too.
8. Healing chapped lips
Thanks to its moisturizing properties, Marula oil not only helps to treat dry skin, it’s becoming famous for its ability to heal dry, chapped lips. It’s able to penetrate the skin on the lips to tackle dryness from within. By using this beneficial oil, you’re more likely to enjoy soft, pink lips that never crack or bleed. Instead of using a lip balm and other lip products that can cause more harm over time while not being all that effective, Marula oil actually helps to heal the lips and keep moisture locked in.
9. More beautiful hair
Marula oil’s high level of both vitamin C and oleic acid combines to help protect and beautify the hair. Like the skin, Manula oil is great for all hair types. It protects the hair from the elements, whether it’s the heat of your curling iron, the harsh UV rays of the sun or cold winds. The oil coats the strands of hair to guard against both environmental damage and styling elements due to its ultra-protective shield of essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants like vitamin E, essential amino acids, and flavonoids, which are all well-known for being outstanding for cell renewal and regeneration. It nourishes everything from the ends of your hair to your scalp, assisting in moisture retention while restoring the health of the hair, due to that impressive list of antioxidants.
If you struggle with frizz, that’s just another reason to use Marula oil as it seals the strands of hair, giving it more of a satiny finish. Plus, as it has a fairly thin consistency, it’s easy to spread it throughout your hair. By using Marula oil regularly, you’re practically guaranteed to experience beautiful, lustrous hair that’s healthy and strong.
For the ultimate deep conditioning treatment, combine 10 tablespoons of Marula oil with 5 tablespoons of Argan oil, which is one of the best compliments for this oil. Mix well, and set it aside. Now pour a little of your favorite conditioner into a bowl and whip thoroughly. Heat the oil blend in your microwave, until very warm, but not so hot that it could burn you. Afterward, whip it up some more. After shampooing, apply the mixture to the strands of your hair, especially onto the ends. Put your hair up into a shower cap or another type of covering and leave it on for 45 to 60 minutes. Jump back into the shower, or use the sink, to rinse well, then style as you normally would.
10. Treating brittle nails
Marula oil is great if you have weak, brittle nails too, thanks to its many beneficial nutrients. If your nails are prone to breaking and cracking, this is an oil you’ll surely want to have as its moisturizing, nourishing effects help to treat them so that they can be strong again. Simply apply the oil regularly to both your hands and nails – the quick absorbing active ingredients will not only leave your hands baby soft, but work to fortify brittle, fragile nails while moisturizing the cuticles too.
Where To Buy Marula Oil:
If you’re ready to experience all of the great uses for this incredible natural oil, you can purchase 100% Pure Marula Oil from a number of places.
For best value and quality, try this Acure Organics Marula Oil from Thrive Market. Thrive Market is an online marketplace for the best quality natural, non-GMO foods and healthy products – nearly always at 25-50% below retail price. Read about why we love Thrive Market so much – and why we think you will too – here.
Alternatively, you can buy Marula oil from this page on Amazon or by browsing through the selections below.