The South African Skincare Ingredient Going Nuts

Move over rosehip …

Africa does it again. After wowing us with the wonderful argan oil, the continent has delivered another ingredient that is doing all kinds of amazing things for our skin.

Meet marula oil. It’s harvested from the nut inside the fruit of the drought-resistant marula tree, which is native to Southern Africa and Madagascar. The healing, multi-purpose oil is cold-pressed and has a nutty-sweet scent, and has been used for centuries by locals for both medicinal and beauty purposes.

It packs a double-punch: not only is marula oil loaded with skin-loving vitamins C and E, fatty acids and 60% more antioxidants than argan, it’s also extremely lightweight, so it absorbs deeper and faster, and won’t just sit on top of your skin or leave behind a greasy film. Win win.

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Marula oil is included in every single Drunk Elephant and African Botanics product, and it was also the subject of a bizarre social media jab by The Ordinary. But that’s another story for another time.

What you need to know is this: marula oil is suitable for all skin types – dry, sensitive, oily, you name it – and is a legit miracle worker. Not only does it nourish and hydrate skin, it also repairs free radical damage, provides antioxidant protection, reduces the appearance of fine lines and scars, soothes redness and irritation, offers anti-inflammatory benefits, and boosts elasticity. Got oily or acne-prone skin? Don’t even worry about it, as marula is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores, and has antimicrobial properties, so it will actually help treat and heal blemishes.

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Overachiever, much?

African Botanics Pure Marula Cleansing Oil gently cleanses skin minus that tight feeling.

Salt by Hendrix Luxe Oil in Jasmine + Marula delivers marula goodness to your decolletage (which is really just an extension of your face).

The Ordinary 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil, is just that. You only need a 2-3 drops.

La Mav Intense Moisture Nightly Repair Nectar works overnight on dehydrated skin.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum has a cult following for a very good reason: it brightens skin like nobody’s business.

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