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Obtained from the kernels of the marula tree (native to southern Africa), marula oil is pleasant-smelling, and loaded with proteins – which make it useful in a number of skin and hair treatments. It contains antioxidants such as vitamin E and vitamin C; essential fatty acids including stearic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid, and amino acids such as L-arginine and glutamic acid.
Marula oil is excellent at restoring life to dry, aging skin. The amino acids work to make your skin more hydrated and fresh, fatty acids make your skin softer and act as a natural moisturizer, and antioxidants protect your skin from UV and pollution damage.
Some people who are allergic to nuts are also allergic to marula oil, so test a small patch of skin first. Secondly, marula oil is comedogenic, meaning it can clog your pores. It contains a high level of oleic acid, which is a layer that can clog pores and make oily skin worse. So if you have oily or acne-prone skin, you should reconsider using marula oil.
Oily skin occurs when the sebaceous glands in the pores are producing more oil, or sebum, than necessary. Sebum is natural in all skin as it keeps the skin moist and healthy. Over production of sebum can be caused by hormones, genetics or could even be a result of dry skin over-compensating by producing extra oil, in order to retain some measure of moisture.
Oily skin can also be caused by using the wrong products for your skin type. For example, if you are using overly drying soaps and astringents for your skin type, your skin may respond by over producing oil to compensate, as mentioned above. This can create an unfortunate cycle of using harsh soaps to eliminate oils, but instead exacerbating the problem.
On the other hand, overly oily makeup and products can also cause oily skin.
Ingredients that help exfoliate dead skin cells to keep pores unclogged and increase new skin cell production, such as Vitamin A/Retinol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, are good for treating acne as well. Benzoyl peroxide is a topical agent for fighting bacteria and unclogging pores. It is one of the longest-used medications to keep oily pores clean and healthy. Jojoba oil is also good for fighting bacteria trapped in oily skin and maintaining a moisture barrier to prevent over-production of sebum.
marula oil may be effective for oily skin, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
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