The average person has about 22 square feet of skin. In fact, your skin is your body’s largest organ and the biggest barrier between you and disease. Natural oils keep skin healthy and flexible. You probably know about coconut oil for your skin and hair. But it may be time to try something new…
Dry, cracked skin lets bacteria and viruses in and prematurely ages your skin. As long as your skin is intact and healthy, these invaders cannot penetrate the barrier.
More than just a powerful moisturizer that seals and softens skin, marula oils fortifies hair with essential vitamins, strengthens nails and even helps treat and prevent eczema.
No wonder! It offers antioxidant protection, soothes inflammation and is antimicrobial.
That’s great news, because taking care of your skin isn’t just vanity…
What is marula oil?
The marula tree is native to southern and western Africa, and in many places is considered sacred. Marula oil comes from the small kernels (nuts) within the pit of the marula fruit.
When compared to other moisturizing oils like coconut or argan oil, marula oil absorbs quickly and easily into the skin, since its molecules are smaller.
And believe me, you really want the good stuff in this oil to go deep into your skin. Marula oil contains:
- Amino acids, including glutamic acid and l-arginine
- Fatty acids, including palmitic, stearic, oleic and myristic acids, all of which are powerful softeners and moisturizers
- Antioxidants (60 percent more than other oils) that fight free radicals and protect skin from damage from UV rays and pollution
Now, let’s get more specific about what this amazing oil can do for your skin as you get older.
3 ways marula oil keeps your skin strong and healthy
Anti-aging. Sun exposure, pollutants, cigarette smoke, and poor eating habits all contribute to the formation of free radicals in your body.
These “rogue” molecules cause inflammation and irritating skin conditions that can age your skin prematurely. Marula oil has 60 percent more antioxidants than either coconut or argan oil. This means it goes a long way to fight those free radicals and protect your skin.
Moisture. Moisture isn’t just important for “beautiful skin,” as the commercials tell you. Your skin can only perform its job as the body’s protective barrier against fungi and bacteria if it has sufficient moisture.
Oleic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid that strengthens your skin’s barrier and helps moisture penetrate deep into the skin. Marula oil has more oleic oil than either coconut or argan oil.
Treats eczema. Vitamin E and omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids act as antioxidant emollients to soothe and relax the red, dry, itchy skin of eczema, helping to prevent bleeding and cracking. All of those are another big win for Marula oil!
Benefits for hair, nails and more
Beyond protecting and strengthening your skin, marula oil has a few more benefits.
Chapped lips. Time to put aside the lip balm and put on some marula oil. Start now, before winter comes.
Marula oil’s vitamin E, antioxidants and fatty acids will heal those chapped lips, sure. But they will also improve your lips’ elasticity and repair any damage, making it less likely that they will crack and bleed as cold weather rolls in.
Healthy hair and scalp. Marula is an oil that can penetrate deep into the scalp, rather than remaining mostly on the surface, so it is truly nourishing.
Massaging the scalp daily with marula oil can improve circulation and encourage hair growth. The vitamin C, fatty acids, zinc, iron, magnesium and copper in marula oil nourish the hair and leave it healthy and strong.
Strong nails. Add some marula oil to clear polish to fortify those weak, brittle, splitting fingernails. It will promote moisture retention and feed the nails with essential vitamins to help them grow strong and healthy.
The bottom line and a precaution
Marula oil is good for all skin types, even oily skin. It absorbs quickly and is non-comedogenic (doesn’t clog pores).
You can purchase marula as an essential oil or look for natural hair and skin products where it is the main ingredient.
Because marula oil is a nut oil, you may be allergic to it if you have nut allergies, so test it on a small area of skin first.
Sources:
What You Need to Know About Marula Oil — Healthline
13 Incredible Benefits of Marula Oil You Can’t Afford to Miss — conserve-energy-future.com
Sclerocarya birrea (Marula), An African Tree of Nutritional and Medicinal Uses: A Review — Food Reviews International
16 Excellent Benefits of Marula Oil for Hair, Skin and General Health — howtocure.com
Topical vitamin C: a useful agent for treating photoaging and other dermatologic conditions — pubmed.gov