Marula oil has been turning up on more and more skincare labels, usually with a line about Africa and not much else. Here is the fuller story: where it comes from, what it actually feels like on your skin, how it compares to two oils you may already own, and how to use it.
Where Marula Oil Comes From
Marula oil is pressed from the seeds of the marula tree, Sclerocarya birrea, which grows across the savannas of southern Africa. It belongs to the same plant family as the mango and the cashew.
The tree is best known for its fruit: round, plum sized, and pale yellow when ripe, with a tart, tropical flavor. People eat it fresh and turn it into juice, jam, and drinks. Animals love it too, elephants included, although the popular story about elephants getting tipsy on fallen, fermenting marula fruit is, according to the researchers who did the math, mostly a myth.
The oil does not come from the fruit. It comes from the small kernels inside the fruit's hard stone, usually two or three per stone, which are cracked out by hand. It takes a lot of stones to fill a bottle, which is part of why marula oil costs more than everyday oils like grapeseed.
Our Marula Oil is 100% pure and organic, with nothing added.
What Marula Oil Is Like on Skin
Marula oil is pale gold, with a faint, pleasant, nutty scent that disappears once it is on your skin. Most people describe the feel as light and silky: it spreads easily and sinks in without leaving much shine behind.
About three quarters of marula oil is oleic acid, the same fatty acid that dominates olive oil. Oils rich in oleic acid are softening and moisturizing, which is why marula is such a good match for dry skin, dry hands, and dry ends of hair. It also carries natural antioxidants that help the oil itself stay fresh longer than many other plant oils.
If your skin is on the oily side, you may prefer an oil that is higher in linoleic acid. We compared two of those in our post on rosehip oil vs. grapeseed oil.
Marula Oil vs. Argan Oil and Jojoba Oil
These are the three oils people most often weigh against each other, so here is the short version.
- Argan oil comes from the kernels of a Moroccan tree and has a similar richness. It has a more even mix of oleic and linoleic acids, and it is a long time favorite for hair.
- Golden Jojoba oil is technically a liquid wax, not an oil, and is very close to the oil your skin makes on its own. It is the easiest all rounder and one of the most stable oils you can buy, which makes it our go to for diluting essential oils.
- Marula oil sits between the two: lighter in feel than many rich oils, and especially good when skin feels dry or tight.
There is no wrong answer here. If you are starting from scratch, jojoba is the safest first bottle. If your skin is dry, or the weather is turning cold, marula is worth trying next.
How to Use Marula Oil
A little goes a long way, so start small.
- Face: after cleansing, warm two or three drops between your fingertips and press them onto slightly damp skin. You can also mix a drop into your usual moisturizer.
- Hair: smooth one or two drops over the ends of dry hair, or work a little more through the lengths before you wash as a pre shampoo treatment.
- Hands and nails: massage a single drop into your cuticles and the backs of your hands, especially after washing up.
- Body: for very dry spots like elbows, knees, and heels, apply a few drops right after a shower, while your skin is still damp.
- With essential oils: marula works well as a carrier oil. For a 10 ml roller bottle, add 2 to 4 drops of an essential oil such as Lavender, about a 1 to 2 percent dilution, and top up with marula.
Because marula oil comes from a seed kernel, patch test it on a small area first. If you have a tree nut allergy, check with your doctor before using it.
How to Store Marula Oil
Keep the cap on tight and store the bottle somewhere cool and dark, away from the window sill and the steamy side of the bathroom. Stored that way, marula oil stays fresh for a long time. If it ever starts to smell sharp or stale, like old crayons, it has gone rancid and it is time for a new bottle.
Where to Start
If you have never tried marula oil, a small bottle is the easiest way in: try a few drops on your face at night and a drop on your cuticles, and see how your skin feels after a week.