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When it comes to skincare, everyone tends to go towards organic and natural skin care products that will remove all the blemishes, prevent acne, and give us radiant skin. Even though natural ingredients are healthier than most other synthetic ingredients, they can often have some side effects. Especially, natural oils, which can be highly comedogenic, can clog pores and lead to blackheads or acne. Recently, marula oil has been used more in the natural oil industry and captured the spotlight for its many beneficial qualities. But, does marula oil clog pores?
It is really hard to find the ingredients that will suit your face perfectly without causing any trouble. Marula oil has a very lightweight and non-greasy texture which is absorbed into our skin quickly and creates an appearance like a non-comedogenic oil. Even though the oil is safe to use in most skin types, not everyone can use marula oil in their skin. In this article, I have explained it further in detail along with all the other concerns you might have regarding does marula oil clog pores.
What Is Marula Oil?
Marula oil is derived from the fruits of a tree called Sclerocarya Birrea which is native to southern Africa. Different parts of the Marula tree were once used in a range of recipes, traditional remedies, and foods since they come with a variety of benefits.The trees are cultivated now for their greater demand and can be found more easily nowadays than before. The fruits of the Marula tree are like large, hard nuts. There is a white kernel inside the nuts from which the oil is extracted. The husk of the fruits is also used to make the oils if the kernels are not sufficient.
Merula gets absorbed into our skin faster than any other oil and makes our skin, soft, smooth, and moisturized. It also comes with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that ensure the skin’s protection. Tocopherol and tocotrienols are two of the antioxidants among many that you can find in marula oil. Merula oil also contains vitamins like vitamins E and C. These properties are crucial to avoid cellular damage.
Marula is also full of fatty acids like palmitic, stearic, oleic, myristic acids, omega 6, and omega 9 which hydrates and nourishes our skin from deep inside. Amino acids like glutamic and L-arginine in this oil help in anti-aging. And, the protein present in the oil helps to absorb all this goodness into our skin. So, if you have dry or cracked skin, then marula oil is going to be the perfect option for you.
Does Marula Oil Clog Pores?
Yes, Marula oil can clog your pores since it has a comedogenic rating of 3-4. Normally, the ingredients that have a 1-2 comedogenic rating are safe to use on our skin, but the ingredients that have a 3-4 rating are still slightly comedogenic. Although marula oil can be considered better than most other oils that have a high comedogenic rating like coconut oil, heavy oils like argan oil work better than them. So, if you have comedogenic skin, and have to struggle with clogged pores, you should go for a lighter face oil like squalane or rosehip oil. And, if you do want to use marula oil is your face, do a patch test to see the reaction of your skin first before using it.
Does Marula Oil Cause Acne?
Since marula is a very lightweight oil and has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, it is a common misconception that it won’t clog pores or cause acne. But the reality is completely different. The ingredients that have a 3-4 comedogenic rating should be strictly avoided by People with acne-prone and oily skin. They have a larger quantity of oleic acid in their sebum which is responsible for creating acne. Marula oil also contains this specific fatty acid which can have an adverse effect if you already have acne-prone skin. But, people with dry skin who are not suffering from clogged pores or acne can surely opt for this oil.
Benefits Of Using Marula Oil
Even though marula oil still is not very common to us all, it does not make it any less beneficial than other oils at all. Pure marula oil offers a lot of goodness that can also be used in skin, hair, and nail treatments. Some of the benefits that marula oil comes with are:
- Soothes dry skin: If you have very dry and cracky skin, marula oil can be one of the best options for you. The fatty acids present in the oil will help to reduce the appearance of redness, flakiness, or irritation of the skin. Since it quickly gets absorbed into the skin, it makes your skin look healthy while locking the moisture into the skin.
- Works as Anti-Aging treatment: Marula oil contains anti-aging properties like glutamic acid and L-arginine amino acids. Some of the amino acids and fatty acids of this oil can also be found naturally in the outer layer of our skin. These properties increase the hydration of the skin and reduce the signs of skin aging like wrinkles, fine lines, etc.
- Helps with stretch marks and scars: For hydrating your body and increasing the elasticity of the skin, you should add marula oil to your daily moisturizing routine. This oil is great for pregnant women since it helps to reduce stretch marks. The anti-oxidants in it also help to reduce any signs of scars and dark spots as well.
- Improves the nails and cuticles: Applying marula oil on your nails can help to protect the nail beds and the cuticles. It will help with hangnails and improve the appearance of your hands and nails. Marula oil also helps to reduce any cracks in your nails or fingers.
- Increase the glow of the skin: Marula oil helps the cell turnover of the skin and removes the dead cells. This automatically reduces the dullness and increases the shine and glow of the skin. but, check on your skin type and the ingredients first before applying the oil on your skin.
Side Effects Of Marula Oil
Researchers are still trying to find out the risks that might be associated with marula oil since it was introduced to us a while ago and became available in the market. Even so, there can be some potential side effects that can occur due to this oil.
Since marula belongs to the nut family, people who have allergies to nuts should not start to use the oil at once. Allergies can lead to serious medical conditions, so do a small patch test by a medical professional if you have a nut allergy to check if the oil is going to suit you or not.
Even though it does cause any serious harm, you should also do a patch test first before using that if you have sensitive skin. Moreover, If the marula oil gets into your eyes, it can create irritation or redness in your eyes. Rinse out your eyes thoroughly with water if the oil gets into your eyes.
You also need to make sure that the marula oil is 100% unrefined Sclerocarya birrea kernel oil. If the oil is not unrefined, then it might be processed with other ingredients. You should look for the ingredients first to check if the ingredients are safe for you to use.
How To Safely Use Marula Oil On Your Skin?
You should consider the side effects of marula oil first to use it safely on your skin. Make sure to have an organic cold-pressed marula oil which will give the maximum efficacy and benefits of the oil. There are different ways that you can follow to use marula oil on your skin. For example:
If want to apply marula oil directly on your skin, then do it in the last step of your skin care routine. Deep clean your face with a cleanser and apply your favorite moisturizer. You can use a serum afterward if you want or you can skip it as well. Finally, take a few drops of marula oil and apply that on your face gently to seal in the moisture. You do not need to do any massage in this case and try to follow this routine only at night before sleeping.
If you do not want to directly apply a layer of marula oil to your skin, you can add a few drops of marula oil with your cleanser and clean your face as usual. You can also add a few drops of oil to your face mask to get the benefits of the oil and still not keep it in the face for a long time. These options are safer if you have oily, acne-prone skin and suffer from clogged pores.
You can also add a couple of drops of Marula oil with your moisturizer and leave it on your skin. It will still provide you with the goodness of its beneficiary properties while having less possibility of clogging the pores. Along with your face, you can also use it in your body by adding a few drops to your body lotion.
Before going for the application of the oil, do not forget to patch test the oil first. To do this, you need to apply a few drops of marula oil to the inner side of your arms and leave it in there for 24 hours. If it does not cause any redness, irritation, or allergy to your skin, only then you should go for using this oil in your face or body.
Final Thoughts
Marula oils possess many good qualities that can serve our skin with a lot of benefits. It can solve many of our skin problems if applied correctly. Even though marula oil is moderately comedogenic, it can be a good option for sensitive skin to correct its issues, but it is not great for acne-prone or oily skin. However, if you have normal to dry skin, you can use this oil to reduce the dullness of your skin and give your skin a nice glow by providing a skin barrier. If you are using marula oil, do not incorporate any other oils into your skin, and apply this oil considering all the necessary precautions and methods.
