s Marula Oil the Secret to Perfect Skin and Hair?

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By now, you're probably well aware of our obsession with beauty oils (coconut, argan, jojoba, we're lookin' at you). They're great for moisturizing, anti-aging, cleansing, defrizzing—pretty much everything short of bringing peace to the Middle East. Now it's time to meet the new oil on the block: marula.

 Marula oil is made from the fruit of the marula tree, which is native to Africa. And it has a lot of selling points. It's moisturizing, but it won't clog your pores. "It's rich in essential fatty acids that mimic those that exist naturally in the outer layer of the skin," says Joshua Zeichner, an assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. It also contains the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and flavonoids. But the best part? It's a surprisingly nonoily oil: "It's quickly absorbed into the skin without leaving you greasy," says Zeichner. Here, 12 ways to try marula oil for yourself.
 

MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment

This multitasking product can be used on hair and skin—and we love it equally for both. Our curly-haired tester raved about its thick, flyaway-taming consistency. Applied to damp or dry hair, it adds tons of shine and moisture to ragged, sad-looking ends. The lingering fruity-floral scent is just an added benefit. 

 

Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil

The entire Drunk Elephant line includes marula oil (the brand's name comes from the idea that elephants get drunk when they eat marula fruit), but this no-frills oil is our favorite. "Pure marula oil may be especially appropriate for people with sensitive skin," says Zeichner. This one has no added fragrance and made our tester's dry winter skin noticeably softer and dewier after just a few nightly uses—not an easy feat.

 

Acure Marula Oil

This product is a slightly more affordable version of the pure oil (you can buy a 1-ounce bottle for less than $20). To use it most effectively, apply the oil right after washing your face. "Dot the oil all over the area you want to cover, then rub it in, and connect the dots," says Zeichner, who recommends layering other products over it. Because the oil absorbs into skin so well, it helps other products you slather on over it absorb better, too. "If you apply an oil before your anti-aging cream, the oil molecules behave like tiny Trojan horses, tricking the skin into letting active ingredients—like retinol, glycolic acid, and vitamin C—deeper into the skin and closer to the collagen-producing fibroblasts, all without irritating the surface," says David Colbert, a dermatologist in New York City.

 

MarulaOil Rare Oil Replenishing Shampoo & Conditioner

Both products are infused with marula oil, so they're intensely smoothing and moisturizing. But hydrating as they may be, the combo is surprisingly lightweight; our tester with fine hair used them and noted that her hair was shiny but not limp or greasy.

 

Carol's Daughter Marula Oil Softening Serum

Formulated specifically for curly hair, this serum smooths frizz and softens ringlets, leaving them glossy and soft. Our curly-haired tester liked the thin consistency because it allowed her to easily spread the product evenly through her hair.

 

The Body Shop Moisture Foundation SPF 15

Dry-skin-havers, take note: This is one of the most moisturizing foundations we've tried. In addition to marula oil, it includes a blend of silicones that smooth and hydrate skin all day, leaving it dewy and supple. (Though it's probably not enough that you'll want to give up your moisturizer.)

 

African Botanics Marula Detoxifying Salt & Sugar Body Scrub

African Botanics's entire collection includes marula oil, but this scrub is a standout. The combination of Himalayan salt and raw-cane sugar crystals sloughs flaky skin like a boss, but marula and grape-seed oils soothe, moisturize, and protect, so there's zero irritation.

 

Jack Black Epic Moisture MP10 Nourishing Oil

This clear, lightweight formula packs argan oil, grape-seed oil, and yes, marula oil for one of the most moisturizing products imaginable. It's technically meant for guys—but seeing as women also have skin and hair, we'll venture to say that anyone can find a use for this multitakser. It works as a shaving cream substitute, hair serum, and moisturizer, and it has a pleasant, summery scent.

 

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel with Marula Oil

Most oil cleansers are either so thin and watery that they drip through your fingers before you can even get them on your face or so thick and balm-y that you go through several washcloths just to fully remove them. This gel version is the perfect Goldilocks happy medium. It smooths over your dry face easily and then turns to a milky texture once you add warm water and massage. It rinses away cleanly, leaving skin makeup-free and soft. Just right.

 

African Botanics Résurrection Eye Crème

This silky eye cream moisturizes without leaving behind a slick residue, so you can actually use it in the morning without having to worry about your undereye concealer disappearing 20 minutes later. In addition to the moisturizing, fine-line-fighting marula oil, it also contains green-coffee oil (to reduce puffiness) and wildflower honey (to trap moisture).

 

Nexxus Oil Infinite Nourishing Oil

We wouldn't recommend it for superfine hair—unless you're going for the Danny-in-Grease look—but this smoothing serum works wonders on coarse, thick, frizzy hair. The blend of marula, babassu, buriti, sweet-almond, macadamia, and sunflower oils (say that five times fast) tames flyaways, smooths split ends, and detangles knots when applied to towel-dried hair and boosts shine when skimmed over dry, styled hair.

 

Marula Pure Marula Cleansing Lotion

Lotion really is the most accurate descriptor for this facial cleanser: It's creamy and smooth, so it spreads easily over skin, dissolving makeup and leaving skin soft. The faint lavender scent makes it an especially calming addition to a bedtime skin-care routine.

For more on beauty oils:
• The 4 Things You Don't Know About Face Oils
• The 11 Best Coconut Oil Beauty Products
• Here's Exactly Which Beauty Oil You Should Be Using
• 12 Unexpected Beauty Uses for Olive Oil
• 21 Unexpected Beauty Uses for Coconut Oil