You're Probably Overspending on Marula Oil

Organic Marula oil at 1/3 of the cost of the trendy version? Yes, please!

Hello, Gorgeous!

This time around, let’s talk about Marula oil. Love it? Have no idea of what it is or how it’s pronounced? No worries. Here’s the quick and dirty on all things Marula.

Marula Oil 101

1. Marula oil is derived from the kernels at the center of the marula fruit, which grows on trees in Southern Africa.

2. Marula oil is so incredibly lightweight that it feels closest to sesame oil (not the edible kind!). It has a lovely dry oil feel, absorbs almost immediately and leaves the tiniest sheen on skin for hours.

3. It’s pronounced Muh-ROO-luh.

4. While marula is a relatively new kid on the skin treatment block, it’s become incredibly popular for its multi-use benefits.

5. Marula oil is packed with amino and fatty acids, antioxidants, Omegas 6 and 9, and vitamins E and C.

6. It smells nice, too! Marula oil has a very light scent reminiscent of green plants.

7. Marula is often described as adding an immediate glow to one’s skin.

8. Despite being an oil, marula is lightweight enough not to clog pores and can be used on acne-prone skin.

9. Love your marula? Use it everywhere. Use it on your face in place of a serum or as a base for your moisturizer—or instead of your moisturizer. Use it on elbows, cuticles, or split ends. If your skin is prone to ashiness, massage affected areas lightly with a drop or two of Marula oil before showering. Let the steam do its work.

10. It’s antimicrobial, which could protect your skin from forming blackheads. Marula oil is one of the few moisturizing products I’ll use generously on my T-zone.

11. You’re probably overpaying for it. One of the most popular brands of Marula oil is Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil. The packaging is cute, and it comes with the Drunk Elephant imprimatur. It also retails for $69 for one ounce on Sephora. While I’m not into the dupe culture (despite having covered it for years), I think you’d be just as happy with Sky Organics Organic Virgin Marula Oil, which retails for $19.99 for an ounce on skyorganics.com.

It’s no secret that I love a good splurge, but I’m even happier when I find a product I love with the same ingredients that costs 1/3 of the price of the schmancy version!

So, do you love Marula oil? Are you curious to try it? Any thoughts on the huge price difference between the Drunk Elephant and Sky Organics version? Let’s discuss in the comment section!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋