Marula Oil

A natural history

The marula tree grows across the woodlands and savannas of southern and eastern Africa, and its golden fruit is one of the most loved in the bush. Elephants travel for it, along with giraffes and rhinos, which is how the tree earned the nickname elephant plum. People prize it too, fermenting the fruit into a traditional beer and, more recently, into the cream liqueur Amarula, whose label carries an elephant.

Inside the fruit sits a hard nut, and inside that a kernel rich in oil. For generations communities across the region, and the women who traditionally do the harvesting and pressing, have used that oil as both food and a skin balm against a dry, sun beaten climate. The marula is held in such regard that it is legally protected in South Africa and woven into local ceremony.

What it does for your skin

Marula kernel oil is unusually rich in oleic acid, often around two thirds or more of its fats, with antioxidant vitamin E on board.^[1] That high monounsaturated, low polyunsaturated profile, similar to olive oil, gives marula notable stability and a soft, cushioning feel, and analyses confirm its tocopherol and polyphenol antioxidants.^[2] In a formula it is a nourishing, antioxidant rich oil that helps dry skin look supple and comfortable.

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