Moringa Oil - What Are The Benefits For Your Skin?

Looking for all-natural ways to look after the health and wellness of your skin? Take a serious look at moringa oil - an incredibly nutritious, vitamin-rich oil that's great for skin amongst many other benefits.

This oil is a fatty acid-rich oil extracted from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree, a small but powerful medicinal tree native to India and the Himalayas.

Various parts of the tree, including its leaves, stems, roots, bark, seeds, and flowers, are used across the world for nutritional and medicinal purposes. But the oil derived from the seeds is used particularly in skin care to aid in healing, regeneration, and health.

Find out more about this powerful oil and its potential to help your skin.

Why is Moringa oil good for your skin?

Moringa seeds are rich in oil, and this oil contains a range of nutritional compounds that are excellent for your skin. These compounds include proteins, sterols, mono-unsaturated fats, and tocopherols, or various forms of vitamin E that work in synergy to repair the skin.

The oil is made using either solvent extraction or cold pressing processes, with the latter yielding a final product with the most nutrients and antioxidants still intact.

Green Virgin Products’ Moringa oil is 100% pure and cold-pressed to ensure that you have the best quality moringa oil on the market.

Here is what you need to know about using Moringa oil for the health of your skin and its many benefits when added to your daily skincare regimen.

Is Moringa oil good for dark spots?

Moringa oil contains high concentrations of vitamin C, with sources noting that it contains as much as seven times more vitamin C than oranges. This vitamin is widely used in the skincare industry to improve skin tone and brighten hyperpigmentation. Additionally, Moringa oil can help to address and lessen the appearance of dark spots with regular use.

It’s essential that you choose a high-quality, cold-pressed Moringa oil for this purpose. Solvent extraction and heat processes can denature the vitamin C content of the oil and reduce its efficacy in treating dark spots.

Remember to use a strong sun protection product as well, as UV damage is one of the primary causes of skin hyperpigmentation and dark spots.

Is Moringa oil good for skin?

According to Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Clinical Instructor of Dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University Moringa oil contains up to 40% mono-unsaturated fatty acids, around 70% of which is oleic acid.

King notes that oleic acid is excellent for supporting and maintaining a healthy skin barrier, helping to seal in hydration and protect your skin from environmental pollution. It’s an effective moisturizer that can be used on dry, combination, oily, and sensitive skin types, and is even suitable for many people with acne-prone skin.

Plus, this plant-based oil is powerfully anti-inflammatory.

A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology notes that Moringa seed oil is an effective treatment for inflammatory skin diseases, particularly those that include keratinocyte hyperproliferation.

The researchers concluded that Moringa oil is recommended as a topical anti-inflammatory treatment for skin diseases like eczema, psoriasis, and keratosis pilaris, among others characterized by overgrowth of dry, scaly skin.

Can I use Moringa oil on my face?

Moringa is a soothing natural oil that can be used regularly on the face and body. When used as a serum or moisturizer, Moringa oil helps to seal moisture into the skin, creates a protective barrier against environmental factors, and may even help to balance the skin’s natural oil production for a more matte, even-toned complexion.

Moringa oil can be used as is on your face or added to your favorite skincare products to provide an extra boost of hydration. Many skincare products and hair care products also contain this popular oil, so be sure to look out for it on ingredient labels.

Will Moringa oil clog pores?

Moringa oil has a comedogenicity rating of 3-4, which means that it poses a moderate risk to those who are prone to breakouts and clogged pores. This is primarily due to the oil’s palmitic and stearic acid content – both of which are associated with the formation of acne in spot-prone people.

If you are not prone to breakouts, you'll likely be able to use Moringa oil safely to protect your skin from dryness and ageing while benefiting from its full spectrum of antioxidants.

Many people who suffer from acne also find that Moringa oil benefits their skins thanks to its strong antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

If you find that Moringa oil causes you to break out, we recommend taking Moringa powder or Moringa capsules instead to support the health of your skin from the inside out.

What does Moringa Oil contain?

Moringa oil, as mentioned above, is made up of around 40% mono-unsaturated fatty acids. It also contains 5-13% palmitic acid, 2-6% stearic acid, 50-78% oleic acid, 1-10% linoleic acid, and 3-10% behenic acid, according to data from the Holistic Health Herbalist.

Plus, Moringa oil contains beta-sitosterol, a potent antioxidant, along with other bioactive compounds that include catechins, ferulic acid, zeatin, and quercetin. These compounds may be beneficial for soothing acne breakouts and inflammatory skin conditions, while other compounds like vitamins A, C and zinc support skin regeneration and healthy collagen production.

What are the key benefits of Moringa oil?

Moringa oil offers a host of science-backed benefits for your skin. These are the key benefits you should know about!

Hydrates skin and works great at sealing in moisture

Moringa oil’s high concentration of oleic acid and tocopherols makes it an excellent moisturizer for sealing moisture into the skin and preventing moisture loss. This oil is a particular favorite among those in harsh climates, as well as people who suffer from dry, flaky, dehydrated skin in winter.

The oil can be used underneath your favorite moisturizer as a natural serum, or used alone, depending on your skin’s individual needs. Remember to apply it before you apply your sun protection products to ensure that you are adequately protected from UV rays during the day.

Helps to reduce stretch marks and scarring

Moringa is a rich source of vitamins A and C, both of which support essential collagen production in the skin and throughout the body. Collagen formation is a crucial aspect of the healing of stretch marks and scars. Research has shown that applying Moringa oil or a paste to the skin may stabilize collagen and promote its production, helping to accelerate wound healing and lessen the appearance of scars and young stretch marks.

Believe it or not, it helps to prevent oily skin

In many cases, oily skin is caused by an overproduction of sebum as the skin tries to compensate for a lack of hydration or persistent irritation due to harsh climates. By using Moringa oil to keep your skin moisturized and nourished, you may be able to balance its oil production and achieve a more even, matte complexion.

Moringa’s oleic acid content also helps to strengthen the skin’s acid mantle, aiding in keeping it healthy, glowing, and well-balanced.

The perfect anti-aging oil

A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition explored Moringa’s anti-aging benefits in the context of skincare. The study found that the miracle tree is rich in compounds like anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, and anti-hyaluronidase, which inhibit the breakdown of collagen, elastase, and hyaluronic acid – all of which are essential components for healthy, youthful-looking skin.

The loss of collagen and elastase in the epidermis is associated with all major signs of skin aging, including sagging, wrinkling, and the development of fine lines, and pitted hypertrophic scars.

The researchers in the above study concluded that Moringa is a promising natural source of anti-aging agents in skincare, making it effective in combating skin aging, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Additionally, Moringa oil’s high vitamin C content helps to support collagen formation in the skin, thereby aiding in preventing the onset of the signs of aging, while its spectrum of antioxidants fights free radicals caused by UV damage.

Moringa oil is great for dry and chapped lips

Cold-pressed Moringa oil is an excellent lip moisturizer thanks to its rich concentration of essential fatty acids like oleic and linoleic acids. These compounds form a naturally humectant barrier on the lips, helping to attract moisture to the skin while preventing moisture in the deeper dermal layers from evaporating and causing further dryness.

Our favorite ways to use Moringa oil as a lip oil is to find a quality lip balm containing pure Moringa oil, or to add our Green Virgin Products Moringa oil to a small roller bottle and use it as and when you require extra hydration. You can pair the oil with other natural moisturizers like shea butter or coconut oil to create an effective homemade lip balm as well.

Helps reduce spot break-outs and actively fights acne

While Moringa oil does have a moderate comedogenicity rating, it also contains potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help to actively fight acne breakouts while reducing scarring. This means that some people may experience breakouts when using Moringa oil topically, but many others may actually see their acne improve with regular use.

Many studies have documented Moringa’s antibacterial and antimicrobial effects, including this review, which found that all parts of the plant exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-parasitic properties. Moringa oil may not only be able to treat acne breakouts, but also heal inflamed and irritated skin with its combination of linoleic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, and zinc.

Great at clearing up athlete's foot

A recent 2017 study published in Frontiers in Microbiology found that a chitin-binding protein present in Moringa seeds damages the membranes of Candida fungal cells, thereby helping to control their replication and spread.

The plant oil displays strong antifungal properties against a range of fungal species, including tinea pedis, the fungus that causes athlete’s foot. Using Moringa oil as a treatment may help to clear up athlete’s foot infections while reducing the inflammation and discomfort associated with this common condition.

Speeds up healing of cuts and grazes

Research published in Phytomedicine Plus has found that the oil from Moringa seeds can accelerate the healing of both chronic wounds and minor cuts and grazes. Researchers applied the oil to the wounds of both healthy and diabetic mice and noticed faster repair in both groups.

They reported that the oil improved the collagen content of the mice’s skin in both healthy and diabetic wounds. The study suggested that oleic acid was the primary compound responsible for this accelerated wound healing.

Ideal for soothing and removing eczema

Recent research has explored the effects of Moringa seed oil on skin inflammation and hyper-proliferation; two conditions characteristic of eczema and psoriasis. The study found that Moringa seed extract, and its constituent oleic acid, is an effective treatment for inflammatory skin diseases and acute dermal inflammation, without exhibiting the same negative side effects as other topical treatments like Dexamethasone.

Oleic acid not only helps to soothe and reduce the inflammation and over-production of skin cells seen in eczema cases but also provides relief by moisturizing the skin and helping to keep its barrier intact to prevent further irritation and infection.

Bonus: Add salt or Moringa powder to make a nutrient-rich scrub

Moringa powder is the purest, most potent form of Moringa supplement available on the market today, offering the tree’s full range of nutrients and antioxidants. We recommend combining Moringa oil with our pure Moringa powder to make a nutrient-rich, soothing scrub for your face and body.

The Moringa powder will gently buff away dead skin cells and impart an abundance of nutrients as it works, while the Moringa oil provides essential hydration. You can even create your own scrub using Moringa oil mixed with salt or sugar crystals, which are just as effective at removing dead skin cells and promoting circulation.

Invest in pure Moringa oil for your skin

Moringa oil has an impressively wide range of applications for skin care and promoting optimal skin health and function.

We have 100% pure, cold pressed Moringa oil that contains all of the essential nutrients and antioxidants your skin needs to look its best!