5 Benefits of Moringa Oil for Skin
There are few skincare ingredients that cater to all skin types – and we suspect you’re already acquainted with those usual suspects (think hyaluronic acid and niacinamide). But we can almost guarantee that there’s one ingredient you’ve been sleeping on: moringa oil.
Moringa oil is a key ingredient in Lancôme’s iconic Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation, helping keep skin moisturised, supple, and radiant.
In this guide, we’ll be exploring five benefits of moringa oil for skin, and why this nutrient-rich oil deserves a home in your beauty kit.
What is moringa oil?
Moringa oil is a lightweight seed oil derived from the Moringa oleifera tree native to the Himalayan mountains. Often dubbed the “miracle tree”, moringa seeds are rich in oil and nutritional compounds, including oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid) and powerful antioxidants such as vitamin E and vitamin C. This composition is what makes moringa oil for skin such an effective cosmetic ingredient.
What does moringa oil do for skin? 5 benefits of moringa oil
Since moringa oil is packed with fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants, it’s highly beneficial for all skin types. Using moringa oil for your face can help reinforce the skin moisture barrier, improve skin tone and radiance, soften rough patches, reduce the depth of fine lines, and even support oil-prone skin types.
Continue reading as we unpack these benefits of moringa oil in detail.
1. Supports the skin moisture barrier
Moringa oil contains high levels of fatty acids (approximately 40%1), especially oleic acid – which accounts for more than 70% of those fatty acids1. Oleic acid is a highly effective emollient, which is a type of moisturising agent that fills gaps between skin cells, forming a protective layer over the skin surface to reinforce the skin moisture barrier and prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
Using emollient-rich ingredients such as moringa oil for skin can be especially beneficial for dry and sensitive skin types that are naturally prone to moisture loss and sensitisation from external skin stressors.
2. Provides antioxidant protection
One of the major benefits of moringa oil lies in its nutrient-dense composition: it’s abundant in antioxidants, specifically, vitamin C and vitamin E. Antioxidants are essential to skin health because they neutralise free radicals that cause oxidative stress – a process that damages skin cells and contributes to premature aging.
UV rays are one of the biggest causes of free radicals in skin, but with high concentrations of vitamin C and vitamin E, moringa oil helps protect the skin from environmental damage and improve skin tone overall.
3. Smooths and softens skin
The wrong foundation for your skin – especially dry skin types – can end up emphasising rough patches or flaking off, cracking, or crumbling throughout the day.
Since it’s a natural hydrator, one of the primary benefits of moringa oil is that it softens dry skin, leaving it smooth and supple. This is what makes moringa oil such an effective foundation ingredient: it prevents your formula from clinging to dry patches so you avoid that dreaded cakey finish.
4. Helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Since moringa oil has powerful hydrating properties, it serves as an efficacious anti-aging ingredient to plump, brighten, and moisturise mature skin. When skin is well-hydrated, it appears smoother, full of bounce, and fine lines and wrinkles are less prominent.
“It can be difficult to find the right foundation for mature skin, since overly heavy or thick matte formulas can settle into fine lines and wrinkles,” explains Lara Srokowski, Lancôme’s Beauty Director. “This is where a lightweight, moringa oil-based formula like Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation stands out. It keeps skin nourished, won’t crease, and dries down with a natural, soft matte finish that doesn’t emphasise textural concerns.”
5. Suitable for oily or blemish-prone skin
Moringa oil essentially mimics your skin’s natural oils without feeling heavy on the skin, which makes it a highly versatile – and compatible – skin-hydrating ingredient.
Moringa oil is non-comedogenic (non-pore-clogging), so it’s well-suited to oily skin types. It also has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help support the challenges of blemish-prone skin. This is one reason why Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation is such a universal foundation formula; with the benefits of moringa oil, it offers seamless, comfortable coverage for all skin types and skin concerns.
The nourishing benefits of moringa oil make it particularly effective in makeup formulas for aging skin. Next, discover our best makeup tips for mature skin.
1https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5187941/