Argan oil
for your face

Discover argan oil for your face

Read Time

8 min

In short:

Argan Oil for Face
Argan Oil Properties
What is Argan Oil used for?
Is Argan Oil Good for Your Face?
Argan Oil Skin Benefits
Argan Oil for Acne
Argan Oil Dry Skin Care
How to Use Argan Oil for Your Face: 5 Easy Steps
Is Argan Oil Good for Your Face?
Argan Oil Benefits
Facts Overview
Skincare Ingredients

Argan oil
for your face

What is argan oil? Is it recommended for your face? Here’s why this oil is so loved and effective, and how it can easily fit into your own skincare routine.

Close-up of a smiling woman applying a dab of white cream to her cheek with her fingertips

What is argan oil?

Moroccan women have been using argan oil for its benefits for skin and hair for generations. But what exactly is argan oil, and what makes it so effective for you?

Argan oil is produced from the nuts found on argan trees, which are native to Morocco. These nuts contain between one and three oil-rich argan kernels, which are then extracted by cracking and roasting the nuts to produce what we know as argan oil.

Argan oil is light in texture and easily penetrates your skin. But despite its lightweight consistency, it’s a heavyweight in what it can do for your skin. Rich in nourishing nutrients, including vitamin E, fatty acids, squalene, and antioxidants, argan oil can protect, soothe and help treat a whole host of skin conditions.

Argan oil for your face

Argan oil
properties

Argan oil is full of fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamin E, which protect you against free radicals and other external factors. Argan oil also supports your skin’s natural regenerative capacity, helping it feel supple and resilient.

Key argan oil properties include:

1
Polyphenols, otherwise known as flavonoids, are powerful antioxidants and help give the oil its unique flavour.

2
Carotenes – your body converts these into vitamin A, which supports healthy skin, eyes, and boosts your immune system.

3
Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthens your body’s immune system.

4
Omega fatty acids help to support your skin’s natural oil barrier, so they help to keep your skin looking hydrated, plumper and younger-looking.

5
Melatonin and plant sterols – natural antioxidants that help to protect your skin.

Argan oil for your face

What is
argan oil used for

Argan oil’s bonanza of hardworking health benefits makes it incredibly versatile for you. It can be used for a whole host of issues and skin conditions. While it’s widely used, and most commonly known for maintaining healthy hair and skin, it also has anti-inflammatory and free radical–fighting properties, among other things, that can help treat irritated skin.

Here are a few examples of what argan oil for your face and body is used for:

Make-up remover
Hair treatment
Protecting skin from sun damage
As a moisturiser
Treating cuticles (rub a small amount of oil into your cuticles to keep them from snagging)
Treating acne
Anti-ageing care
A treatment for stretch marks
A body lotion
A skin brightener
To encourage hair growth (phenols found in argan oil stimulate the scalp)
Fading dark spots
Drizzling over food – its sweet, nutty flavour is perfect on a wide variety of foods
Treating minor wounds and burns

Argan oil for your face

Is argan oil
good for your face?

Argan oil for your face has become such a phenomenon in skincare and haircare because it contains so many beneficial qualities – it truly provides a wide array of benefits when you use it. There’s a reason why it’s been dubbed “nature’s liquid gold”, and it’s not just due to its colour in its purest form. But you might still wonder: is argan oil actually good for your face?

Is argan oil good for your face?

Argan oil
SKIN BENEFITS:

1
Boosts elasticity

2
Hydrates skin to help prevent dry and flaky areas

3
Prevents and reduces stretch marks: the skin regeneration and repair qualities of argan oil help to reduce inflammation, increase skin elasticity and minimise the appearance and texture of stretch marks.

4
Prevents & minimises sun spots: argan oil contains a physical filter against UV light, which helps to prevent sun damage, and its skin-repairing qualities, including vitamin E, help to fade sun spots – resulting in happy, glowing skin (note: it should not be used as a substitute for SPF).

5
Controls oily skin: argan oil’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties can help treat oily skin and acne. Argan oil helps regulate sebum production so your skin is hydrated and won’t overproduce oil – this is especially useful if you already have oily skin.

1
Reduces breakouts: reducing sebum production helps to prevent clogged pores that can lead to breakouts.

2
Helps other products absorb into your skin: argan oil is ultra-hydrating and aids exfoliation, meaning there isn’t a build-up of dead skin cells for skincare products to act through and they can be more easily absorbed into your skin.

3
Prevents wrinkles: due to its highly nourishing and sun-protective qualities, skin ageing caused by dry skin and sun damage is reduced. Argan oil’s high vitamin E content helps strengthen your skin’s barrier, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

4
Protects hair from heat damage: argan oil’s abundance of vitamin E and fatty acids can help protect your hair and scalp from damage from styling tools such as straighteners and hairdryers. Rub a small amount into wet or dry hair before use.

Close-up of a smiling woman's face with a swatch of white cream applied to her cheek

Is argan oil good for your face?

Argan oil
FOR ACNE

One amazing argan oil skin benefit is how helpful it can be if you struggle with acne, as it helps to reduce acne scarring. It does this by supporting natural skin regeneration, hydration and elasticity. Many store-bought acne remedies contain ingredients that strip your skin of its natural oils, causing dry skin to take their place – and then sebum production can increase dramatically to compensate. This often leads to clogged pores, more breakouts and further scarring.

This is where argan oil for acne comes into play. Argan oil soothes and reduces the inflammation that comes along with acne breakouts, which helps to control sebum production and reduce further clogged pores, as well as promoting gentle self-exfoliation – allowing your pores to breathe. In terms of helping to reduce existing acne scarring, the vitamin E it contains supports natural skin repair and antioxidants that work to help repair and heal damaged skin. What more could you want?

Is argan oil good for your face?

Argan oil dry skin care

Argan oil is extremely moisturising and therefore particularly suitable if you’ve got dry skin. You can use it on your face, but also on your hands and cuticles, for example. It absorbs deeply into your skin without leaving a greasy film.

Argan oil’s omega fatty acids, vitamin E and linoleic acids all work together to hydrate your skin and soften dry patches.

You can either use it daily on your face, or gently rub argan oil, or an argan oil–based cream, into dry areas such as your elbows or around your eyes.

Argan oil for face application

How to use argan oil for your face:
5 EASY STEPS

1
Pat your face dry (don’t rub, as this can irritate your skin) and leave your skin slightly damp, but not wet.

2
Apply 2–3 drops of argan oil to your face and gently massage it in using circular motions, making sure you spread it evenly around your face.

3
Leave it to absorb into your skin for 5 minutes (the longer you can leave it, the better).

4
Repeat this process once a day and watch your skin flourish.

5
Wash your face with cold water using a gentle face wash to make sure your face is clean before you apply anything else to it.

Prefer a cream or lotion to an oil, but still want to enjoy argan oil’s benefits?

Argan oil isn’t just limited to oil-based products – it’s also commonly used in day creams, night creams and body lotions, so it’s great for just about any skincare need you might have.

An effective way to reap the rewards of argan oil is to build it into your daily morning routine in the form of a day cream. This way, the antioxidant properties of argan oil can help protect your skin from external aggressors throughout the day.

If you’re not sure which day cream to choose, explore the NIVEA Q10 Anti-Wrinkle 60+ Replenishing Day Cream with SPF 15, made with pure Q10 and organic argan oil for up to 24 hours of intense hydration and care. As well as keeping your skin hydrated, this specially formulated cream helps to firm your skin and reduce and prevent wrinkles – for glowing, younger-looking skin. The formula also contains SPF 15 to help protect your skin from damaging UV rays that cause premature skin ageing. After just 4 weeks, skin feels plumper and deep wrinkles are visibly minimised – all thanks to the power of argan oil and Q10.

Argan oil
SKIN BENEFITS

There’s nothing quite like it. Here are some tips to help you integrate argan oil into your daily beauty routine in a way that really works for you.

Argan oil skin benefits

Enjoy a relaxing argan oil massage

Thanks to its mild, non-greasy texture, argan oil is one of the best oils to use for a massage. Its caring properties support skin repair as it softens and hydrates. So dim the lights, light a candle and indulge in a massage – your skin will thank you for the moment of calm.

Argan oil skin benefits

Try a hydrating argan oil hair mask

A leave-in hair mask can be just what damaged hair needs. Simply massage the oil into your hair and scalp before wrapping it in a towel. Leave it for a few hours or overnight to give the oil a chance to work its magic. Then rinse it out, shampoo your locks and enjoy softer, sleeker hair. Alternatively, rub a small amount onto the driest tips of your hair before you go to bed and wash it out in the morning for super soft hair.

Argan oil skin benefits

Use it as a body moisturiser

Rich and comforting, argan oil can deliver a moisturising hit from head to toe. NIVEA Oil in Lotion Rose & Argan Oil is a fast-absorbing lotion that delivers all the benefits of argan oil and soothing rose without leaving a greasy residue. Slather it on after a shower or bath on damp skin – as it sinks in so easily you can use it morning and night without worrying it will get onto your clothes. You’ll be left with glowing, nourished skin.

Facts Overview

ARGAN OIL
for Your Face

1
It’s one of the rarest oils in the world.

2
Moroccans often use it to massage their babies, as locals are convinced of its health properties.

3
In 1999, the Moroccan argan forest was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4
Goats really enjoy eating the fruity flesh of the argan fruit and often climb the trees to reach it.

Skincare
ingredients

Sometimes you know which ingredients you want to use, but not which products actually contain them. Sometimes it’s easier to browse products based on the ingredients. Click here to browse NIVEA products based on the skincare ingredients they contain.