One of the biggest beauty game-changers of the past 10 years" Learning that oil-based products don?t, in fact, make our skin more oily. But with this newfound love for facial oils (and pretty much all things oil-based) has come a growing array of options: coconut, argan, sea buckthorn, noni, monoi, marula?it seems a new wonder oil is rolled out just about every month, each with more touted skinfood superpowers than the last. The longer that list becomes, and the more exotic the oil, the harder it gets to suss out which are actually worth the hype.
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One of the buzzier oils as of late: moringa oil, taken from the seeds of the moringa tree (also known as the horseradish tree, ben oil tree and drumstick tree). The plant has long been used for its multitude of medicinal properties (which include antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant). More recently, research has shown that moringa seed extract works as an antimicrobial against a number of bacterial and fungal species and to help reduce oxidative damage linked to aging. Further study has found that cream made with moringa leaf extract helped to improve skin volume, texture and smoothness. Not a bad bet, if you ask us. With findings like these, it was only a matter of time before skin and hair care brands started to incorporate its oil into products in order to help boost moisture, reduce the signs of aging, and even ward off zits. But...