by BR Amelia
Recently, my mindless scrolling of the 'gram offered up a beauty-full learning experience (sidenote... Who knew the 'gram could do that!? Here I was thinking it was there purely for cute pets, pretty scenery and yummy food pics). Aaaaanyway, I was scrolling away, only stopping to admire adorable kittens and the like, and then a skincare ingredient that I'd never heard of before caught my eye - andiroba oil. Naturally, I got my geek on and did a deep dive into this mysterious new (to me) oil.
So is andiroba oil a must have in our skincare routine? And if so, why? Read on...
What is andiroba oil?
Andiroba oil comes from a nut of the andiroba tree, which is found in the Amazon region, as well as Central America and in the Carribean.
What makes andiroba oil special?
Andiroba oil features fatty acids, including linoleic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acid, and is rich in Vitamins A, C and E. It works to hydrate the skin, reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, improve elasticity, promote collagen production, while reducing inflammation and protecting the skin from free radicals.
On the comedogenic scale it's a 2, which means it's less likely to block pores (the scale ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 being less likely and 5 being more likely).
Is andiroba oil for everyone?
Based on my research - I'd say yes. While those who are acne-prone or have sensitive skin should patch test first (because it's better to be safe than sorry), for the majority of us it's an easy oil to add to our regime. Even better, it can also be used on the hair as a conditioning treatment, on the body as a moisturiser, and even used as a first cleanse for the face. A bonus of andiroba oil is that is also said to have insect-repelling properties. We love a multi-tasker!
What products can we find andiroba oil in?
At this point, not many. It seems this oil is just taking off in the mainstream. You can find it in its pure form, but after scouring the internet looking for products incorporating it that we can buy easily in New Zealand, it seems local brand Snowberry is leading the charge with their Star Bright Tone-Perfecting Light Serum.
Anything else we need to know?
Andiroba oil can also be found under the names crab oil or crabwood oil. Crab oil on the face? Not appetising. I can see why skincare brands prefer to use 'andiroba'.
So, have you tried andiroba oil? Is it an oil that sounds like something you'd enjoy? Or do you have another oil that you love using in your skincare regime? Chat below!
Never heard of this before but sounds interesting and would be keen to give it a try