Cited skincare — every flag names its source, no upsell.
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Argan Oil

Argania Spinosa Kernel OilBarrier

A balanced, fairly light plant oil with vitamin E for dry skin. The 'liquid gold' hype outruns what it does: soften skin.

What it does

It’s a balanced oil with vitamin E that feels lighter than coconut or olive oil and sinks in fairly quickly. It works as a last step for dry skin or as a light oil in a moisturizer. The 'liquid gold' marketing outruns the real effect: softer skin and some antioxidant protection on the surface.

The EU’s ingredient database lists it as an emollient (gives skin a soft, smooth look).European Commission, CosIng (© European Union, CC BY 4.0) · uses put in plain words by Drop ↗

The evidence, graded

emergingCeramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids are three lipids the skin barrier needs. In studies on damaged skin, mostly in mice, putting on one or two of them slowed repair, while equal amounts of all three let it recover normally. Raising any one of the three, up to three times the others, sped repair further. Early tests on damaged human skin looked similar.Man 1996 · Journal of Investigative Dermatology ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Pairs worth knowing

Vitamin E (Tocopherol) · works together ↗Ceramides · works together ↗Squalane · works together ↗Rosehip Seed Oil · works together ↗

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