First of all, let me say…I love Juiceland.
‘What the candy-coated expletive does that have to do with the latest oil trends, April?’, you’re no doubt saying from behind the screen, but I’m GETTING there, okay. There’s a natural build to these things.
Anyway, Juiceland, for those that don’t have access to the chain and/or have more sense than I do, is a company that makes freshly squeezed and cold pressed juices and smoothies which can come with whatever new superfood/supposed miracle-cure edible added to them for a little extra. And one of those extras recently caught my eye: Moringa powder.
Now I’d seen the word Moringa before, for example in our latest Editors’ Choice offerings, we got some samples of True Moringa Refresh: a zippy blend of peppermint and moringa oil.
What does moringa do for your hair?
The True Moringa Refresh didn’t win my favor purely based on the fact that yours truly doesn’t like smelling like a candy cane, BUT I can say this about the oil–it absorbs with a QUICKNESS. It’s light, like almond oil, but while I’ve found that almond oil by itself still tends to ‘sit’ on my skin and scalp for a little while, my terminally thirsty pores AND hair drank the moringa up just like I inhaled that tangy, delicious smoothie.
It absorbs with a QUICKNESS. It’s light, like almond oil, but while I’ve found that almond oil by itself still tends to ‘sit’ on my skin and scalp for a little while, my terminally thirsty pores AND hair drank the moringa up
Speaking of…
The fact that moringa leaf powder made the add-ons menu at the ol’ JL got me curious. I usually roll my eyes at ‘superfood’ claims, because the term is typically used to mean ‘better for you than a McRib’, and isn’t bound by any science or governing bodies. I enjoyed the fact that it added an extra sourness to my mango-clementine mix, and normally, I’d have been content to leave it at that. But looking it up, Moringa actually IS a pretty amazing plant! Just 3.5 ounces of the leaves contain over half your daily requirement of A, B (1 and 6″> and C vitamins, which genuinely amazed me. And you can quite literally use the leaves of the plant for effective handwashing, as the phytochemicals therein have anti-septic properties, and the leftover seed ‘cake’ that you get after pressing the seeds for oil can actually be used to purify water! Let’s see kale do THAT.
So what’s the catch?
Hmmm, well. Because Moringa is mostly farmed in India, and other warm places like Ghana, Nica
ragua, and Hawai’i, and because the oil is taken from the seed of the plant rather than any kind of leaf infusion…it’s expensive. Turns out it’s a little more difficult to squeeze anything of significant quantities out of something the size of your thumbnail. Unless you have a hookup (or manage to catch NaturallyCurly shop sale“> you might be looking at around $20-25 per ounce here, but I have to say, I think it’s worth it!
But don’t worry, you can use it in tiny quantities, like mixing a couple drops in with your coconut oil as a DIY natural cleanser.
Granted, I in no way will be using the oil as a body oil, until I find that perfect rich old man that likes chunky fake-goth girls— and honestly, at the current price point, it won’t be a hair/scalp oil staple once my free bottle’s exhausted. As far as my cute face is concerned though, treating with moringa oil really hits the right spots! I have premature lines from my intermittent insomnia and my love of making simple things into giant problems, and using the oil at night HAS been helping smooth those out, so hey, it’s whatever works.
Final verdict: Try it, your skin and scalp will thank you.
…but maybe you drop hints to anyone that loves you to buy it for a special occasion first.
You can also find moringa as an ingredient in plenty of your favorite products.
- The Mane Choice Tropical Moringa Daily Restorative Spray
- DevaCurl Wave Maker Touchable Texture Whip
- Carol’s Daughter Sacred Tiare Fortifying Conditioner
- Honey Baby Naturals Mama’s Magic Moringa & Honey Body & Bath Oil
- Kreyol Essence Haitian Moringa Oil Face & Hair Oil (pictured above”>
- Nefertiti’s Secrets Complete Hydration Conditioner
Are you feeling the moringa vibes, curlies? Let us know in the comments section–how does this oil fall on your cost-benefit analysis scale?
