Josie Maran Cosmetics 100% Pure Argan Oil

Most oils, in fact most skincare full stop breaks me out eventually, but the two times I've used Argan oil for extended periods it has calmed my skin down completely. Hydration is pretty good although not as potent as an actual crème moisturizer and yet it's not oily - any Argan oil on the surface of my face has more or less vanished in half an hour or so of application. Coming from someone who used to have excessively oily skin when using this, this is quite unbelievable!

The very first time I tried it was straight after a reaction to Clinique's DDMG many years back and by accident as I didn't expect I could get away with using this on my face but lo and behold it was the only thing available to me at that moment that was pure, fragrance free and natural. I cautiously applied a couple of drops to my flaky forehead on a night and checked the mirror first thing in the morning. What a surprise! No bumps, no increase in flakiness and my skin felt less tight. I then thought "what the hell" and used a few more drops that morning. I did this every AM and PM. Each passing day my skin became restored more and more to its former condition - clear, flake free and breakout free. I eventually stopped using it only because my skin was 'reset' and I was itching to try some new products again (nothing new there!).

I have just one gripe with Josie Maran's version and that is the price...$48 for 1.7 fl oz is very steep for Argan oil as this is all that's in the bottle. You can get it for a third of the price at least, also cold-pressed and organic. If it had anything added I could understand but it is literally 100% Argan oil. So is the bottle at my local organic food store and it contains double the amount for less than half the price. As I do like JM's bottle and dropper I think once I run out I'll just refill it rather than purchase another.

Simplistic, but a good safety net product for me whenever I need to get my skin back to its normal self. Also perfect for my hair (a couple of drops) daily and on cuticles. A very versatile product.


Selena x


~ My HG list ~

(As I've sampled many 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, I thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective. I love constantly trying out new stuff - usually sample sizes via e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora)


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: 'Nuxe' - Reve De Miel Lip Balm
3. Pigmentation + Anti-Ageing Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Paula's Choice' - Skin Balancing Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley' - Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes' - Rejoice Light Day Cream
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

Really wanted to like this, but unfortunately it made my skin go crazy and broke me out :(
I'm going to use the rest as a hair mask, so it's not a total waste.

This is my dessert island product ,I have many products all of them high end and I love and use them all , however if I had to choose only one in that dessert island it would be this Argan Oil , I buy it in the 6 0z. when is available , I use it alone , mixed with my moisturizer , mixed with my foundation , I use a few drops when I am bleaching my hair and on my hair , this is the Holy Grail of oils I gave a bottle to a friend of mine , she is the Facialist for Guelain and she loved it , it just melts in your skin. Is not oily at all ,you can snap your fingers right after you use it .

I thought this wouldn't break me out but it really did & for days after only 1 use. I had, had very clear skin for 2 weeks & hadn't used anything different but this. I'm returning it.

I am on my fifth large bottle of this and I also give it as gifts to my family and friends. I have been using it for years, and this oil is the only thing that keeps my non-hormonal melasma under control. I stopped using it once and realized the melasma was beginning to darken again so I know with 100% certainty it is this product that helps. To be clear, it did not completely eradicate the patches, but it did lighten them significantly. I use the oil as a last step in my evening routine EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I do not miss a single evening and have a small bottle I take with me when I travel. I have very dry but very healthy skin and it absolutely drinks up moisture. I use this in my bath, on my elbows, cuticles, and wounds and blemishes. I also use it as a carrier with essential oils. This oil is a staple in my home. I actually think most of this line is great and credit it with saving my skin after a terrible reaction to retinol.

I use this semi regularly on my hair (once a month or so) and occasionally on my face and body before bed. It's a nice all over oil that moisturizes without causing breakouts and seems to help my dry hair. Nice to have something I can use all over without worrying about my face breaking out from it. Would repurchase.

i will preface this by saying i haven't tried this exact product, but makeupalley doesn't have a page for just plain ol argan oil so i'll just review it here.
also, i should add that you can get josie's same overpriced product for like 12 dollars on amazon. from different brands of course, but argan oil is argan oil.

i use argan oil on my face after applying my moisturizer and it definitely gives me the boost that i need to overcome winter flakes. my nose tends to do a lot of weird shedding no matter how much i moisturize it during the winter but i've found this oil really helps to prevent it. the best way to use this, in my opinion, is to slather it on at night time after your facial moisturizer and let your pillow absorb the excess overnight so you wake up looking awesome.
if you opt to use it during the daytime instead, it will look really oily initially (no duh) but after an hour or two will mostly sink into your skin. it definitely does this sinking in better than a lot of other oils.

all in all, i think argan oil is definitely the greatest facial oil there is. there is nothing that will provide the same amount of moisture with the same low comedogenocity.

I have tried both the regular Argan oil and the light argan oil. It absorbs pretty quickly. I have acne prone skin, and this has never been an issue. I prefer to use the regular formulation at night, and the light formulation in the morning, under my makeup. It's nice that it has no chemicals. It's 100% argan oil. I got it on QVC for a better price than Sephora. :)

I have dry skin, and at times regular moisturizers don't cut it. I also happen to be eczema prone so, keeping my skin moisturized is crucial. I had previously used the Argan Milk, which I like but wanted something with a bit more oomph. I primarily use this on my face, as it's a bit heavy for my fine hair. The Pure Argan Oil does not absorb as readily as the Argan Milk, but it's a good product for dry skin, or just a general night time skincare routine. It's available in two sizes, I just liked the option because it allowed me to buy a smaller size to try, without shelling out for the full size. I do occasionally use this on my cuticles, and it works great, but I feel so frivolous using a pricey product on my cuticles. I like the glass bottle with the pipette, it makes it easy to dispense the product and keep it sanitary. My skin like this a lot, I've already repurchased, I found this to be neither to heavy or too light.

My skin looked awful after using this. Extremely oily and greasy. I now use it as a mix in with my foundation and no issues