Argan Oil for Mature Skin: What the Menopause Studies Found

Argan oil is a good, gentle choice for mature skin, and it is one of the few plant oils that has been tested specifically in women after menopause. Two small 60-day studies found that nightly argan oil improved measures of skin elasticity and hydration. They're encouraging, but they're also small and short, so the best way to use argan oil is as one part of a routine that also includes a moisturizer and daily sunscreen.

How menopause changes your skin

Estrogen helps maintain collagen, elastin and the rest of the supportive network in the dermis. As estrogen falls around menopause, those components decline faster. Dermatologists estimate that skin loses about 30% of its collagen in the first five years of menopause, then about 2% a year after that.³⁴ The result is skin that is thinner, drier and less elastic, with a weaker barrier that loses moisture more easily and can become more reactive.⁴

In practice, many women notice the same handful of changes:

• Dryness that a once-reliable moisturizer no longer fixes
• Thinner, crepey texture, especially around the eyes, neck, chest and backs of the hands
• Loss of firmness along the jaw and cheeks
• New sensitivity: products that were fine before now sting or cause redness³

An oil can't reverse hormonal changes. What it can do is support the outer layer of skin that has become drier and more fragile, which is exactly what the argan oil studies set out to measure.

What the argan oil menopause studies actually found

Both studies came from the same research team in Morocco and used the same group of volunteers, so it helps to understand the design before the results.

The study design

Researchers recruited 60 healthy postmenopausal women whose menopause was confirmed by hormone tests, and who weren't using hormone therapy, moisturizers or anti-aging products. After a two-week run-in period eating butter, the women were randomly split into two groups for 60 days: one group swapped the butter for 25 mL a day of culinary argan oil, the other for the same amount of olive oil. Both groups also applied about 240 mg of cosmetic argan oil, roughly 10 drops, to the inside of the left forearm every night. The right forearm received nothing, and no other products were allowed on either arm.¹

That set-up allowed two comparisons: argan oil eaten versus olive oil eaten (using the untreated right arm), and argan oil applied versus not applied (left arm versus right arm).

Results: skin elasticity

Elasticity was measured with a suction device (a Cutometer) that records how skin stretches and springs back, and a second device that times a sound wave across the skin. After 60 days, the forearm that received topical argan oil showed significant improvements in all three elasticity measures in both groups, including the women eating olive oil. The women eating argan oil also improved on their untreated arm, while the olive oil group did not.¹

Results: skin hydration

The companion paper measured transepidermal water loss (TEWL), how much water escapes through the skin, and the water content of the outer skin layer. Topical argan oil reduced water loss and increased skin water content, and the dietary argan oil group also saw improvements. No side effects were reported.²

What these studies can't tell us

We think the honest reading matters more than the headline, so here are the limits:

• They're small and short. Sixty women for 60 days. The authors themselves list the short duration as a limitation.¹²
• There was no placebo oil on the skin. The oiled arm was compared with a bare arm, so we can't say whether argan oil did better than any other good moisturizer would.
• They measured the forearm, not the face. Facial skin is thinner and more exposed to sun, so results may differ.
• Instrument changes aren't the same as visible change. The studies didn't assess wrinkles, sagging or how skin looked.
• The explanations are theories. The authors suggest argan oil's vitamin E and phenolic compounds could stand in for some of estrogen's protective role. That is a hypothesis, not something these studies tested.

So, fair conclusion: argan oil is a well-tolerated moisturizing oil with modest, promising evidence in menopausal skin. For a broader look at what is and isn't proven, see our evidence review of argan oil for skin.

Argan oil supports skin that has become drier and more fragile; sunscreen protects the collagen you still have.

Argan oil for crepey skin

Crepey skin, the fine, papery wrinkling on the neck, chest, inner arms and around the eyes, reflects thinner skin with less collagen and elastin underneath. Hydration makes a real visible difference to that texture: well-moisturized skin looks smoother and reflects light more evenly. Argan oil's effect on water loss makes it a reasonable choice for these areas.² It won't rebuild lost collagen, though, so think of it as softening rather than firming. For lines on the face specifically, our guide to argan oil for wrinkles looks at the evidence in more detail.

Why sunscreen matters more than any oil

If you do only one thing for aging skin, make it daily sunscreen. In a randomized trial of 903 adults in Australia, people assigned to use broad-spectrum sunscreen every day showed no detectable increase in skin aging over four and a half years, and their skin aged 24% less than in the group who used sunscreen only when they chose to.⁵ The American Academy of Dermatology recommends broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher on all uncovered skin every day, including in winter.³

Argan oil is not a sunscreen. It can sit underneath sunscreen in the morning, but it doesn't replace it.

A simple argan oil routine for mature skin

Dermatologists suggest a mild cleanser instead of soap, a moisturizer with humectants like hyaluronic acid or glycerin, and fragrance-free products if your skin has become more sensitive.³ Argan oil fits neatly into that framework.

Morning

1. Rinse or wash with a gentle, non-soap cleanser.
2. Apply a hydrating serum or moisturizer while skin is slightly damp.
3. Press in two or three drops of argan oil, including the neck and chest.
4. Wait a few minutes, then apply broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher.

Evening

1. Cleanse gently.
2. Apply any active product your dermatologist recommends, such as a retinoid. If you use retinol, our guide to argan oil with retinol explains how to pair them.
3. Apply your moisturizer, then press two or three drops of argan oil on top as the last step.

Not sure whether the oil goes before or after cream? We cover layering in detail in our guide to using argan oil as a moisturizer, and our everyday argan oil for face routine walks through application step by step.

Hands, neck and body

The studies tested the forearm, so the arms, hands and décolletage are a natural place to start. After a bath or shower, smooth five or six drops over damp skin. A drop on the backs of the hands at night is an easy habit.

Tips for sensitive, thinning skin

• Be gentle. Pat oil in rather than rubbing; thin skin bruises and tears more easily.
• Keep it simple. Choose a single-ingredient, fragrance-free oil. Menopausal skin can become more reactive.³
• Patch test first. Try the oil on a small area of the inner arm for several days before using it on your face.
• Check before exfoliating. The AAD advises talking to a dermatologist before trying exfoliation or microdermabrasion on thinning skin.³
• Get new or changing spots checked. Age spots and skin cancers can look alike, so let a dermatologist examine anything new.³

What to look for in an argan oil

The studies used certified cosmetic argan oil for the skin. Cosmetic argan oil is cold-pressed from unroasted kernels and is naturally rich in vitamin E, mostly in the form of gamma-tocopherol, along with oleic and linoleic acid.⁶ Look for a single ingredient, Argania spinosa kernel oil, with no added fragrance.

Our 100% organic argan oil is USDA-certified organic, cold-pressed and unroasted, with nothing added. It comes in a glass dropper bottle, so it's easy to measure the two or three drops a face needs.

Frequently asked questions

Does argan oil tighten mature skin?

Not in the way a cosmetic procedure does. In one 60-day study, argan oil applied nightly to the forearm improved instrument measures of skin elasticity in postmenopausal women, but the study didn't assess visible sagging or the face.

Can argan oil help crepey skin?

It can make thin, crepey skin look smoother and feel softer by improving hydration, which is a real cosmetic benefit. It can't rebuild lost collagen, so expect a softer look rather than firmer skin.

Should I take argan oil by mouth for my skin?

The menopause studies tested about 25 mL a day of culinary argan oil as part of the diet. That is a meaningful amount of fat and calories, and the evidence is limited, so talk with your doctor before changing your diet for skin reasons.

Is argan oil better than a retinoid for aging skin?

They do different jobs. Dermatologists commonly suggest retinoids for lines and firmness, while argan oil is a gentle moisturizing oil. Many people use both, applying the oil after the retinoid to offset dryness.

Sources

1. Boucetta KQ, Charrouf Z, Aguenaou H, Derouiche A, Bensouda Y. The effect of dietary and/or cosmetic argan oil on postmenopausal skin elasticity. Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:339-349. Link
2. Boucetta KQ, Charrouf Z, Derouiche A, Rahali Y, Bensouda Y. Skin hydration in postmenopausal women: argan oil benefit with oral and/or topical use. Prz Menopauzalny. 2014;13(5):280-288. Link
3. American Academy of Dermatology. Caring for your skin in menopause. Link
4. Lephart ED, Draelos ZD. Overview of aging, skin health, estrogen, menopause and HRT. Life (Basel). 2026;16(3):401. Link
5. Hughes MC, Williams GM, Baker P, Green AC. Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158(11):781-790. Link
6. Gharby S, Charrouf Z. Argan oil: chemical composition, extraction process, and quality control. Front Nutr. 2022;8:804587. Link