Face Oil Face-Off - Kora Noni Glow vs. Trader Joes Marula Oil
Face oil has become an absolute must for me, between extremely harsh winters here in the Northeast corridor of the US, airplane travel, and dry indoor air. And frankly, I have not looked back - I can’t see myself ever going back to a cream or lotion.
I’ll try just about anything but I only have one stipulation - anything that goes on my skin MUST be clean and EWG-approved. Environmental Working Group has an extensive log of skincare ratings at their “Skindeep” site, and I don’t purchase anything without checking on there first. EWG breaks down beauty products and rates them for safety from concerns like hormone disruptors, cancer-causing carcinogens, environmental harm, allergens, and more yucky - and dangerous - stuff that you wouldn’t want on your skin or your conscience. They rate on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “safe” and 10 being “Avoid at all costs”, and there is actually even a score that is better than “1” which is EWG-Verified.
I should mention some skeptics worry about the integrity of EWG’S verification system. The EWG verification process is costly and includes multiple lab tests, and the final step is a licensing contract which can cost thousands per year to use the EWG Verification on products that meet criteria. I personally do not find there to be a whole lot of concern there (the organization does such a thorough job analyzing all products, verified or not, and that research, plus maintaining such a big internet data-base cannot be cheap), but I could see how it would behoove EWG to verify more products if they are getting payment from brands to use their logo. But, I digress.
Let’s get into the reviews, shall we?
My skincare lineup (ft. Trader Joe’s Marula Facial Oil and my Kora Organics * empties * , sadly - they were that good!)
Kora Noni Glow
I started with this KORA NONI GLOW FACE OIL MINI from Sephora - at $30, it was a safer bet for a trial. I was instantly hooked and soon bought a full size version from the Kora website, and it is a favorite part of my skincare ritual. It is pretty light, sweet smelling, and the bottle is chic. Plus, it invokes a memory of Miranda Kerr’s gorgeous face, which is a plus - maybe I, too, can look like her with enough use :)
Ingredients:
Top ingredients:
-Noni Fruit: Is packed with antioxidants and more than 100 vitamins and minerals.
-Rosehip Oil: Soothes skin with an abundance of antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
-Sea Buckthorn: Contains vitamins C and E, omega-7 fatty acids, and carotenoids.
All ingredients:
Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil *, Tocopherol, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Seed Oil*, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower/Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/leaf/stem Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Morinda Citrifolia (Noni) Fruit Extract *, Citronellol**, Geraniol**, Linalool**, Benzyl Benzoate**.
Where it wins: Kora’s Noni Glow is luxurious and smells great. The bottle is much nicer, and easier to open.
Where it loses: It is way more expensive but equally as effective.
What does EWG Skindeep say? Kora is EWG verified, which is TOP honors.
Where to buy: Sephora is a great bet with free, fast shipping and multiple sizes. Kora’s site offers 10-15% off to new customers. I also found the Noni Glow on the QVC website, which may be worth trying as there’s a roughly 30% discount on a 50ml bottle at the time of publishing.
Sephora - Mini - $30/10ml
Sephora - Full Size - $78/30
You could also purchase Noni Glow Face Oil from the Kora website, which has 15% off for first time buyers. There’s sometimes free shipping, so this is def a solid bet for a discount if you can get free shipping, otherwise Sephora just about always has free shipping.
Trader Joe Marula Oil
This was kind of an impulse buy as I had run out of Kora and was deciding if I wanted to drop over $100 for the largest size bottle. TJ has two different face oils, but I opted for this one because I loved that it was good for anti-aging and had lots of natural antioxidants. Like Kora’s Noni Glow, the bottle comes with a dropper. This is so inexpensive that I don’t feel guilty using a lot of it. The feel is thick, almost like corn syrup, but not sticky. In fact, it goes on very velvety and absorbs well. Fun fact: In researching, I found out that this is a dupe for the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Face Oil, which comes in at $72 for a similar size!
Ingredients: Just one - Marula Oil.
From the Trader Joe’s website:
“Trader Joe’s Marula Facial Oil is produced from the first (virgin) cold-pressing of marula seeds, harvested only when the fruit has fallen to the ground.”
Where it wins: The price point and the velvety feel.
Where it loses: The bottle is honestly ugly and it looks cheap. I really do not enjoy looking at it, and part of any beauty routine is aesthetics, not just of oneself but of your “shelfie” too. I don’t feel like I’m “treating myself” when I use it.
What does EWG Skindeep say? EWG gives Trader Joe’s Marula Facial Oil a 1 rating. Great!
Where to buy: One place and one place only: Trader Joe’s. $6.99/25ml
The Face-Off:
Key differences: At $6.99, Trader Joe’s Marula Oil costs less than 10% of the price of Kora Noni Glow!! The feel is very different too. The Marula oil is much thicker than Noni Glow, and it goes on velvety. Also, the Trader Joes Marula oil is just that - it’s ONE ingredient, Manula oil. I do love that Noni Glow is a blend of skin-soothing and sweet-smelling oils, most of which are organic. It definitely feels more luxurious.
So, which would I pick, if money was no object? If both companies offered to give me a free lifetime supply but I can only choose one, which one would I accept? That is extremely tough to answer objectively!!! I think TJ might have an edge because, as I mentioned, it is so cheap that I use so much of it with each application - I get more of a “glass skin” look, although it absorbs pretty quickly, so I’m not shiny by the time I head out the door. It would be extremely tough to choose, but I think I might choose the Trader Joes Marula Oil because I love how velvety it is, and pour it into the Kora Noni Glow bottle.
