The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil for skin with dark spots
Argan OilLow
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for skin with dark spots; the products alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers general moisturizing benefits for your normal skin due to the emollient action of Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, but lacks targeted ingredients to address your pigmentation concerns.
- While Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil provides excellent hydration and smoothing for your normal skin, it does not offer a broader range of ingredients for optimal results.
People Say
★4.1Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers frequently praise this oil for its intense hydration, effectively relieving dry, flaky skin and taming frizzy hair by locking in moisture. Many also appreciate its great value and multi-purpose use. A very high number of reviews mention a strong, unpleasant scent, often compared to manure or a farmyard, which some find off-putting. A moderate number of users find the oil greasy or slow to absorb, and a low number report breakouts or issues with the packaging.
Highlights
Unpleasant scent Mostly Mentioned
- “smells like manure”
- “scent of goat cheese”
- “smells like a farmyard”
- “could not get past the smell”
Deep hydration Often Mentioned
- “relieved my dry flaky patches”
- “skin feels incredibly moisturized”
- “locks in moisture overnight”
- “cured my winter dryness”
Great value Often Mentioned
- “unbeatable price for organic oil”
- “affordable compared to other brands”
- “huge bottle for the price”
- “great quality for few dollars”
Softens & tames hair Often Mentioned
- “makes hair soft and shiny”
- “tames frizz without weighing down”
- “great for dry ends”
- “keeps curly hair tamed”
Multi-purpose use Sometimes Noted
- “use it on face and hair”
- “mixes well with moisturizer”
- “great for cuticles and body”
- “added to body lotion”
Greasy/Slow absorption Sometimes Noted
- “sits on top of skin”
- “too heavy for day use”
- “left a greasy film”
- “takes forever to sink in”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused cystic acne”
- “too rich for acne-prone skin”
- “broke me out immediately”
Messy packaging Rarely Noted
- “bottle leaks easily”
- “dropper is a bit messy”
- “oil gets everywhere”
- “cap doesn't seal perfectly”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, theordinary.com, influenster.com, makeup.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
Why is The Ordinary Moroccan Argan Oil a weak match for skin with dark spots?
This oil is a weak match because it offers general moisturizing benefits for normal skin but lacks targeted ingredients to address your pigmentation concerns. Skin with dark spots needs products that contain effective brightening ingredients along with moisturizing and soothing components to meet your goals without irritation.
Which ingredients make this oil a poor fit for skin with dark spots?
This oil is a weak match for your dark spots because it lacks targeted brightening ingredients to address pigmentation concerns. A product for this skin needs effective brightening ingredients, soothing components, and vitamins that help even out skin tone while providing moisture.
What does Argan Oil do for skin with dark spots?
Argan oil may help fade dark spots because it acts as an inhibitor of the processes that create skin pigment. Using this oil also supports overall skin health and helps keep skin feeling soft and smooth.
Where does this oil go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This oil fits into your evening moisturizing step to help keep your skin soft and smooth. A product for dark spots needs extra ingredients like brightening actives and antioxidants to fade uneven pigment.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this oil with retinol by applying it after your retinol to help lock in moisture and keep your skin soft. A product of this type for skin with dark spots needs added brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide to help fade discoloration.
How often should I use this oil?
You can use this oil daily to help keep your skin soft and smooth, though it lacks the brightening ingredients needed to fade dark spots. To properly address dark spots, this skin type needs targeted brightening treatments and vitamin C.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This oil is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your skin, though reviewers occasionally mention feeling greasy. To help fade dark spots, a product of this type needs brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide alongside the moisturizing oils.
What the research says
A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025Topical application of an argan oil NLC-based hydrogel formulation increased skin hydration in healthy volunteers over a one-month period through a synergistic effect of NLC occlusion and argan oil hydration.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2014Incorporating allantoin into argan oil enriched liposomes improved its accumulation in the dermis (~8.7μg/cm(2)) and permeation through the skin (~33μg/cm(2)) compared to conventional liposomes, water dispersion, and a commercial gel.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2016
Why other products fit skin with dark spots better
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Topical oxidized glutathione significantly decreases the skin melanin index and improves moisture content, smoothness, wrinkle formation, and elasticity compared to placebo in healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021
Ingredients
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.