Argan Oil For Sunburns: Benefits & How To Apply It Correctly

Let’s circle back to the TikTok tip: In the video, the user slathers on argan oil and lets it sit on the skin while she sleeps. Come morning, her once inflamed, red face appears completely calm—almost like the burn healed overnight. 

Sounds easy, right? But according to Bowe, the trick isn’t as simple as the 30-second TikTok may have you believe: First, you’ll want to be pretty selective about the type of argan oil you slip on. “The one she’s using actually has fragrance in it, and that can be sensitizing,” Bowe says. “I would prefer if you were going to do this hack, use 100% argan oil instead.” (Here’s a great option from the aptly named, 100% Pure.) 

You should also know that argan oil does not work on fresh burns (see: hot, raw, angry skin). The oil is an occlusive, which means it can trap all that heat in your skin and actually make the sunburn worse. As Bowe clarifies in the comments, you should “try to avoid all oils or anything heavy [or] greasy until [the] burn cools down to the touch.” Once the burn cools completely (and perhaps starts to peel), that’s when argan makes a great remedy.