Argan Oil vs Avocado Oil: Why We Use Both in One Bottle

People email me this question more than almost any other: argan or avocado, which one should I look for in a massage oil? They want a single winner. I never have one to give them, and after years of mixing oils by hand I've stopped pretending the question has a clean answer.

Argan and avocado are not rivals. They behave differently on the skin, and that difference is exactly why both go into our 300ml blend. Let me walk you through what each one actually does under your hands, and the one thing about argan that most "best oil" articles get backwards.

What argan oil brings

Argan oil is pressed from the kernels of the argan tree, which grows in southwestern Morocco. It's thin, it sinks into skin quickly, and it doesn't leave much of a film behind. The scent is faintly nutty.

That fast absorption is its signature. Rub a drop into the back of your hand and within a minute it's mostly gone, leaving a soft, non-greasy finish. For a daytime body oil, that's lovely. You can get dressed without waiting around.

What avocado oil brings

Avocado oil is pressed from the fruit's flesh, not a seed, which is part of why it comes out richer and heavier. It pours slow. It sits on the skin longer and gives you more to work with. The scent is close to neutral, so it doesn't argue with essential oils.

For massage, that weight is the whole point. You want the oil to stay put while hands move, not vanish after the first stroke.

The thing most articles get backwards

Here's the non-obvious part. Argan's fast absorption, the quality everyone praises, is a problem for massage. A thin oil that disappears in sixty seconds means you're reaching for the bottle again and again, breaking the rhythm of a long stroke. The "premium" feature becomes a nuisance the moment you're actually working across a back.

Avocado's slowness is not a flaw to apologise for. It's the feature. The heavier oil is what gives you that unhurried glide. So when I see argan crowned the "better" massage oil for being light and fast, I think the writer has never given an actual massage with it.

My honest maker's verdict

This is why we use both. Argan alone is too quick off the skin for a proper session. Avocado alone can feel heavy if that's all there is. Blended, argan takes the edge off avocado's weight and avocado gives argan something to hold onto.

I land our mix around two parts avocado to one part argan, then round it out with jojoba and sweet almond. I test every small batch the same way my grandmothers taught me: a few drops on my own forearm, draw a slow line with my thumb, and feel whether the oil drags or glides. If my thumb skips, there's too much argan and the batch goes back. That forearm test has killed more of my trial blends than any spreadsheet ever could.

We finish with lavender and sweet-orange essential oil and a little vitamin E. No synthetic fragrance, vegan, never tested on animals (Thai FDA reg 12-1-6700042374).

How they feel on the skin

| | Argan | Avocado | |---|---|---| | Weight | Light, thin | Rich, heavier | | Absorption | Fast | Slow, stays on top | | Finish | Soft, non-greasy | Cushioned, moisturizing | | Scent | Faintly nutty | Near-neutral | | Best at | Quick daytime oil | Long massage glide |

Neither column is the "good" one. They're just suited to different moments, and a blend lets you stop choosing.

The Thai side of it

I grew up watching my grandmothers mix oils in the kitchen in small jars, never one oil on its own. That habit is baked into how Thai massage works: a base with enough body to carry a long, slow stroke, scented lightly so the room smells of the blend and not the bottle. Avocado gives that base its weight. Argan keeps it from ever feeling thick. The lavender and orange are what you actually notice in the air.

If you want to try it

You can blend your own at home, but if you'd rather skip the trial-and-error, that two-to-one base with jojoba, sweet almond, and a touch of aloe is what's in our bottle.

— May