Most skincare brands pick a name and then go looking for a story. We did it the other way around.
Apricoty is named after apricot kernel oil, because apricot kernel oil is the ingredient we kept coming back to. It’s in nearly everything we make, and some of our soaps carry whole apricots right in the bar. The fruit is wonderful on its own, but the real work happens in the oil pressed from the kernels inside the pit. If you’ve ever wondered why a small-batch skincare maker in Altadena, California would build an entire company around one botanical oil, this is the answer.
What apricot kernel oil actually is
Apricot kernel oil is a light, golden carrier oil pressed from the seed inside an apricot pit. It’s cold-pressed, plant-based, and mild enough for sensitive skin, which is part of why it shows up in everything from facial serums to lip balms to shaving cream.
What sets it apart from heavier oils is how quickly skin takes it in. Apricot kernel oil closely resembles the sebum your own body produces, so it sinks in instead of sitting on the surface. You get the nourishment without the greasy film, and that single property is why it works as well in a morning facial serum as it does in a nighttime body lotion.
Five reasons your skin loves apricot oil
1. Brightening
Apricot kernel oil is naturally high in vitamin E, which gives skin a visible lift in radiance and helps it hold onto its elasticity. Over time that means a complexion that looks more awake and less dull.
2. Moisturizing
Vitamin A is the star here. It leaves skin soft, smooth, and comfortably nourished rather than temporarily coated. This is the benefit most people notice first, usually within a few days of switching from a synthetic moisturizer.
3. Strengthening
Linoleic acid helps reinforce your skin’s natural barrier, the layer that keeps moisture in and irritants out. A stronger barrier means less reactivity, less redness, and better tolerance for weather, wind, and hard water.
4. Softening
Because apricot oil so closely resembles the oils our bodies make on their own, skin drinks it in easily. No waiting around for absorption, and no residue on your sheets.
5. Calming acne
Apricot kernel oil is anti-inflammatory by nature, so it helps soothe irritation and calm breakouts. It sounds counterintuitive to put an oil on acne-prone skin, but a lightweight, non-comedogenic oil often does more good than a stripping cleanser that pushes your skin to overproduce sebum in response.
What’s inside every drop
Apricot kernel oil is dense with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and plant acids. Here’s the full picture of what goes to work on your skin.
Vitamins: A, C, E and K, plus B-5, B-6 and B-17, along with folates, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamin.
Minerals: Beta-carotene, potassium, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, zinc, calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium.
Acids: Citric, malic, oleic, quinic, succinic, ascorbic, phenolic, chlorogenic, gallic, ferulic, caffeic, amino, 4-aminobenzoic, protocatechuic, salicylic, and p-coumaric.
Flavonols: Quercetin, glycoside rutin, resveratrol, and vanillin.
Apricot oil is also recognized for its anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-aging properties.
More than skin deep
The benefits of the apricot reach well past skincare. Apricots and apricot oil have been associated with gut health, bone strength, heart health, hair health, nail health, a metabolism boost, and eye health. It’s one of those rare ingredients that earns its place in the kitchen and the bathroom cabinet alike, which is exactly the kind of wholeness we’re after. What you put on your body should be as wholesome as what you put in it.
The heritage behind the name
There’s a second reason the name matters to us, and it’s older than any ingredient list.
The apricot tree traces its roots back to Armenia, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. Apricots are so central to Armenian identity that they’re a national symbol, and the fruit’s botanical name, Prunus armeniaca, carries that history in it. From ancient herbal medicine to modern skincare, cultures across the world have recognized the apricot’s healing value.
Our founder, Kevork Douzadjian, grew up in Lebanon surrounded by citrus trees, sunbaked earth, and the quiet magic of watching nature unfold. He sold backyard lemons to local grocers at seven, and at thirteen he found a soap-making kit in a bookstore and made his first bar alongside his sister. That spark never left him. Naming the company Apricoty was a way of putting both halves of the story in one word: an ingredient we love, and a heritage we carry.
How we use apricot oil at Apricoty
Reading about an oil is one thing, but the format matters just as much as the ingredient.
Apricot kernel oil runs through our full collection. You’ll find it in our handmade soaps, facial serums, body lotion, lip balms, solid deodorants, scrubs, and shaving cream. Everything is made in small batches from plant-based, cruelty-free ingredients, including essential oils, butters, and beeswax from Kevork’s own hives. There are no synthetics, no added fragrances, no dyes, no parabens, and no sulfates.
We also grow a good deal of what goes in the jar. In a backyard micro-farm in Altadena, Kevork cultivates calendula, rosemary, mint, and lavender organically, then infuses the oils by hand so the botanicals hold their potency. Every ingredient is printed right on the label, so there are never any surprises.
In January 2025, the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena and took our production space with it. Neighbors, customers, and friends helped us begin again, and we’re rebuilding the way we started: by hand, in small batches, one bar at a time.
Where to start
If you’re new to apricot kernel oil, start where the oil is most concentrated and your skin is most responsive.
- Dry or dull skin: a facial serum, applied to damp skin at night
- Acne-prone skin: a gentle handmade soap first, then a light serum
- Rough hands and feet: a body lotion or a salt and sugar scrub
- Chapped lips: a lip balm you can keep in a pocket
- Sensitive skin that reacts to everything: an unscented bar of soap, and go from there
Once you try it, the synthetic stuff starts to feel like a compromise. Nothing beats natural, and especially not apricots.
Shop our apricot-based collection or read our full story.
The information in this article is provided for general educational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. Apricoty products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
