What is Argan Oil and Why Use it

Already in the 11th century, the Phoenicians were aware of Argan Oil and its effects. Around the same time, scientific articles were written about the effects of Argan Oil and the production process. Due to its scarcity and healing properties Argan Oil is also called “liquid gold”.

 For several years, the demand for argan oil has grown enormously. Not only the demand for information on the oil itself, but also the product “Argan Oil”. Beauty salons, hairdressers, nail stylists, businesses and consumers. All of them are looking for information about Argan Oil and where they can get the best deals.
When one hears the name Argan Oil, this is generally directly linked to beautiful and healthy hair, but is that everything what it does for you or are there other things you should know about Argan Oil? Yes, it is true that it does wonders for your hair and that you after a few times using don’t want anything else, but Argan Oil does more than just your hair. So the question is:

What is Moroccan Argan Oil ?

Argania SpinosaArgan Oil, also known as Moroccan argan oil, is a very rare type of oil that is being produced from the nut at the core of the Argan fruit. The Argan fruit is a product of the Argan tree, also known as “Argania Spinosa”, which grows in the southwest of Morocco. The Argan fruit is eaten by many animals, mostly goates. The fruit is not edible for humans.

The Argan tree used to cover a large area of North Africa, but now can be found only in the southwest of Morocco and a small part of Algeria. Because of its deep rooting the Argan tree helps to prevent soil erosion. According to UNESCO the Argan tree is an endangered species. This is mainly because of the advancing desert drought and the fact that there are only around 15 million trees left. The Argan tree can live on average 150 years. The logging of the tree for construction, or fuel is no longer the case. Local population, UNESCO and the Moroccan government all try to protect the tree from extinction.

Argan NutsSince Argan Oil can only be made on a very small scale it is a very unique and rare oil. In addition, this Moroccan argan oil is also very expensive, because the harvesting and processing from nut to oil, whether it is for consumption, or for cosmetic use, has to be done manually to get the best of the Argan nuts. The process to make Argan Oil for cosmetic use takes much longer and is more labor intensive than it is to make Argan Oil for consumption.

The process to make Argan Oil for cosmetic use is different than it is for consumption. When processing Argan Oil for cosmetic use, the Argan nut is squeezed in its raw form. And often further purified of smell and taste in a laboratory. When creating Argan Oil for consumption the Argan nut is first roasted before it is squeezed. This results in a creamy oil with a strong, but pleasant smell. Now it can be used on salads, for cooking and baking.

Why Use it?

Even though the benefits of Argan Oil are well known to the Moroccan people, the rest of the world have only recently started to learn these benefits. The demand for Argan Oil has grown tremendously over the last years, and keeps on growing. More and more people from the USA, UK, Europe and Asia are learning the benefits of Argan Oil and this is the cause of the increased demand. This is also the reason why the Argan Oil products are so expensive.

The thing that makes Argan Oil so interesting is its unique composition and the fact that this oil can be used for both cosmetic and culinary uses. Research has shown that this oil has several unique qualities, lowering cholesterol and stimulating the circulation of blood are among these qualities. Argan Oil has also been reported to have therapeutic effect and can even increase the immune system.