ARGAN OIL – MORROCAN GOLD – IS IT REALLY WORTH GOLD TO OUR SKIN AND HAIR?

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT, EVEN THE HAIRDRESSERS, HERE IS MY TWO CENTS WORTH ON ARGAN OIL, THE MUCH CELEBRATED CARRIER OIL MADE EXCLUSIVELY IN MOROCCO.

AN EXCEPTIONAL THERAPEUTIC OIL

That it is an exceptional therapeutic oil with much to offer as both a beauty and a healthcare product is not in dispute. However, not all of its therapeutic claims have been fully explained.

THE REMARKABLE PROPERTIES OF PURE ARGAN OIL

Pure argan oil really does have a remarkable constitution of essential fatty acids, omegas, strong antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties (anti-ageing factors), and a very high vitamin and nutrient content.

The Argan oil we have at Absolute Essential is a virgin cold-pressed oil that comes from a co-operative in Morocco (more about that below).

I have read that pure Argan oil produced in the winter may have a slightly stronger scent than a summer batch but I can tell you that the beautiful silky sample I have here has only a hint of scent that is raw and nutty, (if you are expecting a delicious roasted aroma, that would be Argan cooking oil not the therapeutic-grade untoasted Argan oil.

There is also a third cosmetic Argan oil, produced mostly in Europe from exported seeds by solvent extraction that is used in shampoos and such, (again not the therapeutic version.)

The main issue with Argan oil that you are likely to encounter is that there is a lot of hype and some unscrupulous vendors happy to sell you something that is not exactly what it ought to be. This I am discovering the more I look around to see who is selling Argan oil.

HOW TO IDENTIFY CERTIFIED ORGANIC PURE ARGAN OIL

Having gone direct to a source of certified organic, pure Argan oil, I can only tell you how it should be: with a very slight scent and golden clear with a silky fine texture (a little sediment can be expected with the completely hand-processed oil). But according to some investigations, there are gloss-marketed products claiming all the therapeutic benefits of pure Argan oil that offer an inferior oil, slimy to the touch with a strong roasted scent.

It’s worth knowing I guess, but for me it is simply confirmation that the future of authentic beauty care and health care lies in going to source for pure natural ingredients.

Who needs all that hype and packaging anyways?

I am excited to start blending with my newest acquisition and in fact I have already decided to create a hair oil using Argan and Jojoba – the great perk of my work is the testing I get to do on myself and my hair is pretty fantastic right now I can tell you (news of the hair blend coming soon).

Oh, and back to the co-operative production of Argan oil.

This part makes me very happy. The history of Argan oil production began with Moroccan women creating it by hand as a staple in their diet and then as a beauty product.

Today with the growing international interest, co-operatives have been formed that empower the marginalized women of southern Morocco with sustainable employment based on sustainable ecological practice.

The elaborate hand-process of old (some 20-30 hours of work for a litre of oil) has been upgraded with careful mechanisation at certain stages (principally an electric screw-press that almost doubles extraction yield.) And while there are still some producers who work entirely with the traditional methods and boast a purer, colder process, this gentle modernisation still produces a cold oil with the nutritional value intact – as well as liberating women from harder toil and lesser remuneration.

You can buy our pure certified organic Argan oil and read more on the powerful remedies of Argan oil.

Stay tuned for some other newcomers to the Absolute Essential range.

 

Therapeutic plant oils must be 100% pure. At Absolute Essential we use certified organic or wild grown (sustainable) plants to produce our oils and all extraction processes are strictly controlled to assure the best quality.