What Makes Authentic Moroccan Argan Oil so Special and Valuable?
Authentic Moroccan Argan Oil, meaning it originates only from Morocco. Found in the Souss region in Western Morocco, the Argan tree is one of the national treasures for Moroccans. And, of course, the entire cosmetic and skin-care industry also treasures the products of this remarkable tree for all their benefits and good uses.
Part of what makes Argan products, such as the oil and serum, quite appreciated is their potency and scarcity. When you get a super valuable and scarce product, you get yourself a treasure, which is exactly what Argan is all about: (again) a treasure.
So, what makes Moroccan Argan Oil such a big hype in the skin-care and cosmetic industries? And how can you authenticate genuine Argan products from bogus ones? Let’s find out all there is to know about Argan.
What Is Argan?
Scientifically known as Argina Spinosa, the argan tree is endemic to the Souss Valley region in Morocco. The tree grows up to 10 meters and lives up to 200 years. The argana is thorny with a gnarled trunk; the crown is very wide, making it a good tree to lay under when it’s sunny.
However, the most interesting thing about the tree isn’t its shape or the fact that it attracts goats to climb on it; it’s the fruit where the treasure lies, the nut, to be exact.
After the argan fruit is ripe, the farmers make sure goats are as far away from it as possible; because they like it a lot. And they dry it for some time. After the outer layer is dry, the nutcrackers, mainly local women using stones, do their job to extract the inside treasure: the seed.
The argan seeds are the product of a long process that includes intensive labor. The next process in the line is to extract oil from the seeds.
What Is the Secret of Argan Oil?
Moroccan Argan Oil is the extract of the Argan seeds. A traditional hand mill grinds the seeds until the oil is extracted from the solid material. Nowadays, they use machines because they’re more efficient and produce less waste. Machines also produce a little better more than what can be produced traditionally, which is quite significant knowing how scarce argan is.
Argan oil is mainly comprised of fatty acids and other nutrients like vitamin E.
What Is the Secret of Argan Oil?
The market cap of Moroccan Argan Oil is forecasted to be $507.2 million by 2027. The secret behind argan oil’s recent popularity is its effectiveness and high quality. Argan oil is one of the most expensive edible oils at $300 per liter, and most cosmetic products that use genuine argan oil are more expensive than their counterparts that use other oils.
The secret of argan oil is its efficacy at delivering the positive effects it promises. Like any good product, the secret to success is providing value. With argan oil, you get full satisfaction with every penny you pay for it. As long as you get the authentic oil, you’ll be happy 9 times out of 10 for what you paid for; that’s the secret of Argan oil.
What Is Argan Oil Used for?
While most Westerners and other people from all over the world associate Argan oil with its use in cosmetics, Moroccans actually consider it one of the staples of the local cuisine, especially in the Souss region.
So, Argan Oil is mainly used for culinary and cosmetic purposes.
Culinary
In Morocco, people appreciate dipping bread in argan oil and olive oil. You often find a little place of argan oil accompanying a traditional breakfast for bread dipping. Argan oil is also used for cooking meals like couscous.
However, when it comes to fancy food, argan oil is one of the key ingredients that make up amlou. Genuine amlou is a brown paste similar to peanut butter, only a lot richer. Amlou is made by grinding locally baked almonds (beldi) with argan oil until they make a thick paste. The thick paste is mixed with honey. Amlou is a great accompaniment that you can add to pancakes and other bakeries.
Cosmetic
Traditionally, Moroccan women have used argan oil for hair styling and skin moisturizing. Since argan is scarce, not all Moroccan women can get it. Argan was a delicacy that southern women from the Souss region enjoyed because they had access.
The cosmetic use of argan oil became popular worldwide in the early 2000s. Many cosmetic companies realized they could make great products. Argan became popular among Westerners as one of the oils with amazing cosmetic properties.
Nowadays, many face creams, soaps, moisturizers, and shampoos are based on argan oil and can be found in the markets.
What Are the Benefits of Moroccan Argan Oil?
Moroccan Argan oil is highly cherished for its tremendous benefits. Aside from the obvious benefits relating to its anti-aging properties, argan oil is actually super healthy in many other areas.
Here are 7 well-known health benefits of Argan Oil.
1. Argan Oil Contains Essential Nutrients
Argan oil is primarily composed of fatty acids and various other nutrients.
Here’s a list of the percentage of fatty acids in Argan Oil:
The fatty acid content of Argan Oil is renowned for the positive impact it has on the circulatory system and the heart’s health.
Additionally, Argan Oil is a good source of vitamin E, which is quite essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails, which justifies its use for cosmetics.
Argan Oil is a good natural source of many nutrients we need on a daily basis. Consuming argan oil, or similar natural products for that matter, is actually better than taking synthetic supplements.
2. Argan Oil is a Good Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Agent
The nutrients of Argan Oil have lots of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. If you’re suffering from inflammation, especially on the surface of your body, you might want to consider applying argan oil to relieve the agitation.
The antioxidant properties of argan oil explain why many people consider it a good anti-aging agent.
So, if you’re looking to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, argan oil is a good starting point.
3. Argan Oil is Good for Boosting Your Heart’s Health
As stated before, the fatty acid content of argan oil, namely the omega-6 fatty acids, is good for promoting a good circulatory system. Your heart’s health might benefit tremendously by using argan oil regularly. You might want to consider buying a supply of amlou next time you visit Morocco and incorporate it into your diet.
4. Argan Oil Has Benefits for Diabetes sufferers
A few animal studies show that argan oil actually reduces blood sugar and insulin resistance, which helps prevent diabetes. Though human studies are lacking, it won’t hurt to try argan oil for a couple of months while having a restricted diet. There’s a good chance your diabetes might become less of a serious problem.
5. Argan Oil Has Anticancer Effects
A few test-tube studies demonstrated that argan oil actually has some cancer-fighting effects.
If you’re already on a diet that helps prevent cancer, adding argan oil to it might slightly boost the positive effects.
6. Argan Oil has Anti-aging Properties
As stated before, argan oil is actually renowned for its amazing positive effects on the skin. Argan oil is capable of making the skin look a lot more lively and young. While it might not be able to reverse all the signs of aging, you’ll get to look a few years younger with the help of regular use of argan oil. The moisturizing effect of argan oil is all you need to bring life to your face.
7. Argan Oil Treats Some Skin Conditions and wounds
Argan oil has been traditionally used in Morocco to treat minor skin infections and wounds. The anti-inflammatory compounds of argan oil benefits skin tissue. So, you can apply some argan oil to a pimple or acne to treat it.
One of the best things about using argan oil to treat minor skin issues is that it helps the skin’s surface heal with no scars.
Many women also use argan oil to treat stretch marks after giving birth. While there no scientific studies that prove argan oil is effective in that regard, you might as well just try it since it’s good for the skin.
How to Use Argan Oil?
Since the Moroccan argan oil is becoming increasingly more popular, it’s easier to find it and order it online. As long as you can get your hands on the genuine stuff, it’s quite simple to add it to your healthiness and beauty routine.
Argan Oil For Your Skin
Moroccan Argan oil is often used in its pure form or as a serum, but you can also find it included in cosmetic products such as lotions and skin creams as the main ingredient.
You can apply argan oil directly on your skin. It’s advised to apply a really small amount at first to see if you don’t experience any adverse effects. While it’s actually really safe, everyone’s body is slightly different. You might have some allergic reaction to argan oil that you don’t know of. So, it’s better to start small when testing the waters for the first time.
Argan Oil For Hair
If you have dry hair, you can apply argan oil directly to it to improve moisture and reduce breakage and frizz. You might want to use it when your hair is still damp after taking a shower.
Argan oil is also included in many shampoos and conditioners. So, you might want to go with such products.
Only apply argan oil to the tips of your hair to avoid too much greasiness.
Argan Oil For Cooking
If you’re into the idea of going full with argan oil, you might want to use it in the kitchen from time to time. In this case, you should go for 100% pure argan oil.
In Moroccan cuisine, argan oil accompanies bread and is used in preparing couscous. It’s also a good ingredient to add to your salad.
How to Authenticate genuine Argan Products?
The Color
Authentic argan oil has a dull yellow color and is somewhat murky, but it can also be clear. If the oil is too golden, it indicates that the argan oil has been mixed with some other oil variety. Some bad actors do such practices because it saves them money.
The Smell
Argan oil smells like argan; it’s hard to describe it if you’ve never smelled genuine argan before, you’ll not be able to know what argan smells like. It’s like strawberries; you’ll have to smell fresh strawberries to know what they smell like.
However, that doesn’t mean we can’t describe what it smells like, up to a certain extent. First of all, genuine argan oil doesn’t have a strong smell. In fact, you shouldn’t notice any smell when you first open the bottle. You’ll have to have a strong sense of smell to get anything.
If your argan oil smells nutty, it’s not for cosmetic use. Argan oil made for culinary reasons uses roasted seeds, which is what gives the oil that nutty smell.
The Quantity
It takes up to 30 kilograms (66 lbs) of argan seeds to produce 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) of argan oil. The fact that you need tremendous amounts of argan to produce a little bit of oil explains why it’s scarce and valuable.
The Texture and Absorption
Genuine argan oil is smooth and can be absorbed easily by the skin. Although it’s greasy, it’s not as greasy as other types of oil. When you apply authentic argan oil to your skin, it shouldn’t take long before your skin absorbs it.
Price and Packaging
Expect to pay up to $20 for a little bottle of 150ml of argan oil. It can be even more than that now that the prices of everything are skyrocketing. You should be suspicious if you get a cheaper deal because it’s probably adulterated argan oil.
The packaging should let you know if your oil is for cosmetic or culinary reasons. You should look for a stamp of authenticity that you can verify and probably the contact of the source.
Also, the bottle should either be dark or made from metal. Any real argan oil manufacturer knows that argan oil has to be kept in a dark container for preservation. In addition to that, the real argan oil manufacturer would never put such a treasure in a plastic bottle that might contaminate it.
Clear bottles that display golden oil should be regarded with suspicion.
Where To Buy Genuine Argan Oil?
Since we’re a travel agency, we invite you to pack your things and head to the airport as soon as you have a vacation; the destination should be the exotic wonderland of Morocco.
Without being too cheesy about it, it’s an invitation to travel with us. You can take one of our tours to the south where Argan is produced. We can take you right into argan oil corporations in the rural areas around Agadir, Essaouira, and Marrakech where it’s produced. You’ll take a special tour to show you the process of making argan oil from start to end. And of course, you can take your supply with you at the most reasonable price from the source directly.
We can plan a tour just for you over a Zoom Call.
Alternatively, you can order the oil online from a trusted source that can prove its trustworthiness. A simple Google search coupled with watching a bunch of YouTube reviews will show where to get the good stuff.
We hope you learned one thing or two about argan oil. If you’re interested in learning more about Morocco and everything Moroccan, make sure to check out our Guía de Marruecos.
contacto if you need anything!
