Green Drink Reviews

Argan Oil: Exotic Ingredient from Morocco

April 13th, 2010

by Edna Soua
These days, the health and beauty industries are constantly looking for exotic ingredients from remote regions of the world…a super berry from Brazil, healing mushrooms from China, and now…a rare oil from Northern Africa. Argan Oil is the latest thing in skin and hair care products. It’s extracted from the seed of the Argania spinosa tree that grows in southern Morocco. Argan oil is to the Berber culture, what olive oil is to the Greeks…and it has been around just as long too.

Traditionally, the process of extracting the oil from the Argan nuts is a slow, manual process, usually entrusted to the Moroccan women. This age-old method makes the oil unique and expensive outside Morocco. The production and extraction of Argan are completely regulated by the Cooperative of Berber Women and the area in which the Argan trees grow is protected by Unesco. This gives Argan a special charm and makes it genuinely environmentally safe and 100% organic.

Argan Oil is chemically composed of fatty acids (linoleic and oleic), palmitic acid, myristic acid, carotenoids and tocopherols. It has twice the fatty acids and other nutrients as Olive oil. The acids in Argan oil are responsible for its medicinal properties in hair care and skin care, providing nutrients, antioxidants and moisturizers. In Morocco, it has been used for centuries to combat skin diseases.

In culinary uses, Argan oil has its value for health; it helps protect the liver and lower cholesterol. It’s also said to regulate blood pressure and protect against heart disease.

The cosmetic industry has long since discovered the advantages of this oil, as it has been used for years in Europe in both anti-aging products and hair care. But now you can find it almost anywhere in the world. That’s the nature of exotic ingredients…they end up being discovered and enjoyed by everyone.

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