Morocco argan oil is one of the most popular types of oil in the world when it comes to cosmetic and health benefits. This is a plant oil made from the argan tree kernels. It is very precious and scarce because it is only produced in Morocco. Now let me explain to you the process of the production and some interesting facts.
Harvesting kernels and extract oil
Argan trees only grow in South-West Morocco dry desert around Essaouira and Agadir regions. They tolerate the harsh environment and can live 150 to 200 years. They play a very important role to preserve local water resources and soils. They also form a barrier to prevent desert expansion. In 1998, Morocco’s argan forest was declared as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO due to their beneficial roles to the environment.
Every year, when the argan fruits ripen around July-August, local women in Morocco South-Westen regions will collect them either from the argan trees or the grounds. Previously, people collected the argan nuts that were spitted or pooped out after goats ate the fleshy fruit part. Nowadays, argan nuts are collected with a much hygiene way.
Once the fruits are harvested or collected, they need to be dried in the open air to remove the exterior fruit pulps. Then local women use stone hammer to crack the hard-shell nuts and retrieve the kernels inside. The kernels are grounded by stone mills to produce a thick brown paste. It is then filtered to have clear argan oil. One thing to note here is that in order to allow the sediment and solids to filter at the bottom, the oil stays decanted into containers and it will be left there for around 2-4 weeks.
In addition to making oil from kernels, every part from argan fruits can be used for different purposes. The exterior pulps can be used to feed animals. The shells can be burned for fuel. The thick paste can be sold locally for food or cosmetic products. Nothing in argan fruits is wasted.
To summarize this, the process involves:
Getting the argan fruits
Crackling them to acquire the kernels
Grinding
Then you will acquire the traditional Moroccan argan oil
Manual producing argan oil is a very labor intensive and slow process. Although today few co-operatives still use the traditional manual methods, others choose to introduce modern machinery methods to the oil extraction and filtering steps. However, the production process still involves lots of labor work and it is time-consuming. This is one of the reasons why argan oil is very expensive.
Nowadays, all of the argan oil sold today is produced by Moroccan women’s cooperatives that share profits with Berber tribes. Founded in 2003 with support from the Morocco government, the female cooperative program allows Morocco Berber women to make money to support their families. It has changed their status and earned them respect in society.
What are the benefits of Morocco argan oil?
Buying argan oil sounds like a very good idea, but what benefits can you expect from it? Actually it is a nutritional powerhouse and it brings in front some miracle results and benefits, as I explain below.
Anti-aging
Yes, argan oil has a lot of nutrients and antioxidants that will help you eliminate wrinkles and fine lines. It has twice the amount of vitamin-E compared to olive oil. It also contains abundant linoleic acids and saponins. These antioxidants, acids and saponins will slow the aging process, erase the fine wrinkles and moisturize the skin. They can protect skin from sunlight, tobacco and environmental damage. Your skin will look healthy and fresh. Argan oil can also stimulate the production of collagen and elastin which will prevent skin sagging. Its high protein components help to tighten the skin and preserve the elasticity.
Scar prevention
Many people especially women are bothered by stretch marks and scars in general. Argan oil is one of the few types of natural oils that are known to help you deal with scars naturally. It does a very good job to fade those scars gradually. Its anti-inflammatory contents can sooth the inflammation in burns, surgical scars and acne. And the results as a whole can be pretty significant in the end.
Acne
You may think argan oil is oily and not good for acne. Actually, it is a very good product to help you against acne. It decreases inflammation at first. Then, it will start balancing the oil production. The third step is where it will start neutralizing the bacteria, and that on its own can really help a lot. Then you will be unclogging pores and the process is complete. With argan oil, you get to have a very good way of handling acne naturally and the results can be pretty impressive, thanks to that.
Suitable for comprehensive hair care
One of the main advantages of argan oil for hair care is that it helps bring in Vitamin E and other nutrients to the hair shaft. It will smooth the frizzy hair and decrease the split-ends. With time, you will notice that your hair becomes vibrant, shining and elastic. Moroccan Argan oil shampoos can protect your hair naturally and without having to worry about breakage or discoloration. You maintain your hair strength and color the way it was. It gives you an incredible result after using it. Because of its powerful effects, moroccan argan oil is an essential component for many hair products from shampoos, conditioners to masks by big companies like L’Oreal, OGX, Marc Anthony etc.
Massage
Did you know that you can also use argan oil for a massage? It helps you unwind, relax and it bolsters the power of your circulatory system. It eliminates pain and tightness of your muscles. It also has anti-inflammatory properties too. It is especially good for people with auto-immune disease like arthritis etc. This is by far one of the best types of oil for something like this and you will be impressed just how good and effective this oil is for your entire body.
Food
Argan oil has an unique nutty flavor. It is a favorite choice for many food lovers since it magnifies the aroma and tastes for many dishes. It is usually used for seasoning in couscous, seafood, spaghetti etc. Some of the health benefits include decreasing bad cholesterol and increasing good lipoprotein; easing joint pain from rheumatoid arthritis; improving the symptoms of hemorrhoid; slowing the process of deafness etc.
Now, you have known a lot about Morocco argan oil by this time. If you want to try it out, of course the best place to buy the authentic and pure argan oil is Morocco. Argan trees only grow in South-West Morocco around Essaouira and Agadir regions. The visit to the argan oil cooperatives is part of the itineraries of our tour packages. We will show you how Morocco Berber women make argan oil with traditional methods. You will see the production process with your own eyes. You can also buy authentic pure argan oil and related products at the factories if you want.
Come and join us at Sahara Sky Tours. Let’s explore Morocco argan oil more!