Argan Oil: It is Worth the Hype

After decades of putting petrochemicals, harmful chemical preservatives and surfactants into and onto our bodies, more and more people in our Western culture have developed sensitivities, irritant and allergic reactions, and illnesses due to toxic buildup in our systems. Because of this, in addition to efforts by organizations like the Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, even the most stubborn of Americans are seeking safer, more natural products, foods, and supplements.

There are so many wonderful natural ingredients used to care for the body internally and externally all around the world, and our culture has only recently started appreciating their benefits. Some of these ingredients only grow in small, remote areas of certain regions and have been used and enjoyed by indigenous/native people of those regions as a regular part of their skin and body care, as well as medicinal and healthcare regimens since the beginning of their existence. However, thanks to marketing, talk shows, celebrity endorsers, and fair-trade manufacturing efforts these rare ingredients are starting to appear and catch on in the mass market. Like a domino effect or a chain reaction, once one product manufacturer successfully markets and sells a product containing even an angel dusting of the ingredient, multitudes of others jump on the wagon. This happened with antioxidant-rich berries like the goji, and more popularly, the açaí; and it is also now happening with argan oil.

Liquid gold. Moroccan Miracle.

These are two of the most common nicknames for argan oil, which is one of the most buzzed about ingredients in skin and hair care today. Argan oil is an expensive, rare oil that is extracted from the kernels of the seeds from the fruit of the argan tree (Argania spinosa) which only grows in small area of the southwest region of Morocco. These massive evergreen trees can grow up to 10 meters high, and can live as long as 450 years. They are very deep rooted and resilient, require no cultivation, and are essential to the lives of the local people and their livestock.

Obtaining argan oil is an extremely labor-intensive process, to say the least. Local Berber women have traditionally been responsible for harvesting the kernels and processing the oil. It’s easy to understand why argan oil is so expensive when you consider the following: it takes more than 10 hours of labor to shell, crush, roast (for culinary grade oil), make dough from, and knead to extract the oil from the kernels of the seeds from the fruit of eight argan trees just to produce a single liter of argan oil. It is an awful lot of work for not a lot of end product.

Article Author: Rachael Pontillo

I am a mom, licensed aesthetician, and holistic health coach. I also hold a B.S. in Architectural Studies and have years of work experience in various aspects of sales, marketing, and publishing. I am the author of the blog Holistically Haute, which …

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