The Importance of Argan Ail for Moroccan People

For Moroccan people the argan tree is a truly miraculous tree. The Moroccan regions where this special tree grows are really unique, as there aren't many other places on earth. However, it's not the tree itself that so called Moroccan gold, but the oil obtained from the seeds of this tree's fruit. It's the argan oil the true liquid Moroccan gold that has numerous miraculous qualities for body care. Argan tree forests occupy almost 9,000 square kilometers and are among regions protected by UNESCO. It's the argan oil the one that can save these trees, as such a wonderful natural product can not disappear from the face of the earth.

The argan oil is produced by Moroccan women in those so called feminine cooperatives, in the south-western Morocco. It's a pretty difficult process, as they have to remove the soft part of the fruit and break the seed. The argan oil that is obtained will maintain its qualities for 3 to 6 months.

80% of argan oil's composition is represented by fatty acids and this is why this oil is way more resistant to oxidation than olive oil. It is also a very rich source of nourishing substances for the skin and it does not contain any artificial ingredient that can irritate the skin. Argan oil has many healing properties for skin, face, hair and nails.

Prostaglandin contained by this oil is a catalyst for many processes. It plays a very important role in regulating various bodily functions, such as blood pressure, circulation and heart rate. Argan oil contains vitamin E also. This fat-soluble vitamin is an antioxidant that protects fatty acids in the body.

This oil is considered as being the Moroccan gold because it contributes in a significant manner to the Moroccan economy. This is a 100% organic with a wide range of benefits to the human body. The oil is produced through mechanical processes, without using any kind of chemicals.

Argan oil is already very popular in the cosmetic industry. Thanks to its anti-aging property that is already a cosmetic product marketed worldwide. The oil is recognized as a highly effective treatment against acne, stretch marks, eczema and psoriasis.

It is the rarest vegetable oil because of the rarity of these trees in the world. This rare oil is highly appreciated thanks to its range of multiple uses. The limited production of this oil makes it very valuable. Its well known cosmetic advantages turned this product into a natural cosmetic greatly appreciated. The presence of oleic acid allows it to be the practical solution for those who have problems with cholesterol. It helps reducing and maintaining the level of cholesterol. According to recent research, a very small amount of argan oil can significantly reduce cholesterol levels in less than a month of daily use.

Several other acids contained by this oil are converted into three different types of prostaglandins. These prostaglandins are very beneficial for many bodily functions such as immunization and anti-inflammatory functions.

Argan Oil - Making Homemade Soap

Argan oil is extracted from the kernels of the Argania Spinosa tree, found in the southwest territory of Morocco. This thorny tree has a green fleshy type of fruit, similar to an olive, but larger and rounder in shape and size. Inside this fruit is an extremely hard shell containing one to three almond-shaped kernels. After goats eat the fruit, the nut remains and is collected by farmers to produce argan oil.

Production of argan oil is a lengthy process, since each nut has to be cracked open to remove the kernels. It can take twelve to twenty hours of work to produce one liter of oil, therefore it can be relatively expensive. This natural oil is golden in color, with a hint of reddish tinge. After the oil is extracted, a thick chocolate paste-like residue remains from the kernels. This residue is called amlou. Amlou has a flavor like peanut butter and is served as a dip with bread.

Argan oil contains high benefits of vitamin E, carotenes, fatty and essential fatty acids, phenols, phenolic acid and squalene. It has natural antioxidants benefits and anti-inflammatory properties. It is highly moisturizing, nourishing and absorbs quickly into the skin. It helps improve many skin and scalp conditions.

BENEFITS FOR SKIN, HAIR & SCALP:

Protects skin against free radical damage; skin cancer
Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
Reduces inflammation
Strengthens brittle nails
Moisturizes dry scalp conditions
Conditions damaged or brittle hair
Helps repair split ends
Relieves general aches and pains; sore muscles and joints
Reduces scarring
Helps to heal existing acne; prevents new break outs
Improves skin's elasticity

It is used to treat dry skin, psoriasis, eczema, acne, sunburns, stretch marks, maturing skin, sensitive skin and other skin conditions! Pure 100% argan oil is mild and gentle enough to use for men, women and baby's delicate skin. It is a great daily moisturizer, after showering, and provides a dewy youthful glow!

Argan oil is used a variety of ways. Massage therapist blend it with essential oils, producing aromatherapy benefits, for a claming massage. It can be used over salads, fish, meat, veggies and other kinds of food. Soap makers use argan oil, blending it with other essential oils, to increase its benefits. This natural oil is found in a variety of commercial and homemade skin care products.

Use this natural oil for making homemade soap, blending it with lavender oil to moisturize, soothe and soften skin. This combination of oils provides a great smelling aroma! Use it with jojoba oil, a very light and quickly absorbing oil, also. Blend argan oil with tea tree oil to treat skin infections. You can also blend rosemary and lavender oils with argan oil to massage the scalp. Just a little bit of this oil goes a long way, so use it sparingly, in your soap making recipes. This soap making oil has lots of benefits and is very versatile too!

There are different ways to learn how to make soap. You can take in-person classes or learn, at home, with an audio visual resource, such as a DVD. Either way can provide you with an abundance of soap making information! Learn with, easy, soap making instructions, find soap recipes, learn by doing with trial and error, find resources and more! There are different soap making methods, such as hot process soap making, cold process soap making and re-batching. Use the method you are most comfortable with or just use them all! You can find all of the soap making information you will ever need! Use a soap making kit, containing oils, molds and other materials to help you get started making soap. So, get started making your very own homemade soap and enjoy the benefits of argan oil, today!

Is Argan Oil Miraculous?

Every year a new crop of super miracle beauty ingredients pops up — recently, argan oil has been making the rounds. Generally I pay little attention to these kinds of trends, but I have to say, I find argan oil hugely intriguing.

Made from the nuts of the argan tree, which grows almost exclusively in Morocco, the oil is said to have restorative and age-defying effects. It is high in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, it is believed to help all sorts of skin conditions: dry skin, acne, psoriasis, eczema, wrinkles.

In a New York Times article, Liz Earle, who runs an organic skin-care line in England, said, “When I first found argan oil, I brought it back to the U.K. to have it analyzed … it was so remarkably high in vitamin E and had these very interesting phytosterols, which are good for scar tissue and so many other things” including, she says, that hard-to-define problem of lackluster skin. I know we’ve heard these claims before, but still.

Argan oil is pretty new in America, but English and French tourists discovered it in Morocco years ago and it’s all over the markets of Provence, along with the lavender and olive oils. Now, due to the efforts of the Moroccan King Mohammed VI, who has been praised for his efforts to promote women’s rights, the oil is being promoted and exported worldwide. What does women’s rights have to do with argan oil? Well, that’s one of the reasons I am so intrigued by it.



It is Berber women who are solely responsible for harvesting the nuts and producing the oil, and they are doing so in fair trade working cooperatives. Outside groups, like the government of Monaco, are also financially backing a system whereby women can work half days (so they can still tend to their families) in exchange for fair wages and good working conditions. This has allowed an income for women and families where before there was little.

The cooperatives have initiated an ecosystem reforestation project to help preserve the argan forest. The cooperatives are working in partnership with the Moroccan Water and Forests Authorities to allow optimal tree growth, plant argan nurseries, and create education programs. The community realizes the value of the argan tree and they are involved with its protection. In fact, Unesco has designated the 10,000-square-mile argan-growing region as a biosphere reserve.

Even without the beauty claims I think I’d be clamoring for argan oil in support of the cooperatives — but as it turns out I think I am beginning to believe the hype. I first tried products featuring argan oil when I tried the Aveda Green Science line — but as much as I love the Aveda products, it was hard to tell what the argan oil was like since it is just one ingredient of many.

More recently I have tried pure argan oil from a company called Eden, and boy oh boy is it something else. I have always been a huge fan of using jojoba oil on my skin, and this is even better. It is lustrous and rich, but very quickly absorbed. Now I suppose I’ll have to try it for a few weeks before I notice a difference, but at this point an improvement feels inevitable.

Now here’s the rub— the cost of pure argan oil isn’t cheap — not like olive oil, for example. But a little bit goes a long way — it is no more expensive than many high-end moisturizers, and it earns terrific marks in terms of sustainability and supporting women’s rights. Only time will tell if it honestly does perform any miracles for my skin, but I know for sure it is doing a world of good for the numerous women who now have a livelihood from it. Miracle enough for me.

7 Delightful Reasons To Be Obsessed With Argan Oil

If you don't know the benefits of 100% Argan oil yet, you are missing out on one of the best ways to mask aging on your face and body. The more you are aware of the ingredients in the products you use, the more you'll be able to utilize them to minimize the looks of aging. Here are seven reasons why you should be obsessed with organic Argan oil.
Reason 1. Argan oil is different from regular skin care product ingredients, and does not contain synthetic additives and artificial ingredients. Argan oil hair and skin products are made only from natural pigments and organic plant extracts. Pure Argan oil is in high demand today and it has numerous health benefits.
Reason 2. Argan oil skin care products may be a bit more expensive than other products for natural beauty, but after trying it, you will understand why it's worth the bit extra. It is also an exceptional oil for people who have sensitive skin.
Reason 3. Cosmetics with Argan oil in them last longer on your skin so you will end up spending less money on cosmetics because you won't need to use as much of the product.
Reason 4. Argan oil skin care products will help your skin to show off a natural, beautiful glow. Natural products like those containing Argan oil will be safer to use and will cause fewer reactions with your skin.
Reason 5. Argan oil hair products are made in a way that the beneficial oil is absorbed by your hair and scalp, leaving both more healthy than they were before. It will help bring new life to dry, damaged hair, and leave your hair looking shiny and healthy.
Reason 6. The benefits of 100% organic Argan oil used in skin care products include the fact that they are safely and more fully absorbed by your skin, and they rarely have any side effects. These products are safe for you to use, and they are also quite healthy for your skin. Cosmetics made with Argan oil can help to repair damaged skin as they beautify your look, and they don't represent any threat to your health.
Reason 7. Argan oil used in hair products is an excellent answer to the question of where to get products that are chemical-free to use on your hair. The fatty acids and Vitamin E will help to alleviate dry skin on your scalp, as well as strengthening and moisturizing your hair. In addition, Argan oil skin care products will instantly nourish your skin, even if you use just a few drops.
Argan oil will help to give your skin a wonderful glow, and will reduce the look of wrinkles and bags under your eyes. It will help to heal acne and prevent new breakouts. This oil is truly a healthy Miracle Oil for skin and hair alike.

Extraction of argan oil

Traditional method
The production of argan oil by traditional methods

For modern times, the Berbers (indigenous people of Morocco) of this area would collect undigested argan pits from the waste of goats which climb the trees to eat their fruit. The pits were then ground and pressed to make the nutty oil used in cooking and cosmetics. However, the oil used in cosmetic and culinary products available for sale today has most likely been harvested and processed with machines in a verifiably clean and sanitary way.

The oil was sold in Moroccan markets even before the Phoenicians arrived, yet the hardy argan tree has been slowly disappearing. Overgrazing by goats and a growing, wood-hungry local population have whittled the number of surviving trees down to less than half of what it was 50 years ago.

The tree is a relic of the Earth's Tertiary Period, which ended about 1.6 million years ago, and it grows in only a few other places in the world. It is tenacious, withering and fruitless during extended droughts, and it lives as long as 200 years. So there was alarm that the Argania spinosa, as the tree is properly called, was headed for extinction, along with its precious goat-related oil.

UNESCO, and enthusiasts excited by the oil's reputed anti-aging qualities have helped by creating a global market for the exotic oil, the unlikely alliance hopes to raise awareness about the inherent value of the trees, encouraging more careful grazing and stopping the local population from chopping the trees down for firewood. The people in the area are poor; as they now understand the value of the tree, they are protecting it.

UNESCO declared a 25,900-square-kilometer of land between the Atlantic and the Atlas Mountains a reserve and provided money to manage the trees' preservation. Chefs and society matrons took up the cause, praising the culinary qualities of the oil and its anti-aging effect on the skin. There is also a ban against grazing in the trees from May to August, when the fruit ripens to a bright yellow and eventually the goats climb the trees, eat the fruit and expel the pits, which locals continue to collect.

At the Cooperative in Tiout, Berber women sit on the floor with rough rectangular stones between their knees cracking pits with rounded rocks. Each smooth pit contains one to three kernels, which look like sliced almonds and are rich in oil. The kernels are then removed and gently roasted. This roasting accounts for part of the oil's distinctive, nutty flavour. It takes several days and about 32 kilograms of fruit - roughly one season's produce from a single tree - to make only one liter of oil. The cosmetic oil, rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, is used for massage, facials and as an ingredient in anti-aging cream. The edible oil is extracted from roasted kernels.

Most of the oil is bottled pure for cooking, as a dressing on salads, meat or fish or simply as a dip for bread. The Tiout cooperative produces about 5,000 250-milliliter bottles of the edible oil a year. The oil can be purchased at the Cooperative in Tiout but the neighbouring city of Agadir sells the oil for a fair price as well.

Press-extraction

Now increasingly important for oil produced for sale, as the oil will keep 12–18 months and extraction is much faster. Using mechanical presses, mixing of the dough and water is unnecessary and the dough can be directly pressed. All other steps remaining unchanged, the oil is obtained in about 43% yield (calculated from the kernels) and only two hours are needed to get one litre of oil that preserves correctly.

Solvent-extraction

For industrial or laboratory purposes, argan oil can be extracted from ground kernels using any volatile lipophilic solvent. After evaporation of this latter, and one or two cycles of extraction, the oil is obtained in 50 to 55% yield. This type of extraction furnishes an oil with unsatisfactory organoleptic properties compared to the traditional or press extraction, which is exclusively reserved to prepare argan oil for cosmetic purposes

Argan oil psoriasis And Josie Maran Argan Oil

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease, which typically causes red scaly patches on the skin. Psoriasis can be developed at any age, and the severity o the disease can vary as well. There are countless prescription and harsh medical treatments, such as steroid injections. It is not strange to spend years looking for something that works for you, and spending lots and lots of money figuring it out. Argan oil psoriasis products are an affordable, natural solution. Argan oil psoriasis is a great solution for psoriasis. 100% Organic Argan Oil is a moisturizer and an anti-inflammatory, exactly what is needed for psoriasis.
Argan oil Psoriasis sufferers can have visible improvement after just a few weeks, and can completely heal within 9 weeks of regular application of argan oil. These results can only be achieved with pure and organic argan. Not only does argan oil help with psoriasis, it is also reportedly great for hair, skin and nails because of its extremely high content of amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E. Because organic argan oil has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing qualities it can help with a variety of skin conditions. Leslie S. Baumann, MD, an expert in the area of cosmetic ingredients, and the director of cosmetic dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, agrees that argan oil psoriasis can help treat skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Argan oil, when it is pure and natural,
helps dry skin and oily skin, sounds a bit odd, but the nourishing effects of vitamin E and the free radical reducing and anti-inflammatory properties of the antioxidants and amino acids allow the oil to help with conditions like psoriasis, acne and eczema. Both women and men, young and old, can use argan oil psoriasis products. Argan oil is even great for pregnant women because the moisturizing properties prevent the formation of stretch marks when massaged on skin regularly.
Josie Maran Argan Oil contains such small traces of argan oil in her cosmetic products that they do not retain the effectiveness for which argan oil is known. Josie maran argan oil eye shadow or mascara with a drop of argan oil and the rest of the additives is not going to moisturize your eyelids and your eyelashes, so don’t expect that. If you want good quality argan oil, from a company that does one thing and only one thing, head to Amal Oils 100% Organic Argan Oil. You want to stay away from argan oil products that contain pungent smells and feel greasy, like Josie Maran argan oil. A strong smelling or greasy feeling argan oil indicates that it is expired, not pure, or has been pressed by hand. When argan oil is pressed by hand, it is mixed with local, not purified, and definitely non-organic water. The water is necessary when pressed by hand because it stimulates the oil to release from the argan nuts.

Argan Oil for Skin

Argan oil or argane oil is quite a rare oil obtained from the kernels of fruits of argan tree. This tree is native to Morocco. For this reason, the advantages of using pure argan oil for skin care were well known to Moroccan women for several centuries. Today, research studies have also found that argan oil is really good for our skin. Thus its popularity has increased all over the world. It is a rich source of essential fatty acids particularly linoleic acid which protect the skin from harmful free radicals. It also contains a good amount of vitamin A and E, both of which plays a crucial role in improving skin condition.

Benefits of Argan Oil for Skin

Topical application of argan oil not just helps to soften up the skin but it also helps to get rid of various skin problems. Some of the key argan oil benefits and uses on skin have been listed below:

• The polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E that are present in argan oil have excellent antioxidant qualities. They promote oxygenation within the cells and neutralize the adverse effects of free radicals. This way it provides protection to the skin and restores the nutrients inside the skin cells.
• Argan oil is a very good skin moisturizer. In fact, it is far more effective as compared to any other natural skin moisturizers like olive oil or shea butter. This is because it does not contain any cholesterol. Moreover, it has a good amount of fatty acids in it.
• Argan oil is capable of controlling the action of sebum, an oily substance released by the oil glands present under the skin. People with oily skin are extremely bothered by the excessive oiliness caused by sebum. Argan oil can reduce this greasy feeling of the oily skin.
• It has excellent antimicrobial properties and hence, argan oil for acne works wonders. It brings down skin inflammation and skin irritation to a great extent. For all these qualities, argan oil is popularly used for treating various skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis, etc.
• It can effectively maintain the pH balance of the skin. Thus it can provide protection to the skin form the harmful effects of sun exposure, pollution, mental stress, smoking etc.
• Argan oil helps to reduce the appearance of the ugly scars left behind by various skin problems like acne, chicken pox and even in cases of skin injuries caused by burns.
• With aging, our skin tends to lose its natural elastic properties that results in appearance of wrinkles on skin surface. Regular application of argan oil on the wrinkles rehydrates the skin of the affected area, restores the skin elasticity and tighten the skin. This way the anti aging properties of the oil corrects the deficiencies of aging skin and control wrinkles.
• During pregnancy, stretch marks appear on the abdomen as the skin loses its natural elastic properties due to over stretching of the skin. Pregnant women can use argan oil products to improve skin elasticity and prevent stretch marks from appearing on the skin surface.
• Those women who use mineral makeup regularly tend to get dry skin after some time. Such a problem can be avoided with the help of argan oil. All you have to do is to apply one or two drops of argan oil on the skin 5 minutes before application of mineral make up. This will keep the skin hydrated and prevent drying of the skin.
• Apart from the uses of argan oil for skin care, usage of argan oil for hair and nail care is also beneficial. It can be used to get rid of the problems of brittle nails as it has a strengthening effect on them. When applied on scalp skin, it can eliminate dandruff problem and prevent hair loss.

Today, as the effect of argan oil for skin nourishment is widely known, more and more cosmetic companies are using this oil in manufacturing of anti wrinkle skin care products and other skin creams and lotions. However, it is a very expensive oil and sometimes it is used only in trace amounts in certain products. So, you must read the label to check the argan oil content before purchasing any such products.