Argan oil is a natural ingredient that’s been passed down through the generations. While it’s been a culinary staple in Moroccan cuisine for decades, it’s been used as a beauty treatment for centuries. Argan oil is packed full of nutrients and fatty acids that your skin loves. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make it a powerful skincare ingredient that can work miracles. These properties have led to argan oil being nicknamed ‘liquid gold’ within the beauty industry. Whatever your skin type is, you can benefit by adding this natural ingredient to your routine.
It’s one ingredient that beauticians, celebrities, and dermatologists swear by. If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your skincare routine, argan oil is the perfect choice for you. We’re telling you everything you need to know about this wonder ingredient and why you should be incorporating it into your skincare routine.
The History of Argan Oil
Argan oil comes from Morocco’s native argan trees. The Amazigh community has traditionally used it as part of their beauty rituals and as a cooking ingredient. This luxury ingredient takes around 45 minutes for suppliers to extract just 4 ounces of argan oil. It takes 30 kilograms of nuts to produce just one kilogram of argan oil. Argan oil is a commodity that is a staple in Amazigh culture, famous for its healing properties, health benefits, and skin nourishment.
Although Argan oil is an ingredient you’ll see in products all over the world, it’s only found in Morocco. Women within the Amazigh community form co-operatives that work along the route that leads to Essaouira. Of the estimated two million people who harvest from argan trees, the majority of them are Amazigh women, who use it as their main form of income. It’s historically always been the role of women to cultivate argan oil for both local use and exportation.
These women grind the nut from the argan tree by hand, ensuring it’s the purest and finest version to be used in beauty and culinary products. Although other countries have tried to grow argan trees, it’s only Agadir and Essaouira that have mastered the art of caring for these plants. A cold-pressed process is used to turn the nut into the argan oil that we know and love.
As argan oil has become one of the most in-demand ingredients in the beauty industry, these women have been able to come together to form cooperatives. It’s one of the few opportunities that Amazigh women have to make their own income. Purchasing argan oil that is sustainably sourced can help these women continue to support their communities and families.
What is Argan Oil?
Argan oil is a golden liquid with a natural nutty aroma, making it one of the beauty industry’s most potent and popular natural ingredients. If you’ve ever wondered what liquid gold would be like, take a look at argan oil. You’ll often hear people refer to argan oil as being like ‘magic’ for your skin.
Argan oil is a popular addition to food dishes due to its extensive health benefits. Early research has suggested that it can be used to help those with diabetes, as it can reduce insulin resistance and lower your blood sugar. You’ll often find it used as a drizzle over food or for dipping bread into.
Within the Amazigh culinary scene, argan oil is blended with other local ingredients, mainly almonds and honey, to make ‘amlou’ a popular nut butter. Most people consider argan oil to be a healthier alternative to olive oil, as it can be used for similar purposes without negatively impacting your heart health.
As the beauty industry looks to incorporate more natural elements, argan oil has become one of the most in-demand ingredients. You’ll often find it incorporated into moisturizers, shampoos, and face creams. It’s one ingredient that we swear by at Akal Skin.
Benefits of Argan Oil for Your Skin
The versatility of argan oil has made it one of the must-have beauty ingredients. You can use it in everything from your skincare products to hair treatments. It’s considered the secret to healthy, glowing skin. While it’s a popular ingredient for face creams and moisturisers, argan oil can also be taken as a supplement to aid with your use of it as a skincare product. Argan oil helps maintain your skin’s natural protective barrier, preventing free radical damage that accelerates the aging process.
Dry Skin
One of the key components of argan oil is vitamin E, which hydrates your skin and reduces free radical damage. The fatty acids in argan oil make it an ideal ingredient for any moisturising product, whether it’s for your hair or skin. One study found that using argan oil can help older women improve their skin’s moisture retention.
Due to its moisturising properties, argan oil is a popular treatment for conditions such as rosacea and psoriasis. If you suffer from these conditions or similar ones related to dry skin, it’s best to apply your argan oil directly to the area to help treat both the symptoms and the cause of your condition.
Argan oil was originally used as an at-home remedy to help calm inflammatory skin. As it’s rich in antioxidants, it’s able to treat your skin from the dermis layer to tackle redness and breakouts. A case study has supported the commonly held belief that argan oil can help protect your skin from sun damage, including hyperpigmentation and long-term damage.
There are early indications that using argan oil regularly as part of your daily routine can help prevent skin cancer, including melanoma, by protecting your skin from harmful UV rays.
Acne Breakouts and Scarring
A popular use of argan oil is to prevent and treat acne. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the ingredient mean it can diminish the redness and the irritation that comes with acne. If you have dry skin, argan oil can improve your moisture levels to keep your skin hydrated to prevent acne breakouts.
If you’re someone who suffers from acne-scarring or has imperfections on your face, argan oil can help the healing process. Early research in the Wound Management and Prevention journal suggests argan oil can significantly accelerate the recovery process, thanks to its vitamin E composition. As it has antibacterial and fungicidal properties, argan oil can tackle any bacterial or fungal infections in your skin while also speeding up the healing process.
Preventing Stretchmarks
Argan oil is one ingredient that you can use at any stage in your life. It’s a popular ingredient to use when you’re looking to treat or prevent stretch marks, whether you’re pregnant or going through a change in your body. Argan oil aids the elastin in your skin, making it less likely for you to suffer from stretch marks with regular use.
Aging gracefully
What makes argan oil a wonder ingredient is its potential to keep your skin looking youthful. It supports your skin’s cellular turnover to prevent signs of premature aging. Research has shown that you can take advantage of argan oil’s anti-aging properties by incorporating it into your diet or skincare. This research found that taking argan oil as both a topical treatment and orally enhances its anti-aging benefits.
The potency of argan oil as an anti-aging ingredient comes from its antioxidant concentration, made up of linoleic and oleic acids. The antioxidants within argan oil neutralize the free radicals in the air that can break through your skin’s natural protective barrier and damage your collagen and elastin production.
Menopausal women have been shown to benefit from using argan oil to boost their skin’s elasticity to prevent sagging and improve moisture retention. If anti-aging is a concern for you, argan oil is one ingredient you want to look into.
Different Skin Types
Depending on your skin type, there are ingredients that you might want to avoid incorporating into your routine. Argan oil is not one of them. This natural ingredient is something that everyone can benefit from using – whether you have oily, dry, or combination skin.
As argan oil hydrates your skin, it’s a common misconception that’s not suitable for oily skin. In reality, argan oil can help reduce excess sebum in your skin to help control your oiliness. One study has found that using argan oil twice a day can significantly reduce the sebum in your skin within four weeks.
Another skin condition that can be helped by argan oil is atopic dermatitis, which results in red and itchy skin. The vitamin E and anti-inflammatory characteristics of argan oil make it ideal for relieving the symptoms of argan oil.
A Natural Ingredient That is Safe to Use
Most of the ingredients you find in your beauty products are created in a lab or packed with parabens and chemicals. While these will irritate your skin, argan oil is a natural ingredient that nourishes your skin. Argan oil is one ingredient that is safe for anyone to use. The only people who are advised to limit their usage are those allergic to tree nuts.
If you’re looking to embrace the idea of ‘clean’ beauty with more environmentally friendly ingredients, argan oil is the ideal match for you. The beauty of argan oil is that it’s easy to incorporate into your skincare routine. You can use it on your skin in its pure form as a topical treatment or through other products. If you use pure argan oil, you can add it to your haircare and skincare routine, applying it to damp hair and skin for added moisture.
The Sustainability of Argan Oil
Argan trees were added to the UNESCO world natural heritage program in 1998, as a biosphere reserve. These trees prevent the desert climate from extending across the region. They prevent soil erosion while also protecting nearby water resources.
Unfortunately, argan trees are often cut down by local people for firewood and building materials. One benefit of the rise in popularity of argan oil is that it’s led to people protecting argan trees. The process of extracting argan oil does not damage the tree itself, as it simply involves collecting the fruit and nuts from the ground around it.
The oil extraction process occurs through drying the fruit to extract the nuts before cracking them to reveal the kernels on the inside. These kernels are then cold-pressed to produce the oil.
At Akal Skin, our argan oil has been certified as organic by the US Department of Agriculture. It’s sustainably sourced in a protected region of Souss Massa in Morocco. Our Founder, Salma, grew up in Souss Massa, and the region is close to our heart at Akal Skin. We’re proud to support our Moroccan suppliers, who are a cooperative of women. For most of these women, argan oil is their main source of income. It’s a means of empowerment in a male-dominated culture for these women, who can help both themselves and their local communities.
These women receive a fair wage and reinvest their profits back into their local community, with educational programs and schemes to improve their quality of life. One of their recent projects includes improving local water access by digging wells. At Akal Skin, our products support these women to grow their business and build a brighter future for their communities.
The newfound independence that argan oil offers these women has also paid a role in changing attitudes within the community. This often-overlooked benefit of argan oil is perhaps its greatest potential. While some brands choose to exploit the circumstances in these communities, Akal Skin is committed to continuing to empower these female co-operatives to continue to grow.
Our mission at Akal Skin is to help you create a daily ritual with self-love at its heart. Argan oil has gone from its humble beginning as a staple in the Amazigh beauty ritual to become an ingredient that is beloved around the world. We believe that every woman has an inner goddess who deserves to be nourished with natural ingredients that your skin will love.