Rich, nourishing argan oil and its magically benefits has become known in the U.S. only in the past few years, but it’s a mainstay in Morocco, which is the only place in the world where it’s found. Derived from the fruit of the unique argan tree, the prized oil has been pressed since ancient times and used as a staple for food, health, and beauty. The tree is native to the region, and can live for centuries, thriving in rough, desert conditions. And – fun fact – the fruit is a favorite of goats, who love it so much that they actually climb the trees to eat it. Amazing how they do that!
The benefits of argan oil are endless. Why is it so special? Well, it’s incredibly moisturizing and filled with an abundance of antioxidants. In fact, it has twice the Vitamin E of olive oil. While you can drizzle it on salad or bread, its skin and hair-repairing properties are legendary. It’s a fantastic moisturizer – simply use the oil straight, ideally on damp skin after a shower. You’ll also see it blended into soaps, moisturizers, and bath oils for a super-nourishing skin cocktail. Argan oil is reputed to help heal and minimize acne, stretch marks, and scars due to its vitamins and anti-inflammatory properties. Renowned as a hair treatment, it smoothes and conditions, calming frizz and adding shine.
Producing argan oil is labor intensive. Each argan fruit contains only a few kernels that hold the precious oil and these are not easy to retrieve – they’re encased in the nut, which is covered by pulp and a thick outer peel. Back in the day, Berbers used to collect the undigested pits from goat droppings. That’s not done so much anymore. Now, the fruit is more typically harvested, dried, and then the nuts are split to get the kernels. Believe it or not, this process by the Berbers is still done by hand, since mechanizing it has not been successful for the natives – that nut hasn’t been cracked yet. Once extracted, the kernels are ground and pressed, resulting in the golden elixir known as argan oil.
In the past few decades, the argan tree was considered endangered. The new-found awareness of the oil has helped in several ways. First, more argan trees are being planted and older ones are being preserved. This is happy news, because the trees not only produce shade and food, they also keep the desert from encroaching. Another great result is that the hand-pressing and production of the oils is mostly done by women’s cooperatives, providing independence and helping the local economy. We love that this wonderful oil offers so much nourishment in so many ways.
Our Argan Oil Collection offers a wide range of rich nourishing argan oil products filled with antioxidants, including pure Argan Oil, Argan Hand and Body Creams, Argan Gels, Argan Oil Soaps (with Shea Butter), Argan Hydrating Body Scrubs. SHOP the ARGAN OIL COLLECTION
Magical Argan Trees and Moroccan Goats
As a treat, below is a video showing just how popular Argan trees and their magical Argan nuts are. Moroccan goats have known, probably longer than us, that Argan trees are really alluring. Proof that Argan nuts are magical, as any Moroccan goat will show you, once you eat one, you have magical powers that allow you to dance on the thinnest branches of a tree.
How many goats can an argan tree hold? Check out these precious goats as they finish their snacks :