Argan oil is amazing for the skin and has a unique and gentle musky flavor. The oil comes from pressing Argan seeds which are only available in Morocco. The seeds look like almond nuts. When I was traveling through Morocco, we stopped by a place to meditate and take a break from a long drive. After meditation under an Agran tree, a man has curiously been watching us.
I approached him, and we started a friendly conversation. That led to us visiting his home and showing us the whole process of picking the nuts, then drying, grinding the nuts, and extracting the oil. It was a tiny family-owned cottage industry and a tedious process all done manually. Its outstanding effect on the skin is exploited by commercial industries for skin and beauty care products.
The oil fragrance is faintly subtle and excellent for use in salads and all kinds of sauces. Argan oil is commonly used to moisturize the skin and to maintain a fair complexion has been an established tradition among Moroccan women. Argania Spinosa (L.) Skeels (Sapotaceae) is a tree species endemic to Morocco and has a great ecological and socioeconomic value in this area.
Traditionally, cosmetic argan oil was used to cure all kinds of skin pimples as well as juvenile acne and chickenpox pustules scars. It is also recommended to reduce dry skin matters and slow down the appearance of wrinkles. This oil is also used to treat psoriasis, eczema, joint pain, skin inflammation, and scabies, to heal burns and wounds, to cure brittle fingernails, to prevent hair loss and dry hair [3]. Argan oil for cosmetic use is cold-pressed oil extracted from unroasted kernels of argan fruit, which at present has gained worldwide recognition.
It has been referred to as the “most expensive vegetable and cosmetic oil” [4] and as such has been a source of income for many Moroccan women who are members of cooperatives run by women. In the southern part of Morocco, cooperatives produce argan oil for food or for cosmetic use. The extraction of argan oil for food and cosmetic use is still being done using the traditional method.
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