Argan Oil

Argan oil, known for its medicinal, nutritive and cosmetic properties, is produced from kernels of Argan tree. This tree grows in the semi desert soil of the south western parts of Morocco. The tree is well adapted to rough environmental conditions of this region.

This oil is one of the rarest oils in the world due to very small growing areas. For years, Argan has been manufactured and sold by women’s cooperative of Berber tribe. They have established a project called as ecosystem reforestation to maintain the supply of this oil and continue generating income.

This project focuses on two major points:

1. Improving the working conditions, health care and education (economic and social status) of rural women by creating an additional income.

2. Preserve the fast evading Argan trees.

The Argan tree was added to world heritage list by UNESCO in the year 1999. This tree species is fast disappearing and is therefore now under the protection of UNESCO. The production of oil from the Argan tree is time consuming, laborious and demanding until recently as it was done manually by hands. This method consisted of extracting the nut of the fruit, collecting the kernels from the hard nuts, roasting the kernels and then grounding them to extract oil.

Monounsaturated fats along with omega 6 fatty acids are predominant composition of the oil extracted from the Argan tree. Some of the health benefits of this oil are:

• This oil contains high levels of oleic acid which regulates blood cholesterol.

• Linoleic acid present in this oil gets converted into other fatty acid which leads to the production of series 1 prostaglandins. These prostaglandins perform some of the important body functions such as strengthening natural defense system, suppress inflammation, stimulation and blood circulation.

• This oil is a rich source of polyunsaturated acids which also has large amounts of vitamin E. These vitamins act as powerful antioxidants that neutralize free acids thereby preventing destructive oxidation.

Argan oil casually referred to as ‘liquid gold’ is attracting the interest of many people abroad because of its rich nutritional and cosmetic properties. The effects of this oil are 100% natural, completely organic, non-toxic and non-invasive.

This oil has traditional significance, plays a vital role in maintaining the economic situation of the kingdom, helps maintain ecological balance and is the best option for restoring the natural beauty.

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