Article on Argan oil

Ask the Beauty Chick…

by Shayna Teicher on August 25, 2009

3

Dear Beauty Chick,
At a popular hair salon the stylist recommended that I use a hair oil to make my hair silkier, shinier and in better condition. It’s argan based which I’ve heard is good, and he told me it was natural, but there seem like an awful lot of chemical-sounding ingredients in it. I really liked the smell and how my hair looked when I used it but I’m wondering how ‘natural’ it really is. These are the ingredients as listed on the bottle.

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Butylphenyl, MethylPropional, Argania Spinoza Kernal Oil (Aragan Oil), Linseed (Linum Usitatissimum) Extract, Fragrance Supplement, D&C Yellow-11, D&C Red-17, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Thank you,
B

Dear B,

That’s great that you’re willing to look for a more natural alternative to this product that you, admittedly, like the end results of. I know how difficult it is to feel like you have to sacrifice results for questionable ingredients. Unfortunately, your concerns about the ingredients are not without merit, but the good news is that there are some awesome products out there with a much better ingredient profile that should give you just as great results.

You are absolutely right about Argan Oil being a great ingredient. One of the rarest (and consequentially, one of the most expensive) oils in the world, Argan oil is exceptionally rich in natural tocopherols (vitamin E) and is also rich in phenols and phenolic acid, carotenes, squalene and essential fatty acids (a.k.a. omega oils). Basically, the chemical makeup of this natural oil gives it the ability to improve hair strength and health as well as help increase shine and decrease frizziness. Linseed Oil is also a great ingredient for hair products as it is moisturizing and high in linoleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid and antioxidant which studies have shown to be effective in cell regulation and skin-barrier repair as well as having anti-inflammatory benefits.

The first three ingredients listed are silicones. While silicones are derived from Silica (a naturally occurring mineral) they are generally considered to be synthetics. Silicones do have many legitimate medical uses, however in hair products they mainly serve the purpose of coating the hair shaft to give it a silkier feel. They also have water-repelling properties, which help to cut down on frizz. The downside, they can build up over time, weighing down the hair and making it dull a limp. It is not so much that the silicones themselves damage the hair, but rather that they simply coat it, masking any damage rather than actually improving it at a cellular level. The silicones coating the hair can also prevent other, more beneficial ingredients from actually penetrating the hair so that they can improve it structurally. Essentially, the silicones aren’t necessarily bad, they just don’t provide anything more than a temporary benefit.

The rest of the ingredients, I regret, are questionable. Butylphenly MethylPropional is a synthetic fragrance/odor-masking ingredient (it worries me when there is more of a fragrance ingredient in a product than the active ingredients!). Then, of course “fragrance supplement” indicates a synthetic perfume, otherwise they would promote that they use all-natural fragrance, although you could always call the company to check. Then you have some dyes (in my opinion, unnecessary). Coumarin and Alpha Isomethyle Ionone are also fragrance ingredients as well and are often synthetic. Benzyle Benzoate is a fragrance ingredient as well as a solvent.

My verdict: the argan and linseed oils are great, everything else is expendable, but if the other products you use are largely natural in formulation and you really love this product and aren’t sensitive to it, it’s not the worst product you could use. Please note, however, that if you were putting it directly on your skin I would have a very different opinion since, unlike the hair, the skin much more easily absorbs ingredients into the body and bloodstream. If you still want to go for a purer product (it’s certainly worth a try) I highly recommend Rare Elements El Treatment as a weekly treatment. It contains only 100% pure natural oils and no silicones, dyes, fragrances, or preservatives. Having used this myself I can tell you it is a fantastic product and the more you use it, the more you see real, long-term results in your hairs’ appearance, shininess and scalp health.

An option for styling is Jonathan Product Green Rootine Silkening Crème. I’ve found that, depending on your hair type, this one can require a little playing to find the best way to use it but once you get it right, it’s brilliant. I rub a pearl-sized amount between my palms and then work it through towel dried hair-staying away from the roots-and it give me perfectly soft, shiny waves with no greasiness. I did search rather extensively for a hair product that was argan oil based but did not contain the types of ingredients we are trying to avoid and was unable to find one, however you can purchase pure argan oil and use it as a treatment on its own.

Always,
The Beauty Chick

Have a beauty question? Ask The Beauty Chick! Send questions to Shayna@ModernHippieMag.com.

Article on Argan oil

Argan oil, golden oil from ancient Berber trees

posted on 8 Sep 2006 by maki :: 11 comments

Back in August The Observer Food Monthly ran a series of articles about ethical and unethical food. One of the products mentioned as an "ethical" choice was argan oil. I was immediately intrigued.

Argan oil comes from ancient argan trees, a species indigenous to North Africa. The argan forests in that region have been a part of Berber culture in the form of fuel, timber and food, but have been heavily exploited to the point where they have shrunk by 50% over the last 100 years. UNESCO has declared the forest a biosphere reserve.

So off I went to the supplier web site that was mentioned in the article, visions of ancient forests surrounded by deserts in my head.

The price - 18.50 GBP (about US $40) for one 250ml bottle - gave me sticker shock at first. But I ordered one in the interest of research (and greediness) and lo, a couple of weeks later it arrived in my mailbox. (I was just a bit disappointed that it was shipped from the U.K. rather than straight from Morocco, but I guess that's where their distribution point is.)

Besides being from an endangered species of tree, argan oil is also supposed to be very healthyl. According to the little tag that was attached to the orange-tinted frosted glass bottle, extra-virgin argan oil is

..traditionally eaten for breakfast in North Africa, with freshly baked bread, as a healthy start to the day. Delicious sprinkled on salads, grilled vegetables, and soups, its health giving properties have been known for generations. High in mono and polyunsaturates (80%), linoleic acid (34%), and plant sterols, it is a wholesome as it is delicious.

But enough about the social and health benefits. How does it taste?

First I opened up the bottle and sniffed it. It has a very unique smell - nutty, a bit like sesame oil, but with an slightly strange hint of something else that I couldn't put my finger on - sort of a "raw" scent. It's not unpleasant, just very unusual.

I poured out a little into a small glass bowl. The oil is a yellow color, like a light colored olive oil, with just a slight orange tint. (The bottle is tinted so you may think it's a bright orange, but it isn't. That bottle by the way is made in "150 year old moulds" and is "frosted to protect the oil" from light.)

I tasted it with the good old finger-in-the-bowl method. It has a very subtle but quite distinctly nutty taste. It's unlike any other nut or seed oil I've had before though. The closest to it is pumpkin seed oil, an Austrian speciality that I am rather addicted to. Argan oil has the same slightly spicy undertones, but is much milder than the dark, punchy pumpkin seed oil. It's not at all like olive oil, since it has no fruitiness or pepperiness to it.

So far we've only tried it sprinkled on salads (delicious) and on plain bread (even better). I tried sautéing some onions and garlic in it, and the smell was heavenly, but the flavor does dissipate a little (more than sesame oil does) when heated. So I think it's best used as a condiment, where you can get the full hit of flavor. It has a really addictive quality to it. Try drizzling a little on sliced or flat bread, sprinkling on a bit of sea salt, and then toasting the bread under the broiler. Yum. It's also great on grilled fish.

The only problem with ordering it again is the price. I'm wondering now if a trip to Morocco to bring back a suitcase full would pay for itself...

Article on Argan oil

Moroccan Argan Oil Based Natural Skin Care

Moroccan Argan oil is one of the most popular cosmetic products on the market. Moroccan Argan oil has been called the latest “miracle ingredient” by the New York Times. Many companies are making products using Moroccan argan oil, such as makeup, facial cream, body lotion, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and other hair care products. Pure and organic Moroccan argan oil are the keys to effectiveness of these products. Moroccan argan oil is reportedly great for hair, skin and nails because of its extremely high content of amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E.


Because argan oil Morocco has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing qualities it can help with a variety of skin conditions. Moroccan argan oil helps dry skin and oily skin, sounds weird, 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. Moroccan argan oil can be used by both women and men, young and old. Argan oil Morocco is even great for pregnant women because the moisturizing properties prevent the formation of stretch marks when massaged on skin regularly.

Moroccan argan oil is produced by Berber women in the Agadir region of Morocco. The women are part of cooperatives, women run and owned businesses. These cooperatives serve to protect the rights of the women by controlling wages, working hours and working conditions, as well as provide the women with education and healthcare. Argan Oil Morocco comes from southwest Morocco from the nut of the argan tree (argania spinosa). Argan trees grow in semi-arid, dessert like environments and live for over 200 years. They are endangered species and only grow in Morocco. The women in the cooperatives pick the argan fruit, let it dry in the sun, and then remove the argan nut. Once they have removed the argan nut, they crack the outer shell and remove the small kernal that is inside. This small kernal is what provides the Moroccan argan oil.

Argan oil Morocco can be cold pressed by machine or by hand. Machin e pressed is preferable because there is less argan kernal waste, there are no added ingredients during the process, and the Moroccan argan oil is purer. When argan oil is pressed by hand, it is mixed with local, non-purified water. The water is necessary when pressed by hand because it stimulates the oil to release from the argan nuts. Most hand pressed argan oil Morocco smell very pungent because they expire very quickly. (three months maximum). You want to stay away from argan oil products that contain pungent smells and fell greasy. A strong smelling or greasy feeling argan oil indicates that it is expired, not pure, or has been pressed by hand.

By: MariaLara

Article on Argan oil

Your Best-Loved Beauty Secret

Raw Argan Oil: What It Is and Why It Could Soon Become Your Best-Loved Beauty Secret

Rated by 1 Reader ?

Posted: Friday, June 27, 2008

• by Georgina Sweeney
  http://www.imagine-you.com

• 

If you haven't heard about raw argan oil yet, you're in for a nice surprise.

Derived from the nuts of the fruit of the Argania Spinosa tree in Morocco, argan oil (also known as argon or argane oil) comes in two forms: cosmetic grade and culinary.

The cosmetic version has been used for centuries by women in Southwestern Morocco to naturally enhance their hair, skin and nails. European women have also known about this beauty secret for some time, but it has only recently begun to make waves in the USA thanks to word-of-mouth, as well as the efforts of the King of Morocco Mohammed VI and the local government to turn this liquid gold (as it is known in Europe) into a global export.

PROPERTIES

Raw argan oil is deemed to be one of the world's richest natural sources of vitamin E. It also contains 80% essential fatty acids, as well as squalene, phytosterols and phenolic compounds. All these elements combine to offer users a myriad of potential beauty benefits, including:

• Softer skin
• Diminished wrinkles
• Reduced scarring
• Balanced sebum production (helps clear acne and monthly blemishes)
• Relief for eczema and psoriasis (even for babies)

DIRECTIONS FOR USE



Face

When using 100% pure cosmetic grade argan oil, you only need to use a few drops for your entire face. A little really does go a long way. You can apply it at night as an intensive moisturizing treatment and/or in the morning as a base for your makeup. The oil penetrates easily, does not leave an oily residue and can even be used around the eye area.

Nails

If your nails and cuticles are looking a little worse for wear, simply soak them in a 50:50 mixture of raw argan oil and lemon juice for 10 minutes (or even overnight). This will not only soften your cuticles and limit nail breakage but will also give your nails a healthy radiance.



Hair

For an intensive hair treatment to improve dry scalp and add shine, apply a generous amount of oil to dry hair, then wrap in a warm towel and leave for 30 minutes. Wash and style as usual.

Article on Argan oil

Argan Oil – Morocco’s Liquid Gold

Situated on the Atlantic coastline of western Morocco, the city of Essaouira is a popular tourist and holiday destination. With a history going back to prehistoric times, this city is drenched in tradition and culture offering visitors a truly authentic Moroccan experience.

Essaouira has a treasure of a different sort which tourists may not be aware of, but which reveals an interesting aspect of day-to-day life for a large number of local Berber women. Argan oil, which is often referred to as liquid gold, is believed to have age-defying and restorative properties and, as such, is becoming increasingly sought after in the multi million dollar beauty industry. This amazing oil is extracted from the nuts of the argan tree, which is found almost exclusively in the Essaouira area.

Argan oil is exceptionally high in essential fatty acids and vitamin E, and it is reputed to have therapeutic properties which relieve, and even cure, all manner of skin conditions including dry skin, eczema, acne and psoriasis, as well as softening wrinkles. Moroccans have long appreciated the unique qualities of argan oil, and apply it generously to their skin, nails and hair. It is also commonly used to moisturize the tender skin of their babies. Argan oil is a familiar sight in the kitchen and at the table where it is drizzled over couscous and salads, as well as being used, along with almonds and honey, to make a delicious, healthy spread known as amlou.

Approaching Essaouira along the road from Marrakech, visitors will note the signs indicating the various argan oil co-ops which are all run by Berber women. These friendly, hard-working women welcome visitors, who will often be invited to watch them work. In the majority of the co-ops, the older woman sit in the courtyard working in a very social setting, while the younger girls, many of them fluent in English, give visitors a tutorial about the argan oil extraction process.

The argan nut, which looks like a cross between an almond and a walnut, are picked from the trees dotted around the hills above Essaouira. Depending on the season, harvesters may have to compete with the local goats which deftly climb a tree and munch away on the nuts while perched precariously on a shaking branch. The nuts which will be made into salad oil are roasted over an open flame in a large steel drum. This roasting brings out its distinctive peppery flavor. The nuts which are destined for the beauty market are left raw.

The women undertake the arduous task of cracking the shells with sharp stones after which they grind the kernels into a brown paste between two large slabs of rock. The paste is then kneaded by hand to extract as much oil as possible before being sent to factories in Agadir to be mechanically pressed to further extract oil. Some of the oil becomes an ingredient in soaps, shampoos and creams, while the purest of oil is much prized, earning the name of “liquid gold”.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI has been greatly instrumental in setting up the co-ops and opening the way for world-wide export of argan oil, which has been of great assistance to the Berber women native to the area. The government of Monaco has backed this scheme which allows women to work half day, giving them precious time to attend to the needs of their families.

Western cosmetic companies are starting to make use of argan oil in their products as well as promoting the pure unadulterated product. For example, based in England, Liz Earle markets an organic skin-care line which promotes the benefits of argan oil that she sources directly from two of the Essaouira co-operatives. Analysis at high-tech laboratories in the UK have revealed that argan oil is extremely high in vitamin E, as well as phytosterols which are remarkably good for scar tissue reduction and a host of other skin rejuvenating processes.

Holidaymakers in Morocco often want to get to know the people that live in this fascinating country. A visit to the women’s co-operatives of Essaouira is an excellent way of gaining insight into the daily lives of these hard-working enterprising Berber women.

Article on Argan oil

ARGAN OIL

Discover the Benefits of Argan Oil & Our Picks for Top Argan Products

Have you heard about argan oil? Argan oil is made from the nuts of the argan tree, found exclusively in the southwest regions of Morocco. It may be hard to believe, but local goats climb the trees and eat the argan leaves and fruit, leaving behind the pits. The women then split the pits and extract the kernels inside to grind and press for the argan oil. There are a growing number of argan oil cooperatives, mostly run by women. They are re-planting argan trees, as the trees have become scarce due to overgrazing by goats and a growing population needing wood for survival.

ARGAN OIL: MULTI-PURPOSE MARVEL

The nuts of the argan tree produce oil loaded with essential fatty acids and Vitamin E as well as polyphenols and sterols, which are said to be cancer-fighting compounds. The fruit itself has a flesh-like exterior resembling an olive, but larger. Argan oil can be used in food preparation and, in Morocco, it is often poured on salads over couscous and roasted vegetables. Used as a garnish for soup, it adds yet another layer of flavor to your dishes. It is recommended that argan oil be used only for seasoning food, and never for cooking it. Argan oil has found vast popularity as an anti-aging ingredient in various serums, lotions and creams for the skin. It addresses multiple skin issues and is widely tolerated. When purchasing argan oil, be sure to first determine if you are buying oil for culinary or cosmetic purposes.

Article Written By: Laura Miller is a writer who always enjoys learning about beauty/health and wellness topics and sharing the information with readers.

Info on Argan oil

Argan oil is one of the hottest ingredients and standalone products in the beauty industry. But did you know that it can be used for more than just fighting wrinkles?

This moroccan miracle oil, as it is often called, contains 80% essential fatty acids (to help reduce inflammation), as well as squalene (to help keep our skin soft), phytosterols (to help protect collagen) and phenolic compounds (to guard against free radicals), making it one of the most versatile beauty products for those of who like to keep our beauty routines simple or who want to want to remain budget conscious.

So, without further ado, here are the top 10 reasons to use argan oil, other than to reduce lines and wrinkles (which, by the way, it does beautifully):

1. Soften dry, cracked skin Argan oil has a very high content of unsaturated fatty acids, even more so than shea butter, making it the perfect all-over face, hand and body moisturizer.

2. Help prevent stretch marks Simply use as you would any other stretch mark cream. The oil absorbs extremely easily and doesn’t leave any oily residue.

3. Lighten scars With regular use, argan oil can help lighten scars and acne marks.

4. Balance sebum production Although an oil, it is non-comedogenic, meaning that it does not clog pores.

5. Relieve eczema and psoriasis Argan oil is one of the world’s richest natural sources of vitamin E, so is a great treatment for a variety of skin conditions.

6. Soften cuticles Leave on overnight for best results.

7. Condition hair With its great moisturizing abilities, this oil makes a great intensive hair conditioner and can even be used to help split ends.

8. Alleviate dry, itchy scalp Apply to scalp and wrap head in a warm towel for 30 minutes or overnight to soothe irritation.

9. Soothe irritated baby skin A great alternative to chemical-based baby oils.

10. Use as a culinary oil Add flavor and health benefits when you drizzle argan oil over fish and vegetables (it’s not suitable for heating though).