my favorite things: argan oil

I truly enjoy mysterious things from exotic lands. Using them makes me feel–I don’t know–exotic? It acts kind of like an aphrodisiac on me.

I recently stumbled upon something very exciting. Kind of the oil version of a Jack-of-all-trades that is not only good for all of your body, inside and out, but is environmentally friendly and helps support working mothers in the aforementioned exotic land.

What is this of which I speak? Argan Oil.

About now you  are thinking, what the hell am I talking about and why is a romance writer blogging about imported oil? Well, as I’ve confessed before here on the blog, I am a big old procrastinator who will research pretty much anything online to avoid doing what I am supposed to be doing, and I am making a real effort to be healthier and more environmental by finding more natural products to use. So there!

Anyway…Argan Oil. Here is a brief history but a more comprehensive article can be found at Wikipedia.

For centuries before modern times, the indigenous people of Morocco would collect and use the Argan kernels for oil used in cooking and cosmetics. The Argania spinosa tree is a relic of the Earth’s Tertiary Period, which ended about 1.6 million years ago, and it grows in only a few other places in the world. It is tenacious, withering and fruitless during extended droughts, and it lives as long as 200 years. Recently, however, the tree was in danger of extinction thanks to overgrazing of goats and the local population harvesting it for wood.

The tree is now under the protection of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), an organization which dedicated 25,900-square-kilometer of land to preserve the trees and who also created world-wide distribution and new consumer demand for products made from the reputedly anti-aging argan oil.

All argan sold today through the organization is produced by a women’s cooperative that shares the profits among the local women of the Berber tribe. The cooperative has established an ecosystem reforestation project so that the supply of argan oil will not run out and the income that is currently supporting the women will not disappear. The money is providing healthcare and education to the local women, and supporting the entire community as a whole.

Cosmetically the Vitamin E-rich oil can be used for hair, skin and nails, and even for the relief of psoriasis. The argan kernels also yield oil that can be used on salads or for dipping bread. Argan oil remains one of the rarest oils in the world.

So, there you go. I have yet to find the roasted argan oil for cooking but I am hoping to do so. Meanwhile, I am currently using Virgin 100% Pure Argan Oil (from Slice of Nature) instead of my usual face cream for both day and night use. I am using One ‘n Only’s Argan Oil (made from Moroccan argan oil mixed with Dimethicone) on my hair exclusively. This one product has replaced the three hair products I used to use (leave-in conditioner, straightening serum, and shine spray) and my hair has never looked or felt better.

A few words of caution.

1) Use these products sparingly. A little goes a very long way and too much will leave you a greasy mess. It is oil, after all. One squirt covers both my face and neck. A quarter-sized amount worked into my wet, shampooed hair is plenty for me. (I have a LOT of very thick hair. Most people should start with a dime-sized amount.)

2) Beware of imitations. I had originally searched online for “Moroccan Oil TM” a hair product a salon used on me that sells for about $40 a bottle. I learned through research that unless you purchase this product from an authorized salon, you are likely getting a fake made from other kinds of oils and product performance is not guaranteed. Since there was no authorized salon within 50 miles of my house, I found One ‘n Only’s $9 Argan Oil hair product online and have been very happy. I figured if I was going to experiment with new products, a $9 experiment made more sense than a $40 one.

I truly believe that our ancestors knew better than we do about quite a few things. Yeah, we have computers and can land a man on the Moon, but my nails are stronger than ever, my skin looks fabulous and my hair has never looked better–all thanks to the ancient species of Argania spinosa and the women of the Berber tribe. Go figure.

Tags: cooking, shopping

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 11:03 am and is filed under favorite things. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.