The benefits of argan

15 March, 2021

Why are argan and argan oil desirable in body skin care, but also hair care?

Everyone has heard of argan oil and many enjoy its benefits, but few of us actually know anything about argan. What exactly is argan and where does it grow? (Lat. Argania spinosa, syn. A. sideroxylon Roem. & Schult.) is an endemic tree of the limestone semi-desert valley of Sous in southwestern Morocco and the Tindouf region of Algeria.

It is the only species in the genus Argania. The argan tree grows 8 to 10 m in height and can live for 150 to 200 years. The tree is thorny with a bumpy trunk, the leaves are small, 2 to 4 cm long, oval with a rounded top. The plant blooms in April, with small flowers with five yellow-green petals. The fruit is 2 to 4 cm long and 1.5 to 3 cm wide with a thick, bitter rind that surrounds the pericarp with an unpleasant taste and sweet smell. In the center of the fruit is a very hard nut that contains one to three small, oil-rich seeds.

The fruits ripen in June and July and take more than a year to ripen. Argan forests in North Africa cover approximately 8,280 km2 and are protected by UNESCO as a special biosphere reserve. The area on which argan grows has decreased by 50% in the last 100 years, primarily due to coal production, livestock grazing and intensive cultivation of other crops.

Argan oil is today a lucrative export product and the growing scope of cultivation of this plant gives hope for its survival. The fruits of argan ripen in July when they are dark and dry. Before harvesting, goat herds are kept away from plantations that are very often guarded. The right to collect fruits is conditioned by the law and tribal traditions of the Berbers. Goats are released on the trees at harvest time. The oil from the fruits that have passed through the digestive tract of goats has an unpleasant taste and is not used for food purposes, but in this way separates the soft part of the fruit that is used as animal feed.

You’ve all probably seen photos of goats on a tree? It's an argan tree.

Argan Oil For Face And Body And Hair Care

The most physically demanding action in the process of traditional production of argan oil is breaking the core (walnut), most often with the help of two stones. The seeds stand out and are slightly fried (in modern production for the cosmetics industry, the highest quality oils are from unroasted argan seeds). Roasted seeds are ground into a paste with the addition of a little water in stone presses. The paste thus obtained is squeezed by hand, thus extracting the vegetable oil.

It is a very demanding and time consuming process which makes this oil a valuable and rare final product. The beauty industry has recognized the charms of argan and today is considered one of the highest quality cosmetic vegetable oils, and women around the world do not hesitate to set aside money for a bottle of this liquid gold.

Composition of argan oil

Argan oil is one of the most powerful anti-aging oils in the world, thanks to its rich nutrient composition. It contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, alpha linolenic, oleic), sterols, vitamin E, minerals and carotenoids.

Tocopherols, better known as vitamin E, are the most valuable ingredient in argan oil. Strong antioxidant properties are attributed to this vitamin. It is indispensable in the fight against scars, eczema and dry scalp.
Another important ingredient in argan oil is carotene, which protects the skin from UV radiation.
Essential fatty acids from argan oil prevent inflammatory processes on the skin by hydrating and strengthening it at the same time.
Argan oil has a high content of squalene, a natural compound that protects against skin cancer and helps soothe irritated skin.
Ferulic acid from argan oil is a very strong stabilizer of vitamins C and E, so it doubles their action.
It also contains polyphenols - natural compounds from plants that have anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects on the skin.

Argan oil is suitable for all skin types, and can be used by pregnant women and small children. Nourishes and hydrates dry skin, helps with dermatitis and psoriasis and prevents infections.

You can also feel the benefits of argan oil through several La PIEL products:

one of La PIEL's bestsellers - Beach BABE multi-purpose butter-oil with shimmer, a product that contains argan oil with hyaluronic acid, coconut oil and walnut oil.
Hydra BABE body milk and Sugar BABE body scrub also contain argan oil in their composition.
The face mask from our LAB collection contains 7 active ingredients (ceramides, niacinamide, copper peptides, hyaluronic acid, collagen, panthenol, vitamins (E and F)), 10 plant extracts and 6 oils, including argan oil which allows the skin to hydrate, soothes it and reduces redness and irritation.

Beneficial effect

Argan oil is very rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Due to its rich composition, argan oil is used:

in the treatment of rheumatic and arthritic diseases
to prevent cancer
in cosmetics

The use of argan oil is extremely popular in cosmetics due to its high content of fatty acids that have the ability to regenerate the skin and maintain the balance of water and lipids, which prevents skin drying and loss of elasticity, and prevents wrinkles.

Vitamin E, which is also found in argan oil, plays an important role in the fight against wrinkles. As a strong antioxidant, vitamin E has the ability to neutralize free radicals and thus slows down the aging process.

Anti-aging and skin renewal

If the oil is used for daily care, it is best to first apply the appropriate hydrolate on the face, and then apply oil to it until the skin is completely dry. So, in fact, you apply one version of the cream on the face without an emulsifier because the skin gets both oily and watery phase (which are the basic ingredients of each cream).

In addition to fighting aging, argan oil has been shown to work well in regenerating damaged skin, and also helps treat scars caused by chickenpox and acne. While many oils are not suitable for oily and acne-prone skin, argan oil is recommended for treating skin with excessive sebum secretion due to its high content of antioxidants (vitamin E, unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols). Namely, scientists are exploring the possibilities of topical application of argan oil because of its ability to control sebum secretion, balance excess skin fat and improve the appearance of oily and combination skin.

Argan oil is also effective in skin irritations and inflammation, in the prevention of stretch marks, for the care of oily skin, hair and delicate baby skin.

Protector of the heart and blood vessels

There are also some recent studies that show that virgin argan oil is useful in many cardiovascular diseases. It is also credited with the possible lowering of cholesterol, LDL lipoproteins and triglycerides, as well as antioxidant properties.

As argan oil is rich in fatty acids, phenolic components, squalene, sterols and tocopherols, its potential anticancer effect is also being studied.

Many researchers suggest that regular use of argan oil strengthens the antioxidant status of the body and lowers cholesterol, and thus has the prospect of use in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Hair care

You can apply pure argan oil on your hair instead of conditioner, but pay attention to the amount of oil. After washing, apply 2-3 drops of argan oil on your hair instead of conditioner by rubbing them between your fingers and applying to the tips of your hair. No more drops are needed because in that case your hair will become excessively greasy.

Argan hair oil is best applied after washing, when the hair is still wet. In addition to helping your hair dry and comb faster, it will be most effective as it will nourish it from root to tip, and make it shiny. However, you can also apply argan oil on completely dry hair, whenever additional care is needed. Due to its special formula, the hair will come to life, without additional oiling. Just a few drops are enough, which you will warm between your palms and apply evenly on your hair and massage into the scalp.

The advice is more to apply a little more argan oil as a balm and rinse your hair with cold water. Don't forget to gently massage the oil into the scalp. It will make your hair shine like after using the most expensive mask. A good trick for beautiful hair. If you apply a small amount, you don't even have to rinse it, but wrap your hair in a towel, which will help it absorb this miraculous oil better.

nourishes the hair and gives it shine
nurtures cracked tops
protects hair from wind, hair dryer, sun and sea salt
helps to comb the hair
reduces the secretion of sebum (oil)
prevents dandruff
stimulates hair growth

Face and body care

Argan Oil For Facial Skin Care

can serve as a facial care serum
cleans dead skin cells
hydrates the skin
gives the skin a glow
relieves wrinkles and nourishes the eye area
it can also serve as a face scrub if you mix it with brown sugar
addresses dry skin on elbows and heels
reduces the amount of sebum and inflammatory processes
reduces acne
reduces stretch marks
helps with inflammatory skin diseases
helps with burns, irritated, damaged and cracked skin
stimulates elasticity and deeply nourishes the skin
nourishes lips (see our lip balm which contains argan oil among other ingredients)
nourishes the nails and prevents them from cracking

Medicinal properties

Two teaspoons of argan oil a day:

facilitates digestion
lowers cholesterol and lipid levels
has a beneficial effect on liver function, rheumatic and cardiovascular diseases
strengthens the body's defense system
useful for joint inflammation and rheumatic problems
a powerful antioxidant
stimulates circulation
improves brain capacity
acts as a natural aphrodisiac

Products that are not pure argan oil and that contain synthetic and harmful ingredients can also be found on the market under the name of argan oil. The product label should clearly state: "100% argan oil" or "100% argania spinosa kernel oil".

Pure argan oil should have a slightly nutty scent reminiscent of olive oil, but with a more nutty note. It is silky and absorbs into hair and skin in just minutes. There are also oils on the market that smell different - poor quality and spoiled oil, users claim, smells like rancid fat, and it is extremely unpleasant.

But if argan oil doesn’t have that exclusive nutty note, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not original.

Namely, the smell of argan oil depends on a number of factors - soil type, humidity, rainfall and other climatic conditions before collection, then on the type of treatment (in some parts of Morocco due to high demand and mechanically processed - cold pressing), and then processing for other needs.

Western markets are looking for odorless argan oil, for example, for cooking or for the production of cosmetics.

So look for oils that are called organic or bio, to make sure you are using a quality product. Store it in a glass container, in a dark place.