Argan oil: productos of high perfumery, incense, essential oils
Long cherished as a beauty product by the women of the Sahara, Argan oil is still used as a traditional remedy for skin chafed by sun and wind among the Berbers, who call it "
liquid gold".
It's obtained by cold pressing the dried kernels of
Argania spinosa and is a greenish liquid with a delicate,
hazelnut-like aroma. It's one of the few vegetable oils used in cosmetics which is truly rich in
essential fatty acids (especially linoleic acid) and
anti-oxidants such as tocopherol (vitamin E), which is noted for its ability to fight
free radicals.
Argan oil is a
natural cell regenerator and is also excellent for the treatment of scalded and chapped skin, making it something of an
elixir of youth where the skin is concerned.
It also helps to
strengthen the
hair and
fingernails; even today, north African women steep their fingernails in a mixture of lemon juice and Argan oil for a few minutes.
ARGAN OIL
Argania spinosa was once endemic to many valleys of northwestern Africa, but with the advance of the desert and the felling of the trees for their timber, it now grows almost exclusively in the Moroccan region of Souss, a triangle of semi-desert landscape on the Atlantic coast. Considering that it takes over a hundredweight of dried kernels to produce one litre of Argan oil, we can readily understand why it's one of the most "
precious" natural products.
A summary of the skin benefits of Argan oil:
- SAFEGUARDS the skin's natural elasticity and firmness.
- PREVENTS and moderates the ageing processes which affect the skin.
- REDUCES unsightly blemishes left by cuts and/or acne.
