The many uses of Argan Oil. . .

Image borrowed from http://www.arganoilshop.com/

Over the past two years we've noticed that whenever the quest for eternal youth is in play you'll almost always hear the words "Argan" and "oil" being splashed around . It has become one of beauty's new go-tos, but what most people don't realise is that it is available for culinary use - at cheaper cost.


Argan oil is made from the nuts of the Argan Tree, or Argania spinosa a relic of the Earth's Tertiary period. The Argan Tree can live for up to 200 years and is under UNESCO protection.

Argan Oil is rich in vitamin E, phytosterols, carotenoids, essential fatty acids and is more resistant to oxidation than olive oil. As you have probably heard, it's said to have anti-aging properties and might just help skin conditions such as acne, eczema and even dry skin patches. Topical use reinforces the hydro-lipidic film for improved skin hydration, speed up cell oxygenation thus increasing skin elasticity, and it can help to prevent the formation and reduce appearance of stretch marks.

It is also claimed that consumption of Argan Oil can help to lower cholesterol levels, stimulate circulation and boost the immune system.
Now, we've seen a number of argan oils not all labelled organic....so we did a bit of digging. From what we could find all argan oil is organic which makes paying more for the organic label seem a little silly (thank you so much to the people who got back to us on this one, but if any of you readers have evidence to the contrary do let us know!).

According to our sources all argan oil sold is the produce of a women's co-operative that shares the profits among the women of the Berber tribe. The co-operative has also established an ecosystem reforestation project, so that argan supply and that the income of the Berber tribe women will not disappear. This article by Melissa Breyer further explains how Argan oil is not only a beauty wonder but is heavily involved in women's rights, specifically those of the Berber tribe. Check it out when you get the chance.

Just so you know; the difference between culinary Argan oil and cosmetic Argan oil is that culinary Argan oil is lightly toasted.

How we use it

In food: Argan oil tastes nutty and delicious, we use it in salads and as a general dressing for foods. We've not cooked with it yet, but we really love it. It is easy on the stomach and, from our experience, seems to help digestion.

On our skin: Argan oil is thicker than olive oil, you only need 1 or 2 drops for your face and neck, and it absorbs quickly. It leaves the skin plumped up, soft and totally moisturised.

On our hair: Argan oil penetrates the hair shaft, nourishing the hair from inside out. Hair is left shiny, bouncy and manageable. We usually mix 1 tbsp of argan oil with 1 tbsp of coconut oil, gently heat it up and apply it to the hair, rinsing out after at least 30 minutes.

We're still in our twenties so we can't testify to Argan oil's age-defying effects, what we can say is that it is incredibly nourishing and that it does plump up and revitalise the skin, imparting a subtle glow. It does work on dry skin patches and L likes to use it on occasion, but coconut oil is just as effective.

As we mentioned above, it makes a fantastic hair mask, sometimes we sub Argan oil for olive oil in this hair mask. And it makes a lovely salad dressing.

So where do we buy our luscious Argan oil from?

image borrowed from http://www.mybelazu.com/

Belazu, available in 250ml for £14.95 (inc UK p&p).

If you're interested in other argan products, check out our posts on Cioccolatina's Argan & Cocoa Butter Liquid Shampoo and Live Native's Essential Earth Exfoliating Cleanser.

Have you ever used Argan oil? Let us know what you thought!
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P.S. we're not sure that argan oil is suitable for nut allergy sufferers, so do be careful!