Ingredient Library
Argan Oil
Argania spinosa
Argan oil is a Moroccan kernel oil rich in vitamin E and fatty acids that soften, nourish, and restore suppleness. Fast-absorbing, it suits dry, mature skin and hair.
A natural history
The argan tree grows wild in only one place on earth, the sun-scorched Sous Valley of southwestern Morocco, where the gnarled, thorny trees can live for two hundred years. For generations the oil has been hand-made by Berber women, who crack the stone-hard nuts between two rocks and press the kernels by hand, work so painstaking that a single litre of oil can take a day's labor and many kilos of fruit. Today these women's cooperatives are the heart of the argan trade, and the Moroccan argan forests are a protected UNESCO biosphere.
The tree has one more famous trick. Goats are known to clamber high into its branches to eat the fruit, an astonishing sight that has become a symbol of the region. Long used by Moroccans for skin, hair, and the table, argan oil earned its global nickname as liquid gold.
What it does for your skin
Argan oil is rich in vitamin E, squalene, and unsaturated fatty acids that soften and condition skin. In a clinical trial in postmenopausal women, daily application of argan oil was linked with measurable improvement in skin elasticity over two months.[1] Laboratory work also found that argan oil helped skin feel softer and better hydrated.[2] It is, in short, a nourishing oil for skin that wants suppleness and comfort.
References
[1] Boucetta KQ, Charrouf Z, Aguenaou H, Derouiche A, Bensouda Y. The effect of dietary and/or cosmetic argan oil on postmenopausal skin elasticity. Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:339-349. doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S71684
[2] Manca ML, Matricardi P, Cencetti C, et al. Combination of argan oil and phospholipids for the development of an effective liposome-like formulation able to improve skin hydration. Int J Pharm. 2016;505(1-2):204-211. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2016.04.008
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It is a nourishing oil rich in vitamin E and fatty acids, valued for softening dry skin and bringing a supple, conditioned look.
In a study it was linked with improved skin elasticity, supporting a suppler, more comfortable look in mature skin.
It absorbs well for a rich oil, leaving skin soft rather than heavy.
Our Hair and Scalp Treatment Serum, among others.