Our organic Argan Oil is harvested from trees that grow wild, high in Morocco’s Atlas Mountain region. This nourishing and Vitamin E-rich ‘dry’ oil has been gaining popularity in recent years for its ability to deeply moisturize skin and hair without leaving a greasy residue. It has a very mild, fruity, nutty aroma, and is processed from the unroasted kernels to preserve the beneficial antioxidants. It is cold pressed and charcoal filtered, but otherwise unrefined.

The traditional process to extract Argania spinosa oil is time consuming and labor intensive. The trees grow in wild, remote areas of southwestern Morocco where local villagers gather the fruits that have fallen naturally to the ground. These fruits are sun-dried for several weeks, then cracked open with stone tools to reveal the kernels inside. In an arduous process performed mostly by women, the kernels are manually ground and hand pressed to release the precious Argan oil.[1] In recent years and in some production areas, improvements in the methods of extraction using mechanical equipment have resulted in reduced labor costs and higher yields.[2]

Our supplier employs 115 women who are responsible for the whole chain of Argan oil production - manually picking, sorting and crushing the best Argan nuts. Compared to machine production of this oil, smaller production capacity is paired with having the highest quality standards, while significantly contributing to the improved welfare of the local population.[3]

Argan oil contains an unusually high concentration of Vitamin E (tocopherols) and a form of Vitamin A (carotenes), vital components for maintaining beautiful skin and hair. It is particularly useful in mature skin preparations, mostly attributable to its high fatty acid and essential fatty acid content. Our cosmetic grade (non-roasted) Argan Oil may be incorporated into your skin and body care preparations or can be used on its own. As a ‘dry’ oil, Argan is best used at 5% to 10% of the fixed (carrier) oil portion of massage formulas.

Want to know more about how to use Argan Oil as a base for your essential oil blends? Read Dilution Solutions to learn about essential oil to carrier oil ratios and how to mix essential oils with carrier oils.