Close to the Atlas Mountains within the Souss-Massa area of Morocco, North Africa, rows of argan bushes have grown since time immemorial. These historic bushes are a vibrant life power holding again the encroaching Sahara Desert with their deep root system. Their oil has lengthy been a supply of vitamin and a pure protector of pores and skin and hair towards the arid parts. These are properties it shares with many oils and butters derived from native African bushes, vegetation and different botanicals we cowl in our submit:

10 Pure African Skincare Elements

Nonetheless, cold-pressed argan oil is among the many most extremely prized of all this continent’s pure beauty oils, and is, maybe rightfully, known as ‘liquid gold’. That is partly on account of its color, but additionally on account of its luxurious texture, wealthy fatty acid profile, and a wealth of nutrient compounds that make glowing additions to your skincare and haircare formulation. True to its nickname, this is likely one of the costlier oils, but it surely’s not out of attain for dwelling formulators. Let’s crack open the key to what makes this oil such a beneficial beauty ingredient.

Argan oil – the background story

Argan oil (INCI: Argania spinosa kernel oil) is a welcome addition to almost any system – from luscious Moroccan-themed physique oils and butters to hair oils and nourishing facial oils and serums.

Beauty-grade argan oil is usually chilly pressed from the uncooked kernels of the fruit of the argan tree. It’s frequent for goats to climb these shrubby low bushes and graze amongst their branches. This truly helps the locals harvest the kernels. The fashionable course of of manufacturing the oil isn’t so totally different from the normal manner – kernels are nonetheless gathered, dried, hulled, milled and pressed – but it surely’s now mechanised for effectivity and the next yield, and the oil might be refined and deodorised. (i)

The Advantages of Formulating with Argan Oil for Pores and skin and Hair

With its skill to extend moisture and elasticity within the pores and skin and shield towards trans-epidermal water loss – mixed with its antioxidants compounds – argan is a superb oil to make use of in formulations focusing on mature pores and skin. (ii)

Like most plant oils, the advantages of argan oil are revealed by means of its fatty acids. It’s a mono-unsaturated oil with oleic acid and linoleic acid – plus antioxidants resembling polyphenols, vitamin E and even a small quantity of coenzyme Q10 (i). Palmitic acid (a waxy, saturated fatty acid) provides the oil substance and lends a light-weight occlusive layer that protects the pores and skin barrier, making it appropriate for delicate pores and skin or merchandise supposed to revive pores and skin barrier perform (ii). Additional background lies in our posts:

Learn how to formulate a easy face oil with African oils
High 10 botanical oils each formulator wants

Even with its barely viscous texture, argan oil stays a beautiful oil for all hair sorts because it absorbs shortly and simply. Actually, it’s develop into a trending haircare ingredient that’s well-known for its skill to assist tame frizz and penetrate the hair follicle to offer rise to fuller, shinier hair (i). It might even assist to mitigate hair loss when commonly utilized to the scalp (iii).

Our pupil Eliz Chausheva created this deep conditioning hair masks that features argan oil together with loads of different goodies to situation dry and broken hair. Eliz included hibiscus powder and blue tansy amongst her elements to provide the attractive color, proving that hair merchandise don’t should be a boring white.

We featured argan oil in our hair and scalp oil formulation under, and it will get a deserved talked about in our podcast on pure, sustainable haircare.

Make a simple, 5-minute rosemary scalp and hair oil
Podcast 139: Sustainable haircare –why much less is greatest

Argan oil – understanding its totally different grades for formulation

Virgin or unrefined
Pure, unrefined cold-pressed argan oil is essentially the most nutrient-dense grade obtainable – if you will get it natural, even higher. That is the kind that virtually comes straight from the kernel and right into a bottle, other than some filtering, and the color can vary from darkish brown to amber. Nonetheless, this selection comes with a pungent earthy odour that just about approaches the nutty scent of uncooked shea butter, however it’s much less chocolaty, and extra animalic in scent profile. This is perhaps well worth the trade-off if this stage of purity meets your thought of pure or is essential on your model ethos. However the odor isn’t for everybody, and it may be troublesome to masks. We discover what pure means proper again in episode 1 of our podcast, because it’s such a elementary a part of studying pure beauty formulation.

Podcast 1: What does pure skincare imply?

Refined and deodorised
If you would like the advantages of argan oil with out the odor, this one is right. The refined, cold-pressed oil has a fatty acid profile that’s much like the virgin oil, though for those who examine the certificates of research (COA) or the security knowledge sheet (SDS) of every, you would possibly discover variations within the stability of fatty acids and nutrient compounds. There’s additionally a refined model that’s solvent-extracted, which tends to have fewer antioxidants. (iv) These oils are lighter in color and value extra as a result of refining course of. If you’re new to security knowledge sheets of beauty elements, this weblog submit is the place to start out:

Learn how to learn a security knowledge sheet

Adulterated or just diluted?
Argan oil might be adulterated with cheaper oils and offered as “pure” argan oil, however there are a number of ways in which good suppliers can check and confirm the standard of their oil. Nonetheless, typically argan oil is mixed with inexpensive oils to make it extra inexpensive, whereas permitting the mix to retain the fatty acid profile of pure argan oil. On this case, it’s not “adulteration” whether it is indicated clearly as such on the label or within the documentation, and its composition is mirrored in a cheaper price.

Ideas for formulating with argan oil

Argan oil is secure to be used as much as 100% – it’s non-irritating and never photo-toxic. Add it straight into face or physique oils, however in heated balms and emulsions, it’s greatest so as to add argan oil throughout the cool-down section since it’s verging on warmth delicate and over heating it might hurt its helpful botanical compounds. Check out our article on warmth sensitivity:

The chemist’s information to checking plant oils for warmth sensitivity

When you go for the virgin oil, one option to method the odour can be to deal with it as a scent ‘word’ as a substitute of attempting to masks it. Create a floral-forward mix of important oils resembling bergamot FCF, rose geranium or rose absolute, lavender, vetiver or patchouli. The animalic word of the argan oil might effectively add depth and a classic really feel to your florals. It will rely in your percentages and the odor of your specific argan oil but it surely’s price a strive.

Method Botanica graduate Carmina Grety Stamate tackled the odour situation in her hair masks formulation (under) by together with some fabulous important oils – rosemary, jasmine and frankincense. Rosemary is a perfect selection because it imparts quite a few advantages into pure hair merchandise which we cowl in our submit:

Revitalise your locks: easy methods to make a rosemary hair and scalp oil

Argan oil has a steady shelf-life of about one 12 months when saved away from warmth and lightweight. And when integrated into merchandise, the shelf life might be prolonged with a further antioxidant such a vitamin E (Tocopherol) or rosemary extracts.

Sustainability and the Argan Oil Undertaking

The Argan Oil Undertaking (AOP) was established in 1985 with the purpose of defending argan bushes from deforestation and guaranteeing the sustainable manufacturing of argan oil, in addition to making a dependable supply of earnings for native girls. The AOP helped arrange organised women-only cooperatives and outfit them with schooling and literacy, plus modernising their harvesting and processing instruments to assist produce high-quality argan oil extra effectively so it could possibly be delivered to markets past Morocco (iv).

Many suppliers work with these cooperatives and buying from AOP-backed entities is a win-win: you get a top quality oil, and also you’re supporting these native communities and the longevity of their treasured argan bushes.

Extra about argan oil and its botanical magnificence

Argan is a luxurious oil that may elevate your formulation. For a extra in-depth take a look at this this oil, and the advantages of botanical oils basically, think about becoming a member of our membership web site The Lab at Method Botanica. The Lab is a treasure-trove of bite-sized specialist programs – or Mini-Labs – together with The Botanical Oils Mini Lab, the place we demystify the chemistry of plant oils to disclose their pores and skin advantages, shelf life, and extra.

Additional studying and references

(i) Stated Gharby and Zoubida Charrouf: Argan Oil: Chemical Composition, Extraction Course of, and High quality Management, February 3, 2022.

(ii) Tzu-Kai Lin, Lily Zhong, and Juan Luis Santiago (2022): Anti-Inflammatory and Pores and skin Barrier Restore Results of Topical Software of Some Plant Oils.

(iii) Zoubida Charrouf and Dominique Guillaum (2018): The Argan Oil Undertaking: Going from Utopia to Actuality in 20 Years.

(iv) Hanae El Monfaloutia, Dom Guillaumea, Clément Denheza and Zoubida Charrouf (2010): Therapeutic Potential of Argan Oil: A Assessment.

Depart us a remark

Shauna is a copywriter and content material creator with Method Botanica. Her love of magnificence started with Contemporary ’n Fancy – a make-your-own cosmetics equipment for teenagers. She is a former aesthetician and accomplished the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation in 2020. Immediately, she is the perfumer, formulator and model proprietor of Ivy’s Poison.