Argan Oil
Argania spinosa
Morocco's 'liquid gold' โ the omega-9 shine oil for weightless softness.
Region
Souss-Massa, Morocco
Form
First-press vegetable oil
Shelf
24 months sealed
Class
Botanical oil
Key finding
80%
Unsaturated fatty acids โ oleic + linoleic dominate
The brief.
Origin
Cold-pressed from the kernels of the argan tree, endemic to the UNESCO-protected argan forest of southwestern Morocco. Our supplier partners with Berber women's cooperatives in Essaouira and Taroudant.
Extraction
Kernels are hand-cracked (never solvent-extracted) and cold-pressed within 48 hours. Deodorised only under vacuum, never bleached, preserving the natural tocopherol load.
Sustainability
Argan trees are drought-resistant and prevent desertification of the Souss basin. Our cooperative partners pay women 4ร the regional agricultural wage and reinvest 10% of margin into literacy programmes.
How it works.
Argan's oleic acid slips under the cuticle scales and softens them into a flat, reflective layer โ that's the shine. Its tocopherols scavenge the reactive oxygen species that dull colour and cause split-end oxidation, and its squalene bonds to your sebum for a natural, non-greasy finish.
Delivers
- 01Smooths the cuticle instantly for mirror-like shine
- 02Weightless enough for fine hair, rich enough for coarse hair
- 03Protects colour and heat-styled hair from oxidation
- 04Doubles as a face and body oil (non-comedogenic rating 0)
Molecular signature.
The bio-active constituents that make Argan Oil work โ with standardised percentages where measured by HPLC.
- 0142โ48%
Oleic Acid (ฯ-9)
Penetrating omega that smooths the cuticle.
- 0230โ36%
Linoleic Acid (ฯ-6)
Barrier-supporting essential fatty acid.
- 03~650 ppm
Tocopherols (Vitamin E)
Twice the antioxidant load of olive oil.
- 04
Squalene
Skin-identical hydrocarbon โ bio-affinity to the scalp's sebum.
Signal profile.
Six-axis assay
A living profile โ the vectors that make Argan Oil.
- Evidence74
2 peer-reviewed sources
- Potency42
Standardised at 80%
- Safety92
Broad tolerance
- Heritage78
Documented across 3 traditions
- Sensory88
Botanical oil profile
- Sourcing92
Traceable provenance
Heritage.
The record
Documented by the Phoenicians in the 12th century BCE and later by Ibn Al-Baytar in 13th-century Marrakech, argan oil has been Morocco's cosmetic and culinary heirloom for millennia. UNESCO added the argan forest to its Biosphere Reserve list in 1998.
Traditional use
Berber bridal hair mask; hammam post-scrub anointing; culinary drizzle on couscous. Passed matrilineally through Amazigh cooperatives.
Naturally found in
- Endemic to the argan forest of southwestern Morocco
- The tree lives up to 200 years and thrives in arid soil
- Only region where the tree bears commercially viable kernels
Field โ phial.
Every gram of Argan Oil passes five gates before it enters a Ghori formula. No shortcuts, no re-labels โ the paper trail runs from soil to seal.
- ๐คฃ01
Stage 01
Harvest
Cold-pressed from the kernels of the argan tree, endemic to the UNESCO-protected argan forest of southwestern Morocco. Our supplier partners with Berber women's cooperatives in Essaouira and Taroudant.
- โ02
Stage 02
Extract
Kernels are hand-cracked (never solvent-extracted) and cold-pressed within 48 hours. Deodorised only under vacuum, never bleached, preserving the natural tocopherol load.
- โ03
Stage 03
Assay
HPLC-verified. 80% standardised for unsaturated fatty acids โ oleic + linoleic dominate.
- โ04
Stage 04
Formulate
Effective as a leave-in at 1%โ100%. Two to three drops on ends daily; up to a full dropper for overnight masks.
- โ05
Stage 05
Deliver
Stable 24 months sealed. Sealed under nitrogen where required.
Best for. Pairs with.
Best for
- โFrizz-prone, dry, or coarse hair
- โColour-treated strands losing gloss
- โPost-heat-styling finishing oil
Pairs well with
People often ask.
Will argan oil weigh my hair down?
Not if you dose correctly โ 2โ3 drops for shoulder-length hair. It's one of the lightest facial-grade oils on the market.
Cosmetic-grade vs culinary โ what's the difference?
Cosmetic argan is unroasted; culinary is lightly toasted. Only unroasted delivers the full tocopherol load for cosmetic use.
The paper trail.
- [01]Charrouf Z, Guillaume D. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 โ Argan oil: chemistry and pharmacology.
- [02]Boucetta KQ, et al. Clin Interv Aging. 2015 โ The effect of dietary and/or cosmetic argan oil on postmenopausal skin.
More in Botanical oil
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