I Heart Argan Oil

Hi everyone,

Recently, I was introduced to argan oil via Pure Argan Oil, a website in UK that sells 100% pure oil imported from Morocco. She sent me a 15ml roller ball vial to try and after a couple of uses, I was hooked! Yes, I have tried olive, jojoba, and even coconut oils on my skin but this argan oil tops them all!

The 15ml sample I received

It has a roller ball on top, which is nifty to apply on my skin without wasting too much product

 First of all, unlike the other oils I tried, argan oil does not feel oily. I have tried jojoba oil before and although it is technically a wax, I still feel like it sits on my skin when I use too much of it. Both olive and coconut oils are thicker but they both feel oily as well. However, argan oil is quite unique: while it is a heavy oil with lots of fatty acids, it permeates into the skin well without making me feel too oily.

A little bit of argan oil on my skin

And then I rubbed it. The skin looks significantly smoother already!

Prior to using it, I was trying a $350 USD face cream which left my skin both oily and dry at the same time. Then, I switched over to Kurahito, which hydrated my skin to a certain extend. But once it started using this pure argan oil, things went for the better. For the first time ever, the skin areas underneath my eyes were moist! And I have been using expensive eye creams that vowed to do the same job but they did not!

Insane, right?

Turns out argan oil contains vitamin E, phenols, squalenr, carotene, and 80% unsaturated fatty acids. It is also deemed to be more stable than olive oil when it comes to being oxidized. On top of that, you can use argan oil on your skin, hair, nails, and even lips! This is an edible oil like olive and coconut oils!

I used it religiously for a month and I've noticed 2 things: I only need to use a tiny bit of argan oil right after washing my face and it does pull the plugs out of my skin similarly to jojoba oil. Also, it smooths hair flyaways without making my hair look greasy at all.

If I have to choose between the expensive Moroccan Oil (a hair care oil) vs. pure argan oil from Morocco, I would take the later one in a heart beat. Moroccan Oil is full of dimethicone, which makes hair look smooth, sleek and lustrous but it does not have the healing power that argan oil has. Also, the amount of argan oil in Moroccan Oil is little. It's better to use the original and natural oil anyway.

That's all for now, folks! I hope you are having a fantastic week ahead!

Love,
Dao xoxo

Review: Nuance Salma Hayek Argan Oil Glossing Shampoo

With acai fruit, rice bran & passion flower seed oils. Helps restore shine and strengthen for sleek, smooth hair. My line is inspired by my grandmother, who dedicated her life to keeping women beautiful. My products are designed to help every woman enhance the nuances that define her individual beauty and make my grandmother proud. -Salma. Argan oil penetrates each strand, helping restore shine and protecting against thermal damage for glossy, healthy hair. Acai fruit & rice bran oils help prevent split ends and dryness for a soft, silky finish. Passion flower seed oil softens and nourishes to help retain moisture. Paraben free. Not tested on animals.

Ingredients:

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide MEA, Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone, C11-15 Pareth-7, C12-16 Pareth-9, Trideceth-12, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Fragrance, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, PEG-150 Distearate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone.

Usage:

Apply to wet hair and massage into a soft lather. Rinse thoroughly and follow with conditioner.

Mechanisation Pushes Argan Oil Profits For Morocco

A Moroccan university professor’s interest in the economic preservation of the declining Argan tree has resulted in women harvesting the tree’s valuable oil increasing their income by more than ten times.
The Argan tree is an ancient species that formerly spanned most of North Africa, but due to over-harvesting for timber and livestock grazing has seen its range limited to southwestern Morocco. The trees produce nuts, which in turn contain almond-shaped pods which, when crushed and processed, yield oil that is valued for its taste and flavor across Morocco. This rare Argan oil is used in couscous, salads and for dipping breads. Rich in vitamin E, phenols and caratenes, it is also used to treat skin conditions and has recently found favor in the cosmetics industry.

Zoubida Charrouf, a professor at Mohamed V. University in Morocco, initially developed an interest in the tree and its oil for conservation reasons, but has since improved the extraction of oil by establishing processing cooperatives – such as the Ajddigue and Taitmatine cooperatives – run entirely by local women.  This commercialisation of Argan oil has boosted business in the cooperatives and emancipated the women by offering them a meaningful livelihood. Charrouf says that Argan Oil “should readily find a place of choice amid the most profitable oils for human health”. Celebrities as diverse as Sophie Dahl, model and writer, and Heston Blumenthal, one of Britain’s leading chefs, are fans.

  The commercialization was achieved by mechanizing some of the tedious production tasks, such as grinding the nuts and pressing the oil. This sped up the operation and also improved the quality of the oil, doubled its shelf life, and reduced waste. Membership in the cooperatives now ranges from 35 to 40 women, who now earn about $8.60 a day, an increase of more than ten times from when the projects began in 1997. Argan oil is now a high value niche product on the international market, and what began as a cottage industry could now provide more employment to Moroccan women.
”At the time [the project started], we were losing more than 600 hectares of Argan forest each year,” says Charrouf. “But we also wanted to convert this ecological problem into an economic opportunity. I knocked at several doors, but no one believed in my project. Now Argan oil is known around the world.” The economic opportunity that Charrouf uncovered for Moroccan women is now being supported with grants from the Moroccan government and the European Union.
“Being part of the cooperative freed me from tedious domestic work in people’s homes,” said one member of the Taitmatine cooperative. “Now I’m learning to read and write and I’ve learned how to ensure the quality of the Argan kernels. The cooperative has made me more independent. I’ve been able to visit other cooperatives in other provinces. I’ve seen how girls and women like me have been able to shape their own destiny and move ahead to develop their cooperatives.”

Stuff I Love: One 'n Only Argan Oil Curl Cream

I am sure that wherever you are, you are experiencing a heat wave unlike any other. I have not been heat styling my natural hair, because it's pointless, I'd be sweating my hair out before my flat iron would reach my ends! I've been rocking my curls all summer, and running through product like crazy. I am a product junkie and my bathroom cabinet is full of different things I may have bought but didn't love. In order to pare down my product overload and not be wasteful, I have been going through my cabinets and experimenting with what I have to see if something would work better in combination with some of my other stuff. All natural girls know it's all about experimenting to find the right combo for your hair!

I purchased One 'n Only Argan Oil Curl Cream a while ago when Sally's was having a ridiculous sale. I'm a frugalista, so when they have a buy 3 get one free, on top of my Sally's discount and I had a coupon for another free item, I grabbed almost everything in the product line. I loved the Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner immediately. I also snatched up the hair mask and Argan oil, and those are also favorties. But I didn't love the Curl Cream off the bat, it was too heavy for my hair. So I used it on my son's hair, since it needs a lot of moisture. Read more at  Conventional Culture

Shana' Experience With Argan oil

I had a bad hair experience two days ago. I was visiting my boyfriends mother in Phoenix. She used to be a hairdresser and I asked her if she would mind touching up my roots. I am a natural brunette and have blonde highlights and a lighter base color. We bought all of the stuff at Sally and when she was done with the process the roots were orange as was some orange streaks in the length. She thought maybe one more process would lighten them so she did it again, still orange. It was awful. I almost cried and told her just to put a single process chemical free dye on it and that would be that although I didn't want to go dark I had no choice, I wasn't putting anymore chemicals on my hair. Long story short, she has a friend who is a hairdresser and she took me to her salon (she "knows an emergency when she hears one") and put a gentle violet based red allover and foiled some highlights.

She also used argan oil and gave me several little packets to try. She told me my hair was still very healthy after all it went through but I do really like the oil. Is it good stuff? Will it help my hair recover? Is it good for routine maintenance? I know nothing about this stuff. Thank you. read more...

Argan Oil: Beauty's best kept secret.

If you're looking for an all round beauty tip that can help you with anything from defying those wrinkles and fine lines, to acne and blemishes or simply after prolonging that summer sun glow, then the miracle that is argan oil is a good place to start.
Although it seems too good to be true, argan oil is a product that can tackle many of our physical imperfections. As one of the word's best natural moisturizers, we cannot recommend it enough for you to hunt the highstreet for a product that works best for your skin type.
If you're a more mature woman interested in ways to keep the crows feet at bay, then argan oil is a winner here too. It is not just confined to your face either. Argan oil is great for easing the appearance of stretch marks and scars you may have picked up along the path of life.
Though you may be familiar with the impressive list of benefits for our skin, did you know that argan oil is also very good for our hair and nails too? Not only does it keep them both strong, but it is especially good for keep hair healthy and protected against the numerous heat intensive rituals we put it through.
Particularly if you suffer from frizzy hair, we cannot recommend enough you take a note of these little beauties.

Whether your hair has lost its summer shine or simply had a bit of a holiday hammering, this little bottle will be your knight in shining amour.
Michael diCesare Gold Argan Oil may seem a little expensive for £22.75 (about $37), but you don't need a lot for it to work its magic. Not only does it help put the shine and softness back into your hair but it can even help to tame the thickest and frizziest of dos that may leave you wanting to tear your hair out! Available from QVC.

This Michael diCesare shampoo also available from QVC is great for keeping hair looking glossy all the time. It too is £22.75, but using this only once a week will help to keep that shine building and leave hair manageable and look well-maintained.
It also will keep hair strong, an added bonus if you have a heavily heat based hair ritual.
If your hair is in need of some quick TLC then this argan oil hair treatment from Superdrug is a winner. For only £6.49 (about $10.50), you can hydrate your hair and keep it soft and shiny with minimal fuss or effort.
If you're a little unsure about using argan oil, in oil form then it could not be simpler. Just wash and condition your hair as usual and rub a few drops of the oil into your palms. Glide through the wet hair to see some great results.
If you're after some instant shine then rubbing a little onto already styled hair will bring it to life - perfect for any parties or special occasions you're wanting to glam up for!

Zoe Saldana's Hair Stylist Talks Us Through Her Party Ponytail

Zoe Saldana walked the red carpet for the premiere of her new action flick Colombiana wearing a stunning, custom-made Balmain gown — and her minimal makeup and casual-chic hairstyle were a perfect balance to the ornate frock. Zoe's hairstylist Mara Roszak opted for a low, simple ponytail, artfully embellished with a chain.
First, Roszak applied Josie Maran Organic Argan Oil to Zoe's damp hair, then blow-dried it straight. Next, she sprayed the hair with Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray and added a bit of Oribe Pomade for a more natural, rough texture.
Roszak gathered Zoe's hair into a low, loose ponytail, twisting the sides back and securing with an elastic band. She wrapped a piece of hair around the elastic, along with a small piece of chain (even an old necklace will do!) and secured by crisscrossing bobby pins through it. Finally, she set the look by spraying Leonor Greyl Voluforme Setting Spray.

Argan Oil Hair Treatment

Yes, there’s been a real buzz about argan oil in hair products.  This new product, Argan Oil Hair Treatment,  nourishes and revitalises dried-out hair, restoring shine to locks that have seen too many blow-dries. Some argan oil-enriched products are expensive, but at under $18, this is one of the best. Enriched with vitamin E, it will help smooth unwanted frizzies and provide extra protection, as well as reducing drying time by up to 50 per cent.