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

Melvita - Huile d' argan - Argan Oil - Review

Argan Oil seems to be in everything at the moment, but often it appears in diluted quantities as brands are mixing it with other great ingredients to create their product. It is relatively hard to find in its pure form, but the benefits of the pure Argan Oil formula make it worth hunting down.

It’s no secret that Argan Oil has been known for years as the ancient Moroccan ‘liquid gold’ for healthy skin, hair and nails.
But now organic skincare experts, Melvita - in partnership with Molecular and Cellular Biologist Dr Elisabeth Devilard - have revealed the scientific truth behind this miracle ingredient.

The result is that their best-selling 100 per cent Melvita Argan Oil, is scientifically proven to hold repairing benefits - in every single drop and works as an anti-ageing treatment for dry hair, nails and fragile skin with its softening and protective properties.

Here's some suggestions on how to incorporate Argan Oil in your beauty routine:

• Anti-Aging face serum/moisturiser (restores the skin’s hydro -lipid layer)

• Treats adolescent acne and treating eczema

• Helps to prevent stretch marks (suitable for pregnancy)

• Put a drop or two on to relieve chapped lips

• Massaging into the joints to treat rheumatism in adults

• Massage for babies and small children

• Helps to diminish scars and marks – including chicken pox scars

• Dry Hand Treatment

• Cuticles and Nail Moisturiser

• Hair Oil/Serum – for before or after blow drying

Melvita offer a 100 per cent pure, unscented Argan Oil which is both certified organic and Fair Trade. Priced at approximately 22 Euros for 50ml it can be applied liberally for healthy hair and skin. You can buy the product at feelunique.com or melvita.co.uk. Other pure Argan Oil stockists available worldwide include Sephora.com where Josie Maran’s 100 per cent Argan Oil is available for 120ml priced at 96 USD plus tax. 

Argan Oil: A chic French touch

Far from subsiding, the argan craze just keeps getting stronger. The latest line comes from France, and it offers not just a complete line of natural skin, hair and body care with organic ingredients, but also an exciting new product with powers of seduction. I’ll explain later.
Naturelle d’Argan, which you can find at Beauty Bar, uses Morocco’s golden oil to maximum effect. It’s the first Ecocert-ified and Cosmebio-accredited argan oil-based brand in the French market, which means “a minimum of 95 percent of all ingredients are natural in origin, and 10 percent of that is organic,” explains Celine Heuls, export manager for Asia-Pacific for Groupe Batteur, who was in town recently to launch the brand.

Groupe Batteur is a key player in the pharmaceutical industry in France, with over 100 years of expertise in manufacturing and product design (another of their brands is Algotherm). Thus they have complete control of Naturelle d’Argan’s production chain, and distribute it through 5,000 points of sale (mainly pharmacies).
What I like about the brand — in addition to their innovative products — is their ethical commitment. Sales of Naturelle d’Argan support Moroccan women who work in a cooperative called the Arganeraie. Groupe Batteur has built a building specially for them where they can work in safe conditions, complete with health clinic and a space where their children can play.

Production is handled by around 60 women working daily, depending on the season. There they break the argan kernels by hand — about 43 kilos of argan nuts go into one liter of oil — so this kind of manual labor is no joke. Despite that, the women were against mechanization because they wanted to preserve the natural, traditional process.

“It’s their primary source of income,” notes Heuls, “so it helps women become more autonomous.”
Naturelle d’Argan also helps the environment. Scientific research is focused on saving the argan tree, and cultivating argan orchards prevents the desert from encroaching on Morocco’s fertile land.
We, on the other hand, benefit from the myriad properties of this miracle oil. Rich in omega 6 and 9 fatty acids and with almost triple the vitamin E of olive oil, argan softens, protects and moisturizes, improving our skin’s elasticity and barrier function, battling free radicals, and combating aging and the early loosening of skin. Not only is Naturelle d’Argan free from parabens, silicone, and phenoxyethanol, the company also deodorizes the oil to remove its pungent nutty aroma, making their products even more of a pleasure to use. Read more ..

Review: Douvall’s Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser

Alicia Douvall is thrilled to be launching two new products in her organic and ethically produced skincare range, Douvalls.  The new products include an Argan Bronzing Oil and an All-in-One Argan Oil Cleanser.

Douvall’s All-in-one Argan Oil Cleanser is for all skin types. It moisturises, cleanses and is a fantastic make up remover, including stubborn mascara.


This 100% natural Organic cleanser takes out the impurities in the skin that accumulate over time as well as being an excellent anti-aging moisturiser. Rich in vitamin E and antioxidants, it restores the PH balance of the skin whilst nourishing with replenishing fatty acids.

Enriched with almond, sunflower seed, rapeseed seed oil as well as our age-defying Argan oil, it leaves the skin moisturised, nourished and toned.
This non greasy cleanser works with your skin rather than against it, renewing every layer, leaving your skin moisturised not tight or dry. It is free from parabens, sulphates, propylenes, toxins, lanolin, perfume and alcohols.

It is also easy to use! Shake it to wake it! Apply to dry skin. Wet face, massage and then rinse thoroughly with hand-hot water using a muslin or face cloth.
The moisturising Argan Bronzing Oil is 100% natural with added mineral make up, giving you a healthy, bronzed and shimmery glow without the harmful effects of the sun. It can also be used on the face, body and hair. It is also free from parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals and toxins. Even the bottle is 100% recyclable.

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.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Illuminizing Body Butter Review and Demo

I love Argan Oil. My skin responds wonderful to it. I have used Josie's Whipped Argan Oil Butter in the past and love how soft and smooth it made my skin feel. Now she came out with a version that is illuminating and bronzing and the smell is fantastic. I love it!

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

Liquid Gold Argan Oil - Ingredient Spotlight

Earlier this year we splurged on a bottle of Moroccan argan oil, and it sits in our pantry like a bottle of liquid gold, used sparingly and savored deeply. At first we were merely curious about the intensely nutty flavor of this oil, which we had associated with cosmetics more than cuisine. As we learned more, we were captivated by the details of its history and production involving rare trees, goats, and the Berber women's cooperative movement.. read more at thekitchn.com

Ricky Producing Argan Oil-Based Cosmetics

New York City-based beauty retailer Ricky’s now is offering the Zinn Beauty Collection, a line of Argan oil-based cosmetics imported from Morocco, the manufacturer has announced.

Argan oil has been used by Moroccan and European women for centuries to preserve healthy skin and hair, remaining relatively unknown in the United States until 2009, when variants of the oil made only for hair became a trend in the hair care industry.

Zinn Beauty retails for between $24.99 and $29.99.

Experiencing Argan Oil Softness

I have a slightly embarrassing new habit – I keep surreptitiously stroking my arms. They are so soft, I just can’t help it. I’ve been using a new body lotion from a brand called Zinn. Perilously close to sin, I think guiltily as I admire my silky skin. Anyway, Zinn’s Smooth Body Milk is one of the best body lotions in its price range ($24.99) that I have ever come across – at least as far as hydrating goes.

Zinn is all about argan oil and its products come in packages adorned with the kind of tassel you might see on a Moroccan fez. Argan oil hails from Morocco and is rich in fatty acids (omegas) and vitamin E.

In Smooth Body Milk, it is joined by rosehip oil. This has similar amount of antioxidant linoleic acid (40.68%) as argan, but also has loads of linolenic (39.41%)  – an omega 3 that is in anti-inflammatory – as well. Sunflower oil, also here, is another good source of linoleic acid.

The hydrating action of this body lotion is greatly facilitated by shea. Because its structure and function resembles that of the lipid content of skin, shea butter is considered to be a Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF). As an NMF, it helps keep the intercellular structure of the epidermis intact, effectively keeps bacteria out, facilitates the skin’s healing process, prevents dermal irritation and regenerates the skin.

Zinn says that 98.7% of ingredients are of natural origin and a candid 15.4% of them are organic. This means that the non-actives are relatively benign, such as glyceryl stearate(typically from palm or soy oil). The preservative is dehydroacetic acid, which seems to be relatively safe.  And the only thing not to like is linalool, a potential carcinogen.

All in all, Zinn’s Smooth Body Milk formula is a real pleasure to use and I am liking it much better than my other most recent test, Isomers Stem Genesis For Body – at twice the price of Zinn.

Ingredients

Water, sunflower oil*, argan oil, glyceryl stearate, shea butter*, glycerin, caprylic/capric triglcyeride, cetearyl alcohol & coco glucoside, jojoba oil*, cera alba (beeswax), rosehip oil*, benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, potassium sorbate, tocopherol, xanthan gum, bitter orange oil*, sweet orange essential oil*, citral, limonene, linalool *organic

Creo Care Nano Pro-Tec Body Oil - Reviewed by Nancy

Right off the bat – I can tell you that the Creo Care Nano Pro-Tec Body Oil’s formula is absolutely LOVELY – with one huge exception: the scent is almost unbearable, pretty vile in fact. It’s reminiscent of bad/cheap hotel disinfectant… and because I’m a documentary filmmaker I’ve stayed in nasty (and lovely too) places all over the world – this particular scent stays in one’s memory. It fades by morning if one has a shower and uses it before bedtime – but unless one is completely alone, it’s not something I could imagine inflicting on other human beings. If one has a shower in the morning and uses it afterwards, the odor stays around all day. I’ve had a few days alone, when I’m not going out, etc…. but if I had to go out, I’d have to have another shower.

I favor unscented products, and am quite sensitive to scents, but I also try to stick to organic entirely. And unscented is not always easy to find in body lotions, oils, and face stuff that is inoffensive and safe.

But – that being said – after two days of using Creo, one’s skin feels great. And I’ll keep paying attention…but can’t they do something about the appalling scent? Orange-Vanilla? Just plain vanilla would be enough. I’ve heard argan oil on its own smells wretched, so perhaps the orange is there to cover it up. I’ll try using the oil in the shower next – perhaps that would take the scent away more quickly.

**Update: 2 weeks later**

I’ve used Creo Care’s Nano Pro-Tec Body Oil steadily for two weeks now. I notice a wonderful softness in my skin – and I’m always hunting for a great body lotion/oil, so have tried hundreds of them. I think Creo has visibly improved my skin, as well.  But the one thing that still makes it impossible for me to carry on is the scent.

I think I mentioned in my first update that it reminded me of cheap cleaning fluid in bad hotels/motels – not a good thing for something on one’s body.  I don’t know what ingredient they’re trying to mask but the result is vile. I had to use the oil in the shower so it could be rinsed off. It gets on one’s towels, in one’s bathrobe — everything in its path and it won’t come out.  It’s still there in the morning from the shower the night before. I don’t understand how the company could make something so lovely which is rendered unwearable/unusable by its scent.

Ingredients: Cold Pressed Oils (of Apricot Kernel, Rose Hip Seed, Borage, Argan and Kukui Nut), Vanilla Extract, Orange Essential Oil, Germinated seed Extracts (of Sunflower and Grape).