Information about argan oil

Argan oil comes from the fruits of the argan tree or the argania spinosa. The argan tree has been around for centuries and it is even claimed that it is one of the oldest tree species in the world. It is a strong tree that can withstand drought, the roots sometimes reach as high as 30 meters to find its food. Argan trees can grow to be 250 years old on average and often grow to about 10 to 15 meters high and wide.

What makes the argan tree so special is that it does not grow everywhere. In fact, it only grows in Morocco and only in the southwestern part of Morocco. The wood of the trees has a high hardness and is particularly strong, as a result of which the argan trees have been cut down a lot over the years and much used by the local population for building and heating.

As a result, fewer and fewer argan trees have survived. Today, the trees are protected by UNESCO and the Moroccan government and population are increasingly aware of the value of this special tree.

For many people, argan trees and argan oil are a source of income.

About 30 kilos of fruit are picked from one argan tree, which is good for about 2 to 3 liters of argan oil.

To get to the nuts that are pressed, first 2 layers of skin have to be removed. The first layer is a soft skin and can easily be removed. The second layer is a hard shell and must be cracked. This is done mechanically but often manually, women sit for hours on end with a hammer tapping the stone one by one. The nuts that remain after this are good for pressing to get argan oil.

For the culinary argan oil, these nuts are first lightly roasted and then pressed.

Due to the heating during roasting, the oil loses some of its valuable properties, but gives a delicious nutty taste.

Cosmetic argan oil is directly pressed and therefore retains all its valuable vitamin and minerals and is therefore very good for the skin.

Cosmetic argan oil is also used as a medicine because it lowers cholesterol and has a good effect against diabetes, so you can take cosmetic argan oil but it will taste less tasty than the culinary variant.

Healthy skin