What Is Argan Oil, The Origins of the Tree and How It Supports Your Skin

We wanted to discuss the orgins of The Argan Tree and to explain why we choose to build our brand around this amazing oil and the nutrients it provides, which comes from the nut of the Argan Tree. The tree is a relic of the Earth's Tertiary Period and can only be found in Southwestern Morocco now. This gift from nature can grow between 7 to 10 meters high and is believed to be a blessing due to its amazing characteristics. The Argan Tree can live from 150 to 200 years, longer than the olive and requires no cultivation. Should it die, it can lay dormant and revive itself in 7 years. It is tenacious, withering and fruitless during extended droughts; can handle very high temperatures, manages well at preventing erosion due to its strong root system, thus preserving fertility of the soil and definitely is great at dealing with the harshness of the desert. The appearance is often twisted and gnarled, allowing goats to clamber along its branches and feed on the leaves and fruits. Its fruit has a green exterior and reminds you of the olive, but it's large with a hard-shelled nut inside. The goats value this tree and they love to eat the fruit, the fleshy part is digested but the nut remains. These nuts are what the farmers use to extract oil from.

In the traditional Berber pharmacy, this noble and rich oil is intended for everyday use - for internal as well as external treatment. It is used also on babies to protect against external influences. Body oiling is also an ancient Indian ayurvedic medical treatment, providing energy to the body and enhancing one's wellbeing. The massage using argan oil, which needs to be gently applied, is considered to be helpful in losing weight, improves the firmness of the skin and relaxes the spine. Argan oil is easily absorbed into the skin, leaving greasy residue on the skin. It is also one of the most important oils for making the skin look younger and is used also for the treatment of various skin diseases. The high content of vitamin E (twice as high as in olive oil) has strong antioxidant properties. Vitamin E is important for the development and maintenance of the functions of the nerve and the muscle systems. Argan oil contains more than 80% mono-and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have beneficial effects on rheumatic conditions and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, they neutralize free radicals, protect connective tissues, stimulate oxygen in the body, improve brain capacity and have a beneficial influence on the liver and digestion. The high content of linoleic acid helps to regulate the blood levels of cholesterol. Studies have shown that 16 g (2 table spoons) of argan oil satisfies the body's daily needs for essential linoleic acid, which is said to help to regulate the blood levels of cholesterol.

UNESCO, and enthusiasts excited by the oil's reputed anti-aging qualities have helped by creating a global market for the exotic oil, the unlikely alliance hopes to raise awareness about the inherent value of the trees, encouraging more careful grazing and stopping the local population from chopping the trees down for firewood. The people in the area are poor; as they now understand the value of the tree, they are protecting it. It has declared a 25,900-square-kilometer of land (between the Atlantic and the Atlas Mountains) an Argan reserve and provided money to manage the trees' preservation. Chefs and society matrons took up the cause, praising the culinary qualities of the oil and its anti-aging effect on the skin. There is also a ban against grazing in the trees from May to August, when the fruit ripens to a bright yellow and eventually the goats climb the trees, eat the fruit and expel the pits, which locals continue to collect.

At the Cooperative in Tiout, Berber women sit on the floor with rough rectangular stones between their knees cracking pits with rounded rocks.  Each smooth pit contains one to three kernels, which look like sliced almonds and are rich in oil.  The kernels are then removed and gently roasted.  This roasting accounts for part of the oil's distinctive, nutty flavor. It takes several days and about 32 kilograms of fruit, roughly one season's produce from a single tree, to make only one liter of oil.

The cosmetic industry love’s that it’s rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids and is used for massage, facials and as an ingredient in anti-aging cream. The edible oil is extracted from roasted kernels. Most of the oil is bottled pure for cooking, as a dressing on salads, meat or fish or simply as a dip for bread. The Tiout cooperative produces about 5,000 250-ml bottles of the edible oil a year.

Sustaining Communities and Supporting Women of Morocco through the Berber Women Cooperatives: All argan sold today is produced by a women's cooperative that shares the profits among the local women of the Berber tribe. The cooperative has established an ecosystem reforestation project so that the supply of argan oil will not run out and the income that is currently supporting the women will not disappear. The money is providing health care and education to the local women, and supporting the entire community as a whole.[5]  According to the Department of Water and Forests, Argan oil provides income for 3 million people in the southern part of the kingdom. The oil provides a total of 20 million workdays per year. Its operation is an income-generating activity and has always had a socio-economic benefit.

The vast majority of the production of argan oil passes through the women's cooperative of Argan oil. This program focuses on improving the working conditions of rural women’s economic activities, generating additional income and sustainable management of argan areas in the southwest of Morocco.

Co-sponsored by the Social Development Agency (SDA) with the support of the European Union, the UCFA (Union des Cooperatives des Femmes de l’Arganeraie) is the largest union of cooperatives for argan in Morocco. It comprises twenty-two cooperatives that are found everywhere in the region (e.g., Coopérative Al Amal, Coopérative Amalou N'Touyag, Coopérative Tissaliwine, Coopérative ArganSense, Coopérative Maouriga). These women come together to be better organized and thus guarantee a fair income through cooperatives, allowing them a better living environment and a dynamic local. Women cooperatives in Morocco work within a biosphere protected by UNESCO, which ensures its protection and reforestation.

An Outline of the Composition of Argan Oil

Fatty acids

Unsaturated fatty acids: %

Palmitic acid 14

Stearic acid 5

Polyunsaturated fatty acids: %

Linoleic acid 37

Alpha-linolenic acid < 0.6

Monounsaturated fatty acids: %

Oleic acid 43.5

Sterols %

Schottenol 48

Spinasterol 42

Delta 7 Avenosterol 5

Sigmastra-8, 22-dien 5

Proportions mg/kg

Tocopherols 720

Polyphenols 60

Sterols 3200

Triterpene alcohols 1800

Press-extraction

Now increasingly important for oil produced for sale, as the oil will keep 12–18 months and extraction is much faster. Using mechanical presses, mixing of the dough and water is unnecessary and the dough can be directly pressed. All other steps remaining unchanged, the oil is obtained in about 43% yield (calculated from the kernels) and only two hours are needed to get one liter of oil that preserves correctly.

References

"Biosphere Reserve Information". UNESCO. Retrieved 2007-10-11.

Morocco: Argan trees

Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (1880). The Pharmaceutical journal. J. Churchill.

"Argan Oil Ailment Treatment". DietOBio. Retrieved 2006-10-09.

"Is Argan oil miraculous?". Care2. Retrieved 2009-07-17.

General references

* Rachida Nouaim: L'arganier au Maroc: entre mythes et réalités. Une civilisation née d'un arbre, une espèce fruitière-forestière à usages multiples. Paris, L'Harmattan (2005) ISBN 2-7475-8453-4

* Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne

Disclaimer:
 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

The Allergy Train, by Celia Kaye via the Huffington Post Healthy Living Blog

I was just about to post my latest blog on gluten free body care and discovered a wonderful article on the Huffington Post Healthy Living Blog. However, after reading Celia's very interesting story, I decided this is definitely a better story to post for GlutenFree WheatFree Wednesday. Below is what she had to say:

I'm pretty accepting of the fact that I can't eat gluten-containing foods without suffering the consequences. I know that it will irk some people and result in dubious looks from others. I know that when restaurants charge more for gluten-free sandwiches it's because gluten-free bread costs them more than regular bread, and I am happy about the fact that they offer it at all rather than grumpy about the extra cost. (The difference in price is tax-deductible anyway.)

It frightens me sometimes in restaurants when I have to explain what I can't eat and why, because I don't trust that the crash course I gave the waiter was sufficient and that my food won't be cross-contaminated. But I don't get annoyed when someone doesn't know what celiac disease is if they listen to what I tell them.

For some reason, though, I'm still surprised when someone in the food service industry gets it completely wrong. I mean, gluten is a pretty hot topic right now. I can't imagine how someone who works in a restaurant has been so thoroughly sheltered from all gluten-related talk. Apparently, it's possible.

Here's what happened to me recently at a restaurant. While the waiter rattled off the list of available desserts, I mentally checked the ones that were usually gluten-free. Crème brûlée without the cookie, ice cream, sorbet. Great! Three options. Knowing that there were two gluten-free customers at the table, the waiter told us that none of the desserts were gluten-free. Not surprising. Desserts in restaurants like that usually weren't unless they were somehow modified -- like crème brûlée without the cookie -- and often the desserts were pre-made and unmodifiable. So, after the rest of the table had ordered dessert, my gluten-free comrade and I ordered ice cream. To continue reading her store click here  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celia-kaye/food-allergies_b_6785406.html 

Gosh, my heart hurts, the organic industry needs help, so what’s a small company to do?

Not too long ago we had our 3rd annual organic certification audit via our USDA Organic Certifying Agent, Oregon Tilth. Over the years we have been so proud of all the knowledge we’ve gain and our constant efforts to over achieve with our standards/policies and procedures to ensure success at receiving approval to carry the USDA Organic Seal on our products so you can believe that what we say about our products are true.  This year we did just that again, the organic inspector states this about Lovely Lady Products on the Handler Report Outline, “Excellent Facility Pest Management using mechanical and herbal methods. No pests. All materials for sanitation are organic or allowed to come in contact with organic products. This is a very clean operation.”  Yes! We are here to please and serve using the talent God gave the owner to produce body care with the best skin supporting ingredients available all while running an efficient and clean organization.

However, despite all our efforts, big companies use their power to destroy so many hardworking small organizations trying to do the right thing for the consumer. Their money knows no boundaries using many organizations and groups to assistant them with their efforts to sabotage your right to know and the movement to produce truly clean products (buying store employees to interfere with sales growth, spread untruths about so many of us, and in some cases work to remove clean products completely off the retail shelves in favor of companies who produce toxic products). Many find out whom the vendors are that small companies are working with to assistant in making it difficult for small companies during the right thing to survive (this includes, phone service vendors, ingredient suppliers, website host, shopping cart vendors and sometimes higher authorities, corruption is alive and well). This is so sad, but honest to God, it’s true.  How do we fight back, besides using God's Love, I’m not completely sure, but one way to start is via education. It’s so important to communicate with the consumer, explaining to them how important it is for them to be aware of what they are purchasing and whom they are purchasing their products from (how to get to the core of a person or organization's character, listen to what they say and then look at what they do or what is on their shelves and/or in their products). It's important to hold accountable individuals and organizations who would at all cost, sell you products that not only destroy you and your families health, but also the very air you breathe, as well as the planet, which is the only home we have.

The following are links and articles that inspired me to write this blog and will be helpful to education you about the industry. If you care about your health, your family’s health and the Planet, please pay attention to local vendors who care and are doing the right thing. Fight for your rights and for those who serve you honestly.

I recently read an article about Eden Foods and I can honestly say, I’m truly inspired by them. Perhaps one day, we’ll be able to hold our own and stand firmly planted in our own truth too. Here’s what I like about them:   http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=78&eID=72u98kov1pidg10sajadejoh95 

Another company that I admire is Natures Path, a few years ago in Boulder Colorado, I was lucky enough to meet Nature’s Path CEO Arran Stephens and his lovely wife (they shared with us some of their business insight and I’ve held on to what they so generously offered, which has proved to be sound advice.  Here’s why this organization is so great:  http://www.urbanfoodrevolution.com/natures-path-ceo-arran-stephens-impassioned-talk-on-gmos/

The Organic Consumers Association is a group who is truly fighting hard to Safeguard Organic Standards and keep you education on the industry. Please be sure to follow them and keep abreast of the important issues within the industry.  https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/five-ways-fda-has-failed-consumers-genetically-engineered-foods

And one of my favorite companies is Dr. Bronner! Yes they make organic body care and one could say they are a competitor of ours. However, I refuse to see it that way, I look to them as an industry leader, an organization to learn from. You see, Emanuel Bronner, the founder of the Dr. Bronner Organization was a dedicated pioneer within the organic industry and used his fame and company’s resources to fight for what is right. Small companies today working hard to grow while doing the right thing are standing on the shoulders of this giant. You can learn more about him here –

http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/04/dr-bronners-magic-soap-fair-trade-organic/

Finally, one more voice in the industry, Natural Grocers. They really are a retail store that has the consumers’ best interest at hand. They are not afraid to speak out for your right to know and they place their money where their mouth is. I am honored to not only shop there, but to also have our products on their shelves and hopefully will continue to do so.  Here’s what you need to know about them:

http://www.naturalgrocers.com/store-info/blog/natural-grocers-anti-gmo-action-update-you-are-voice-change

It is my intention to education while producing products that help to support the health of your skin and hopefully continue to grow and be able to stand as firmly planted as the organizations I have listed above. I’ll leave you now with this quote by Richard Rogers, “The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved.”

Lovely Is As Lovely Does!