Argan Oil and the Ethical Marketplace

What does ethical mean to you? To many consumers, this oft-used term is a generic catch phrase for products and technologies that are deemed sustainable, itself a common phrase, that are made with minimal exploitation of humans, animals or the environment.
Argan oil is an oil extracted from the argania tree of Morocco, prized for its cosmetic, therapeutic and medicinal properties. Argan oil is a multi-player in the natural skin care industry, and is used to treat a variety of ailments, including acne, wrinkles, dry skin, psoriasis and eczema. Additionally, argan makes an effective hair conditioner and is a common treatment to strengthen finger nails.
And yet, beyond its many uses, the production of argan oil and how it ends up in your bathroom cabinet makes an interesting story unto itself.

How it's Made

Argan oil has been used for at least 3,500 years in what is today Morocco. In ancient times, the argania tree, from which it derives, covered much of North Africa, and the Berber people developed a process to extract argan that changed little until the 20th century.
To extract argan, the Berber women would collect the ripe argan fruit from the base of the tree, and peel back the layers and collect the valuable pits within. Next they would grind the pits between two stones to extract the fruit kernels from the pits.
If the argan was to be used for cooking, the women would roast the kernels to enhance the flavor of the oil (argan for cosmetic use often skips this step), which they would grind in a stone quern to produce an oily paste.
Until recently, Berber women would typically kneed the paste to extract the oil, and would then decant and filter the oil to remove impurities. But in the early 1990s, the European cosmetics industry noted the high antioxidant content of argan and its many beauty and skin applications, automated the extraction process and set up factories in Casablanca that monopolized production.

Argan Oil and Fair Trade Production

The growth in popularity for argan oil as a cosmetic treatment in the late 20th century shifted production from the Berber women and traditional extraction methods to modern factories, hundreds of miles from the arganeraie region. And with this shift, a loss of quality control, to say nothing about the lost benefits of argan oil to the Berber peoples who performed the process over thousands of years.
Around this time, a study by the German Government Development Agency (GTZ) chronicled the plight facing the Berber women, often portrayed by major argan oil producers as having a large role in and benefiting from argan production, when in reality, the women received little benefit from surging argan sales, and the product became diluted in the process.
In 1995, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the GTZ outlined a strategy with Moroccan authorities to shift argan oil production back to Berber women in a series of fair trade cooperatives with competitive wages, flexible working conditions, health and education opportunities for the women and their families.
In addition, another objective was to develop a sustainable production process, in which the argan tree was protected, and the region designated a nature reserve, to prevent further degradation of the relatively small growing area.
As a result, UNESCO designated the arganeraie region as a protected biosphere in 1998. And much production of argan oil, through trial and error, has shifted back to Berber women, now active in these co-ops that provide economic protection and benefits to the traditional makers of this rare oil.

How You Can Help

Be aware that some of the larger skin care manufacturers dilute argan oil with preservatives that degrade the product of its antioxidant content. This not only makes it less effective as a cosmetic treatment, it's not unlikely that production of these argan treatments are made in factories in Casablanca, with little benefit to the Berber women and their families.
In that light, and to increase the likelihood that the argan oil you've purchased was produced ethically, by Berber woman, it's advisable to purchase argan oil in its pure form, undiluted, without additives or preservatives.

Buy cosmetic argan oil from small or mid-sized skin care companies. Yes, they may be more expensive than products from the big labels, but if it's undiluted, and it's not one of the large brands, it's more likely that the product was made by the knowledgeable Berber women, in a fair trade co-op, with the economic benefits to reflect that endeavour.
As a suggestion, you might try Skinception Cold-Pressed Cosmetic Argan Oil, which meets the prerequisites listed above, and which offers the cosmetic benefits of this revered oil product with the promise that it was made ethically, by the Berber women, in a fair trade co-op.

FAQs About Argan Oil

What is argan oil?

Argan oil is an oil extracted from the kernels of the argan tree. The oil is highly valued for its many cosmetic, therapeutic and medicinal properties. Among other ailments, argan oil is an effective treatment for dry skin, psoriasis, eczema, wrinkles, stretch marks and acne.
One of the hottest sellers in the natural skin care industry, argan oil is particularly gentle on the skin, and for this reason, is recommended for consumers with naturally dry skin and/or sensitivities to common skin care products.

Where does argan oil come from?

Argan oil comes from a 10,000 square mile UNESCO-protected biosphere in southwestern Morocco, and can only be extracted from trees grown in this area.
Used for at least 3,500 years by the Berber people of this region, the oil was traditionally processed by hand, in a laborous process, in which a single litre of the oil took two days of manual labor.
In the early 1990s, argan oil production shifted from the Berber people to modern factories in Casablanca, though government agencies and NGOs have redirected much argan production back to the Berber women.

What's in argan oil?

Argan is high in antioxidants, squalene oil, polyphenols, essential fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids and has at least 200% more vitamin E than olive oil.

What makes argan effective for anti-aging?

The antioxidants in argan oil fight free radical damage and can protect against aging from the sun. The fatty acids enhance cellular health, with the collagen and elastin required to keep skin young and healthy.

Does argan have other applications?

Argan oil makes an effective hair conditioner. You can add argan to your hair, whether wet or dry, and it's an ideal remedy for dry hair or split ends. Experiment a little; a few drops can add shine to hair and improve its appearance.
You can also use argan oil to strengthen your nails. Mix one part each argan oil and lemon juice, paint it on your nails with a brush and leave it on for fifteen minutes.
In addition, argan oil can be used for cooking, though cosmetic argan is made with a different process than product meant for cooking and should therefore be used for that purpose only.

Are there side effects with argan oil?

You'll find that argan oil is very safe. In fact, it's recommended for people with skin sensitivities and irritations to common skin care products. There are no known wide spread side effects with argan oil, but if you have specific concerns regarding argan, it's best to speak with your physician.

What's this about argan oil and fair trade?

Upon efforts from two German government agencies and several non-government organizations, much production of argan oil has shifted away from modern, foreign-controlled factories in Casablanca and large cities and back to the local Berber women who perfected the extraction process over thousands of years.
The issue of argan oil products manufactured in large-scale factories has not disappeared completely. In particular, argan products with preservatives and packaged by some major cosmetic brands have origins in such industrial workshops.
Fortunately, the global interest in ethical consumerism has contributed to fair trade cooperatives, in which women extract and process argan oil in their traditional manner, with competitive wages, flexible working conditions, health care and educational opportunities.

Should I buy pure argan oil or just an argan-based product?

Buy argan oil in its pure state. This preserves the integrity of the beneficial nutrients in argan oil, for maximum benefits, be they cosmetic or otherwise.
Additionally, pure argan oil is more likely to have been processed in a fair trade cooperative than a factory and by a manufacturer that claims to share the benefits of argan production with local Berber women but fails to do so.
Look for an argan oil product manufactured by a small or mid-sized skin care company. They're more likely to extract their products ethically, in a fair trade co-op, than the larger brands. Look for a commitment from the company that it's been processed in this manner. One example? Skinception Cold Pressed Cosmetic Argan Oil.