Miracle snake or OIL?
Celebs swear by it. Beauty brands put it in EVERYTHING. But is wrinkle-busting argan oil ...
WHeN celebrities including Catherine Zeta- Jones and Charlize Theron are asked how they keep their skin youthful and their hair glossy, they all seem to rave about one product above all others: argan oil.
Charlize claims the oil rescued her hair when she used it as a conditioner after too much dye caused it to split and break. Catherine has said she ‘saturates’ her face with it to nourish her skin as she sleeps and prevent it feeling ‘like a Walker’s crisp’.
And they’re far from alone. Argan oil, which has been used for centuries by Moroccan tribespeople to treat dry skin and joint pains, has become the beauty elixir du jour.
Full of antioxidants and vitamin e, the oil, which is produced from the kernels of nuts from Morocco’s argan trees, is said to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, scars, stretch marks and acne.
Little wonder it’s used by beauty brands including L’Oreal, Lush and Kiehl’s in everything from shampoo to body lotion to bubble bath. It’s even in mascaras that claim to make lashes grow longer and more lustrous.
It’s infiltrating kitchens, too, after celebrity chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Gizzi erskine sang its praises as a nutritious alternative to olive oil as a dressing for salad and vegetables, or to add a nutty flavour to soup and cous cous.
It is stocked in M&S and used in the kitchens of no less glamorous an establishment than London’s Ivy restaurant. Not bad for an oil that can’t be cooked, as heat damages its chemical profile.
Those who extol its virtues believe the omega-3 fatty acids in the oil reduce cholesterol and protect the heart. Research suggests it can also aid digestion and may contribute to the prevention of various cancers and diabetes. As a natural antiinflammatory, it can help ease arthritis.
So massive is the demand that the global market for argan oil — or ‘liquid gold’, as it is sometimes known — is expected to reach £1 billion by 2022, with 40 per cent of that coming from the cosmetic sector. BuT can it truly be the youthprolonging wonder product that celebrities, chefs and beauty companies claim? ‘Argan oil contains carotenoids, vitamin e and fatty acids such as oleic acid, making it an effective antioxidant that protects the skin against damage,’ says Dr Rabia Malik, a cosmetic doctor based at Grace Belgravia in Knightsbridge, London.
‘But there’s no such thing as a miracle product. And with argan oil, there are a lot of factors to consider when talking about its benefits.’
In recent years, because of increasing concerns over some chemicals, demand for natural or organic beauty products has risen — and few products could seem more pure than argan oil.
The argan tree is grown almost exclusively in the barren lands of south-west Morocco.
Traditionally, Berber women would collect the argan fruit and extract its oil by drying it, extracting the nuts, cracking them to reveal the kernels and pressing them to release the oil.
The process used to be done by hand and producing one litre of oil took around five stone of fruit and 15 hours of labour.
Now, the nuts are still cracked manually, but electric cold presses are often used on the kernels, speeding up the process considerably but leaving the oil undiluted.
The problem is that since being discovered by major cosmetic brands, the chances of getting this unadulterated argan oil in the majority of products available on the High Street are slender.
‘Many of the products that use the words “argan oil” as a marketing claim will have only a very small percentage of the actual oil in them,’ says Dr Malik. ‘A drop of argan oil in a product isn’t going to offer many benefits.’
The best-selling brand in Britain is Moroccanoil. Its Pure Argan Oil is 100 per cent argan oil and costs £50 for 50ml.
But its best-selling Moroccanoil Treatment (£31.85 for 100ml) is predominantly silicone.
In fact, argan oil is only the fifth ingredient on the product listing, which means there are four other ingredients in the formula in greater quantities.
Dr Malik warns that there are some products on the market that have Morocco and oil in their names, but don’t actually contain any argan oil.
‘They could be any sort of oil, so don’t make the assumption that it’s argan oil just because it claims to be from Morocco,’ she says.
Indeed, the amount of ‘argan oil’ exported from Morocco every year is believed to be double the amount that the trees could produce.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of argan oil is its scarcity — the very attribute that has fuelled its popularity.
‘The high price of argan oil and burgeoning demand are raising concerns over its sustainability,’ says Amarjit Sahota, director of Organic Monitor. ‘ There are concerns that the argan nuts are not collected properly.’
And there are fears that as demand for the oil increases, producers will be tempted to harvest directly from the trees to try to keep up, instead of gathering fruit from the ground.
There are also fears that some producers may be adulterating the oil. Studies have found it’s often tainted with sunflower, vegetable or olive oil.
The trees, which take 50 years to reach maturity, act as a natural barrier against the advance of the desert, preventing soil erosion and protecting water resources.
To prevent deforestation, cooperatives have been created to involve local people, particularly women, in the argan industry. These co-operatives provide the women with an income and, in some cases, an education and access to healthcare.
However, the Berber women in the co-operatives are not equipped to conduct business with international organisations, which leaves them at risk of exploitation.
‘Our research has found natural cosmetic brands such as Neals Yard Remedies and L’Occitane are cutting out the middle men — the traders — by working directly with charities or women’s co- operatives to ensure the supply is sustainable and the quality remains high,’ says Amarjit.
But other, larger cosmetic firms are pushing for the co-operatives to produce more argan oil at a lower quality. As a result, in the future the oil could be more expensive yet inferior quality. THeRe is little doubt that in its pure form, argan oil does offer many benefits. For the face and body, it’s a rich moisturiser that’s unlikely to clog pores.
For the hair, it’s an effective conditioner that can reduce frizz and improve manageability.
And as a food, it contains three times the amount of vitamin e as olive oil, which is essential for healthy skin, protection of the cell membranes in our eyes and for a strong immune system.
As for whether it’s a wonder beauty product, Dr Malik remains sceptical. She says that even 100 per cent pure argan oil is not the best anti-ageing product available.
‘I believe in taking the best of what nature has to offer, but a natural product alone won’t necessarily give the best results,’ she says.
‘For that, you need the benefit of technological advancements.’
Her advice for those who want to sample the Moroccan magic?
‘Look for reputable brands with products containing few ingredients — the fewer the better — and a good concentration of the actual oil,’ she says.
‘Good skin is about protecting it from the elements, not smoking and drinking too much, and being healthy internally.
‘No one miracle product will transform your appearance — whatever celebrities claim.’