How is argan oil processed

Both grades of Argan Oil are made from cold-pressed Argan nut kernels. Both of these oils contain very similar levels of nutrients and vitamins. The difference between each type of oil is that they processed in a slightly different way.

Scented, single filtered Cosmetic Argan Oil is a medium yellow colour and contains more sediment that a pure doubled filtered oil. The double filtered oil has no noticeable smell and has a slightly richer omega fatty acid content. It is the Cosmetic oil that has been traditionally used for its anti-ageing properties, on the hair, for treatment of sun damage to the skin, burns and skin problems such as Eczema.

Single filtered cosmetic oil is also good for cosmetics use but is reported to be a better choice for skin problems and very dry skin. The edible version, culinary Argan oil, has a golden brown colour and is used for cooking and eating. To produce this oil the Argan nut kernels are first toasted. The toasting changes the properties of the oil making it unsuitable for cosmetic use. Toasted, edible Argan Oil has a golden brown colour and delicious nutty flavour.

Traditionally, Argan Oil is extracted by women. Argan-oil production is threatening argan trees, which play a vital role in Morocco's environment. Argan trees have always been extremely important to the environment in Morocco. In , an area where the trees grow was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, because argan trees play a crucial role in preventing soil erosion and maintaining water resources. Once beauty companies discovered the oil's moisturizing properties, harvesting the oil from the nut of the fruit of the tree became more and more popular.

The demand for argan oil has caused some cases of "aggressive harvesting. In the beginning of the argan-oil boom, successful fair-trade cooperatives were set up to foster social and economic improvement among Moroccan women. But when the opportunity arose for the women to make a lot of money with these cooperatives, men were much more receptive to the women being mobile and interacting with others.

Recently, however, larger firms have relied less on these cooperatives. Argan fruit must be peeled to obtain the oil, a labor-intensive process. With the help of the NGO that worked with them, we managed to organise this way of functioning and professionalise the way that every woman could have a voice in the decision-making process. There are also concerns about the standard of oil coming out of the co-operatives. Someone is put at the helm of that organisation and supports them with visits to each village, in terms of ensuring quality standards.

The co-operatives are improving standards all the time, she says, with help from Lush. It is thought that co-operatives can suffer from a lack of professionalism towards their international customers.

Sidi Yassine does not aim to be a co-operative but says it pays fair wages to the women it employs. It can, however, only produce so much argan oil and Elemara says it has had to cut ties with some cosmetic companies that were pushing for it to produce more at a lower quality. Cosmetic companies are desperate to ensure their supply of argan oil, she says, and some of the larger ones are trying to buy up farms and co-operatives across the region.

The beauty industry is, of course, notoriously fickle and there is a danger that the fad for argan oil will pass like so many others before it. Elemara is not concerned.

It does have scientifically proven properties and it has the whole scarcity factor and African romance around it. Find out more here. Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox.