Making of Argan Oil

WHAT IS ARGAN OIL?

Argan Oil also known as Oil of Morocco or ‘Liquid Gold’ has long been a well-kept secret known only to those who have sought the absolute best in hair and skin care. Argan Oil remains one of the rarest oils in the world due to the small and very specific growing areas. The Moroccan Tree is grown in South Western Morocco and is extremely well adapted to drought and other environmentally harsh conditions. It bears a fruit which is a delicacy for tree climbing goats that eat the fruit but leave the hard nut untouched. These nuts are gathered by locals who extract the oil from the kernels via a cold pressing process.

WHAT DOES ‘COLD PRESSED’ MEAN?

It’s no secret that Silk Oil of Morocco products are Infused with Cold Pressed Certified Organic Argan Oil...but what does ‘Cold Pressed’ actually mean? Basically this means that the Argan fruit has been hand picked and cold pressed to produce a very high quality oil with high antioxidant levels and moisture (please see below table comparing Argan Oil types). ‘Cold Pressing’ to extract oil is regarded as the most effective method of extracting oils without damaging them. Other methods of oil extraction include boiling, solvent extraction and refining operations which can damage the properties and benefits of the oil stripping it of its natural antioxidants, vitamins and colour. With Argan Oil gaining in popularity, there are all sorts of products popping up on the market claiming to use ‘Pure Argan Oil’ but how many of these products actually contain 100% fresh and 100% natural Argan Oil? There are many variations of Argan Oil quality on the market, it is very important that you are aware of what you are purchasing and using on your hair and skin.

WHAT DOES ‘CERTIFED ORGANIC’ MEAN?

Ok, so you now know what ‘Cold Pressed’ means...what about the term ‘Certified Organic’? The term organic refers to the farming methods used to cultivate herbs, essential oils and plants. For a company to gain certification they must follow stringent guidelines during the planting, growing and extraction process. This ensures the farming methods are free from; artificial fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides, synthetic weedicides, growth hormones and genetic modification. Silk Oil of Morocco enriches every Hair Care product in the range with ‘Certified Organic’ Argan Oil. But it doesn’t stop there, Silk also uses other ‘Certified Organic’ ingredients throughout the range such as ‘Certified Organic’ Aloe Vera and Evening Primrose Oil to name a few.

WHY IS ARGAN OIL CONSIDERED ‘LIQUID GOLD’?

According to “The Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology” based in France, using the “Traditional” process in the production of Argan Oil  it takes a single person 58 hours to produce 2 – 2.5 litres of Argan Oil and this uses 100 kg of Fruit.No wonder it’s the most expensive Oil in the world...even with the new “ Mechanical” Process which is being adopted in some places in Morocco, to produce 4 – 6 litres of Argan Oil – it still takes 13 hours of work and uses 100 kg of fruit! Argan Oil is very difficult to make, it takes hours of manual labour that does not come free, so unfotunately there is no such thing as cheap Argan Oil.