Argan oil is produced from a the nut of the Argan tree (Agrania Spinose), which only grows in Southwestern Morocco. This non-fragrant oil is used in both food (think of the oil used for dipping bread) and cosmetics. It's packed with nutrients. It contains a very high % of lipids and fatty acids (linoleic, oleic acid and palmitic acid), vitamins A and E (tocopherol) and other minor components (polyphenols, tocopherols, sterols, squalene, and triterpene alcohols). Overall, it's a real powerhouse ingredient for maintaining strong, supple and elastic skin.

Argan oil's natural emollient nature assists with hydration, its also been shown to repair the skin's barrier function and also balance and regulate the production of sebum. As with all plant oils, a diluted solution works best.

Local Berber women work in fair-trade cooperatives where they hand-crack the nuts in between two stones, a technique they've used for centuries. Instead of being put through a machine, the raw kernels are hand-extracted from the hard shell, hand-ground in a stone grinder, hand-kneaded for hours and first cold-pressed into the oil. It takes one woman three days to make just one liter of oil. This is why argan oil is so valuable.

In 1998, the Argan forest in Morocco was designated a UNESCO protected biosphere so argan oil is sustainable.