Argan oil for face

Given the growing interest in natural products to improve skin condition, we want to tell you what argan oil is, what its benefits are and how argan oil is used for the face in cosmetics.

Properties of Argan Oil

The source of argan oil is the kernels of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.), which grows under the scorching African sun in the desert areas of the southwestern regions of Morocco. For this region, argan is a representative of the endemic flora, although this tree is also grown in Israel, on the plains in the Negev desert region.

The properties of argan oil were well known to the women of the nomadic Berber tribes; they applied it to their skin to protect it from the scorching winds of the Western Sahara.

The seeds, which have a very hard skin, are collected almost a year after the fruits are formed, when they dry out; or the ripe fruits are removed, the pulp is fed to goats, and then oil is made from the extracted seeds by hand. For culinary use, the kernels are fried, for cosmetic purposes, oil is squeezed from raw ground kernels. So this oil is more expensive than olive oil.

The benefits of argan oil are in the vitamin E it contains (which neutralizes free radicals) and unsaturated fatty acids that nourish, moisturize, and protect the skin from oxidants. It contains 43-45% of unsaturated omega-9 oleic acid (sunflower oil also contains 20-80% oleic acid, olive oil contains up to 70%, and wheat germ oil contains 55%). Polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids include linoleic acid, which is up to 10% in argan oil; this acid is found in all vegetable oils, including flaxseed (15%), olive (10%), corn (60%), and sunflower (65%). Its content in a raw egg yolk is about 16%. Linoleic acid is a surface-active acid, and its benefit for the skin when applied topically is to retain moisture.

Studies have determined that argan oil contains 30-35% alpha-linolenic acid, which is famous for its anti-inflammatory activity. This essential (irreplaceable) omega-3 fatty acid is also found in flax seeds (55%), purslane, rapeseed and sea buckthorn berries (32%). Stearidonic acid also belongs to this class of omega acids (argan oil contains 6%). Although there are more accessible natural sources of this fatty acid - corn and hemp oils.

In addition, this oil contains saturated fatty acids: approximately 12% palmitic (human adipose tissue triglycerides contain approximately 25-30% of this acid) and 3% myristic acid (it is also present in palm and coconut oil and milk fat). Myristic acid has a fairly high hydrophobicity and is well absorbed by the skin, promoting nutrition and hydration.

The beneficial properties of argan oil are enhanced by the phenolic compounds it contains, such as caffeic acid, oleuropein, tyrosol, catechin and resorcinol.

Using Argan Oil for Face

As noted by experts in the field of cosmetology, the use of argan oil for the face is not much different from the use of the same olive oil, since it has a similar composition. In cosmetics, argan oil is promoted as a moisturizing oil, effective against acne and increased dryness of the skin, accompanied by the exfoliation of keratinized particles (flaking), as well as for strengthening the structure of the subcutaneous tissue, regenerating the hydrolipid layer of the dermis and increasing its elasticity and flexibility - necessary in the fight against wrinkles.

Argan oil-based face masks are made from a combination of this oil with other oils.

Mask with argan oil for wrinkles: argan oil – 10 ml, rosehip oil – 10 ml, citrine essential oil – 4 drops, rose essential oil – 10 drops.

Mask with argan oil for inflamed and irritated skin: argan oil – 10 ml, calendula oil – 15 ml, chamomile essential oil – 5 drops, lavender essential oil – 8 drops.

For face masks based on argan oil (10-15 ml) for oily skin, add: hazelnut oil (15 ml), 8 drops of myrtle oil and 5 drops each of eucalyptus and lavender essential oils.

A mask that, in addition to oatmeal and raw egg yolk, contains 8-10 ml of argan and rosehip oil, as well as 10 drops of rosemary and immortelle essential oils, helps reduce acne scars.

Argan Oil Face Cream

Many cosmetic manufacturers claim to use argan oil in their products, as this ingredient is considered one of the trends of so-called natural cosmetics.

For example, the regenerating antioxidant day face cream based on argan oil Pomegranate from Weleda (Australia) – with the addition of pomegranate and macadamia oils – is recommended for dry and normal skin.

The British company Arganorganics produces the Regeneration Anti Wrinkle Cream series with sargan oil, which helps moisturize and rejuvenate the skin.

Day and night face cream based on argan oil Olejek Arganowy (Bielenda, Poland) Argan oil is a line of cosmetics for the care of mature and dry skin and is intended for women over 50 years old, when the skin loses its elasticity and firmness, dries out and becomes rough. It is recommended to use creams containing natural Argan Oil to restore turgor and reduce wrinkles.

About three dozen relatives of argan - from the same botanical family Sapotaceae, as well as the family Sideroxylon mascatense - grow all over the world, mainly in tropical regions. Thus, in South America - Pouteria sapota and Pouteria viridis, the fruits of which are eaten for dessert, and the kernels of the seeds are fried like seeds. In the Amazon region, juicy purple fruits are produced by the massaranduba tree (Manilkara huberi). In many tropical countries, a popular fruit close to the Moroccan argan is the red-purple and green star apples (growing on 20-meter Chrysophyllum cainito trees), whose kernels are shaped like a star. The local population brews the bark of this tree for coughs, infusions of leaves are drunk for diabetes and articular rheumatism, but oil is not produced from the seeds. Firstly, there is little of it there (no more than 7%), and secondly, the seeds contain poisonous cyanogenic glycosides.

So, all that remains is to either use the advertised argan oil for the face, or use other oils that were mentioned in this publication with no less success.