argan oil

Argan oil (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil) - controlled organic cultivation

The argan tree, whose seeds are cold-pressed for the traditional beauty elixir of the Berber tribes, grows exclusively in a small area in the southwest of Morocco and at the foot of the Atlas Mountains - a rare treasure. Its nickname "tree of life" refers to its long lifespan. Argan trees can live up to 450 years, their roots reach down to a depth of 30m. The golden yellow argan oil (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil), also known as "Morocco's gold", is one of the most valuable vegetable oils of all.

Traditional hand pressing

The processing of the fleshy fruits, which contain the oil-rich seeds, is an important part of Moroccan Berber culture. Traditionally, the fruits are collected by Berber women, dried in the sun and cracked with a stone. The seeds are then laboriously pressed by hand. It takes around 20 hours for this very laborious hand pressing process to extract 1 liter of argan oil from the tiny kernels in the argan almonds. One liter of argan oil requires the harvest of around 4 to 5 argan trees, which corresponds to 30 kilograms of fruit.

Modern mechanical cold pressing

The yield is significantly higher with modern mechanical oil pressing, but at the cost of a significant loss in quality. In addition, this modern processing method destroys the traditional economic basis of Berber families. With mechanical pressing, the work of women is reduced to collecting the fruit.

Quality difference: cold-pressed versus deodorized argan oil

Cold-pressed argan oil has a typical, slightly sour smell that disappears immediately after application to the skin. This shows the high natural quality. Since a few users are bothered by the typical argan smell, cosmetic argan oil is usually made from roasted fruits or is offered deodorized. During this processing step, the argan oil is heated to high temperatures and steam is passed through it, so that a neutral smell is created instead of the typical argan smell. However, With deodorization, many valuable ingredients are also lost.

Of course, at myrto we only use the very best quality, i.e. exclusively cold-pressed oil in organic quality, which is hand-ground and pressed by Moroccan women's cooperatives in traditional village environments and traded fairly. The oil is not only of unique quality, but its value chain ensures the continued existence of the traditional village structures of the Berbers in the villages of the Argan Belt. The income from this fair trade project secures the income of thousands of families and finances schooling and further education for women in the villages. The argan trees, which are threatened with extinction, are being reforested.

To produce one liter of oil by hand pressing, the fruits of 6 to 8 argan trees are needed and it takes 2 days, much longer than with mechanical industrial cold pressing. The oil yield is also significantly lower. But the unique quality justifies the effort. The seeds of the argan tree, hand-picked, hand-ground and hand-pressed in the women's cooperatives, contain all the ingredients and vitamins in an authentic composition. This is not only good for your skin, but also the best thing for the sensitive ecosystem.

The most important effects of argan oil