Argan oil is a very famous product in the world which is derived from Argania Spinosa, which is a desert tree in morocco. The oil is cold pressed as opposed to the normal method of heat processed. The oil offers a lot of benefits to man.
What Is Argan Nut Oil?
Argan Nut Oil (also known as liquid gold or the gold of morocco) it is a plant oil that comes from the argan nut tree, which can only be located morocco. It is used in making dipping bread for breakfast or creating pasta. At the same time, it can be used as a personal-care product.
The argan oil is one of the products in the world that has gained reputation not only as an ingredient or personal care product, but as a heart-healthy gourmet product.
Argan oil is mainly known for its anti-aging and skin restructuring properties because of the important antioxidants agent, fatty acids, and vitamin E that are natural.
The History
It is very important to understand the rich history behind this great product when learning about it. As you know, argan oil is very rare and also a very precious commodity. Over the years, it has been used in beauty rituals of Moroccan women since ancestry. It was used to nourish and protect Moroccan Berber women’s nails, skin, and hair from the tough climate.
Goats love this nut and in the past, the pits from the goats droppings were cracked open and the kernels inside were presses to make argan oil. However, the process through a goat’s digestive system is not necessary for making quality argan oil.
Extraction
The argan tree is small and round in nature. It offers a hard-shelled nut that contains up to three argan kernels that is rich in oil.
Depending on the extraction method, it gives out up to 50% of the oil. Extraction is everything when it comes to the production process.
The first thing people do is; drying the argan fruit in an open air method and remove the fleshy pulp. In morocco, they use the flesh as animal feeds, where they feet it mostly to goats. The second step involves cracking and breaking the nut to get the argan kernels.
Up to today, all attempts to mechanize this process have failed. For this reason, the process is done by hand, which tends to be time consuming. Moreover, it takes a lot of labour to have a big output. Then the kernel is gently roasted and left to cool. After it has cooled, it is grind and pressed to extract the oil.
This will be visible by brown coloured mashed pure unfiltered oil. They concluded by decanting unfiltered oil into vessels. The press that remains are used as goat feeds since they are rich in protein. In cosmetic production, the process is a bit different.
First the kernel isn’t roasted to prevent excessive nutty scent. Then the oil is left for approximately two weeks so that rough and all solids can settle at the bottom. The oil is further filtered depending on the required purity and clarity
Argan Oil Properties And Uses
The final argan oil has a lot of properties that make it one of the best in the world. Argan oil contains Squalene, carotenes, Phenols, Vitamin E and fatty acids.
It contains fatty acids such as Oleic – 42.8%, Linolenic – 36.8%, stearic – 6.0% and Palmitic – 12.0%. According to research, it shows that, argan oil can be more resistant to oxidation in comparison to olive oil depending on the method it was extracted.
Culinary Use
The best thing is that it can be used as food oil. Remember, for it to be used as food oil, the extraction method will differ. It is used for dipping bread, salad making and other similar uses. According to research, it shows that argan food oil is beneficial to health. Researchers have concluded that daily consumption of argan oil is highly likely to prevent obesity, cardiovascular diseases and even cancer.
Cosmetic Uses
Traditionally, the Moroccan women used this oil as hair and skin cosmetic and treating skin diseases. In cosmetic field, this oil is used in moisturizing the skin, rejuvenating it and nourishing the hair. This oil has medicinal uses against rheumatism and healing of burns.
