The nuts of the argan tree produce oil loaded with essential fatty acids and Vitamin E as well as polyphenols and sterols, which are said to be cancer-fighting compounds. The fruit itself has a flesh-like exterior resembling an olive, but larger. Argan oil can be used in food preparation and, in Morocco, it is often poured on salads over couscous and roasted vegetables. Used as a garnish for soup, it adds yet another layer of flavor to your dishes. It is recommended that argan oil be used only for seasoning food, and never for cooking it. Argan oil has found vast popularity as an anti-aging ingredient in various serums, lotions and creams for the skin. It addresses multiple skin issues and is widely tolerated. When purchasing argan oil, be sure to first determine if you are buying oil for culinary or cosmetic purposes.
The polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E that are present in argan oil have excellent antioxidant qualities. They promote oxygenation within the cells and neutralize the adverse effects of free radicals. This way it provides protection to the skin and restores the nutrients inside the skin cells.
Argan oil is a very good skin moisturizer. In fact, it is far more effective as compared to any other natural skin moisturizers like olive oil or shea butter. This is because it does not contain any cholesterol. Moreover, it has a good amount of fatty acids in it.
Argan oil is capable of controlling the action of sebum, an oily substance released by the oil glands present under the skin. People with oily skin are extremely bothered by the excessive oiliness caused by sebum. Argan oil can reduce this greasy feeling of the oily skin.
It has excellent antimicrobial properties and hence, argan oil for acne works wonders. It brings down skin inflammation and skin irritation to a great extent. For all these qualities, argan oil is popularly used for treating various skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis, etc.
It can effectively maintain the pH balance of the skin. Thus it can provide protection to the skin form the harmful effects of sun exposure, pollution, mental stress, smoking etc.
Argan oil helps to reduce the appearance of the ugly scars left behind by various skin problems like acne, chicken pox and even in cases of skin injuries caused by burns.
With aging, our skin tends to lose its natural elastic properties that results in appearance of wrinkles on skin surface. Regular application of argan oil on the wrinkles rehydrates the skin of the affected area, restores the skin elasticity and tighten the skin. This way the anti aging properties of the oil corrects the deficiencies of aging skin and control wrinkles.
During pregnancy, stretch marks appear on the abdomen as the skin loses its natural elastic properties due to over stretching of the skin. Pregnant women can use argan oil products to improve skin elasticity and prevent stretch marks from appearing on the skin surface.
Those women who use mineral makeup regularly tend to get dry skin after some time. Such a problem can be avoided with the help of argan oil. All you have to do is to apply one or two drops of argan oil on the skin 5 minutes before application of mineral make up. This will keep the skin hydrated and prevent drying of the skin.
Apart from the uses of argan oil for skin care, usage of argan oil for hair and nail care is also beneficial. It can be used to get rid of the problems of brittle nails as it has a strengthening effect on them. When applied on scalp skin, it can eliminate dandruff problem and prevent hair loss.