The Argan Oil tree

The unique Argan Oil a tree

Argan Oil is produced from a tree that grows naturally in only one country – Morocco.

It is one of the rarest species of tree on Earth.

In recent years research has revealed that this oil is twice as rich as Olive oil in vitamin E and Linoleic Acid both valuable for their anti-oxidant and nutritional properties. This means that there could now be scientific proof to support the traditional reputation within Morocco that Argan Oil offers potential medical benefits in conditions such as Arthritis, High Cholesterol and Eczema. In addition the cosmetic version of Argan Oil seems to have powerful cosmetic benefits and is now being incorporated into Anti-Ageing skin creams by major international cosmetics manufacturers.

Protection of the Argan Forests

The Argan tree only grows within a narrow band of the country of Morocco between the Moroccan seaside cities Essaouira and Agadir.

The Argan tree is an ancient tree that is a relic of the Earth's Tertiary Period, which ended about 1.6 million years ago It is a slow growing and fiercely spiny tree may that grows up to ten meters tall and can live for over 200 years.

The Argan forests protect soil against rain or wind-induced erosion and help

maintain soil fertility. It is able to survive the most arid conditions and slows down desertification.

However, Argan Oil has been produced in Morocco for export for thousands of years however it has become under threat from excessive human exploitation.

To protect the tree, UNESCO declared the area in which the Argan tree grows a “biosphere reserve”. This reserve that covers a vast plain of more than 2,560,000 hectares, bordered by the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains and open to the Atlantic in the west. The trees themselves currently cover an area of around 800,000 hectares.

The new international interest in the amazing health and cosmetic powers of Argan Oil has helped to create a sustainable system of production. Funds now raised by the sale of Argan Oil are used to raise standards of living and improve literacy for women in the Berber communities.