The Argania spinosa, known as Argan, is a perennial, woody tree of the Sapotaceae family native exclusively to southwestern Morocco. Argan is mainly known for the oil extracted from its fruits, which is particularly rich in bioactive compounds with beneficial properties for both health and skin and hair care.

Botanical Description:

• Family: Sapotaceae
• Genus: Argania
• Kind: Argania spinosa
• Height: The tree can reach up to 8-10 meters in height.
• Fruit: The fruit is small and ovoid, containing a hard kernel enclosing 1-3 seeds from which the oil is extracted.

Argan oil mainly consists of fatty acids:

Argan oil contains tocopherols (vitamin E), phenols, carotenes, squalene and fatty acids (80% unsaturated). The main natural phenols in argan oil are caffeic acid, eleuropein, vanillic acid, tyrosol, catechol, resorcinol, epicatechin and catechin.
Depending on the extraction method, argan oil can be more resistant to oxidation than olive oil.

Properties:

1. Moisturizing and regenerative action: Argan oil is widely used in cosmetology to moisturize and rejuvenate the skin and hair.
2. Antioxidant action: Tocopherols and phenolic compounds help protect against photoaging and free radicals.
3. Anti-inflammatory properties: The steroids in the oil help reduce inflammation and heal wounds or skin irritations.
4. Treatment of skin diseases: Traditionally used to treat eczema, acne and psoriasis, due to its soothing and moisturizing properties.
5. Cardiovascular system protection: In nutritional applications, argan oil helps lower cholesterol and improve heart health thanks to its monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Uses:
In cooking:
In Morocco, the oil is used for culinary purposes, e.g. salad dressings or in couscous. Amlu, a thick brown paste with a consistency similar to peanut butter, is used locally as a bread dip. It is produced by grinding roasted almond and argan oil using pits, then mixing the argan oil and almonds with honey.

Production of argan oil using traditional methods
The argan nut contains one to three oil-rich argan kernels. Extraction yields from 30% to 50% of the oil in the kernels, depending on the method. It takes about 40 kg of dried argan fruit to produce just one liter of oil.

Argan plant production
After the first sales of the cosmetic product in the US in 2003, demand soared and production increased. In 2012, the Moroccan government planned to increase production, from 2,500 tons, to 4,000 tons by 2020. After studies, it was found that argan oil reserves were being diluted with other oils, such as sunflower oil, as the extraction process for pure argan oil it was difficult and expensive. In 2012, the Moroccan government began testing purity before export.
By 2020, production had increased significantly, especially after studies showing health benefits.