Did you know that Argan oil comes from a special tree that only grows in Morocco? It’s true! And it’s not easy to get the oil out of the nuts. There are different ways to do it, but some are better than others. Here’s a quick rundown:
- The old-school way: This is how the Moroccan women have been doing it for centuries. They crack the nuts with stones, dry the kernels in the sun, grind them into a paste with water, and squeeze the oil out by hand. It takes a lot of time and effort (AGES in fact! - about 1 week and 150 kg of raw fruits to make 5 litres of oil); but they get to enjoy the tasty and healthy oil from roasted kernels, or the pure and powerful oil from unroasted kernels.
- The modern way: This is how most of the Argan oil is made today. Women’s cooperatives in Morocco use machines to press the oil out of the kernels. They can choose to roast or not roast the kernels, depending on what kind of oil they want. The oil then goes through some cleaning and filtering steps to make it nice and clear. This way, they get high-quality Argan oil that keeps most of its good stuff intact.
- The sketchy way (boohoo!): This is a way that some people use to make cheap and low-quality Argan oil. They use chemicals like hexane to dissolve the oil out of the kernels. Then they evaporate the chemicals, leaving behind the oil. But this oil may have some nasty residues and lose some of its benefits.
Our cosmetic Argan oils use unroasted kernels, while edible Argan oil uses roasted kernels. The roasting process gives the oil a nutty flavour and aroma, but also reduces some of its beneficial compounds, such as antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Therefore, unroasted kernels are preferred for cosmetic purposes, as they produce a more pure and potent oil that can nourish and protect the skin, hair, and nails.
Argan oil is amazing for your health, beauty, and cooking, thanks to its rich and unique ingredients . But as you now know; not all Argan oils are created equal!
