Have You Heard of ‘Liquid Gold’? This could be your Secret Weapon.

Our latest beauty writer, the blogger behind Beauty Chronicles was born in Jeddah. She is a business graduate and has been blogging about makeup, skincare, beauty, fitness and lifeystyle on her blog for almost a year. We are happy to announce that she’ll be writing for Jeddah Blog regularly on beauty-related issues. Make sure to subscribe to the blog to receive automatic updates in your inbox.

In her first guest post, she writes about a hot new product called Argan oil. You’ll not only be amazed to hear about the benefits of Argan oil, but she goes further by telling us where it is available. If you’ve tried Argan oil or have a question for her, do leave a comment at the end of this blog post.

In recent years, an incredible oil called Argan oil has become such a hot commodity that New York Times termed it as “liquid gold”. After its recent popularity, Argan oil has been subjected to numerous researches, and proven studies show that the benefits of this honey-coloured oil with hazelnut flavor is quite impressive.

Pure Argan oil is made from the kernels of nuts from argan trees. Generally argan oil comes in two grades: Culinary and cosmetic. The culinary version tastes like a smokier sesame oil and is exceptionally good for internal organs. The cosmetic grade offers benefit to the largest organ of human body, the skin.

The oil’s amazing curative properties have been revered for centuries. Pure argan oil if taken internally, has been shown to fight cancer, cardiovascular diseases and many inflammatory disorders. When applied externally, it can heal from scars to infections, from hair frizz to stretch marks.

Let us take a closer look at how this liquid gold proves to be a miracle worker from beauty to health.

Benefits for Skin, Hair, and Nails

Pure Argan oil’s proven and observed benefits for hair, skin, and nails are extensive .It is also called a dry oil because it gets easily absorbed, and it regulates the pH balance of the skin, which in turn protects against sun exposure. It also reduces skin inflammation, and it controls and reverses skin disorders such as eczema. It can heal from scars to infections, from hair frizz to stretch marks. By restoring the skin’s hydro-lipid layer – the layer of skin responsible for softening, nourishing and protecting skin – argan oil is an exceptional skin tonic.

Here are a few more amazing benefits of argan oil relating to different skin types, hair and nails benefits.

Dry Skin

It nourishes and moisturizes dry, scaly, flaky skin and protects against infection. Mix a few drops in your moisturizer or apply directly twice a day to soften the skin and keep dryness at bay.

Oily Skin

Argan oil is very moisturizing yet it also great for healing. For oily skin, it can regulate sebum production to keep the skin’s natural oils at a healthy level. With regular use, the skin will no longer feel too oily. Mix a few drops of argan oil into your favorite toner, and a few spritz of it will give you the benefits without being too oily.

Irritated/Itchy Skin

Argan oil has anti-inflammatory properties. It can protect the skin from allergens that may cause itchiness, and it can also heal up any blemishes and inflammations. Mix a few drops of Argan oil with chamomile cream and apply to relieve itchy skin.

Acne

Yes, it can also be used for acne control! When used in moderation it can control the overproduction of sebum which causes acne, and soothes down the inflammation caused by acne. And guess what? It can also heal those ugly acne scars if you are dealing with post acne pits. Mix in a few drops of this wonder oil with Aloe Vera gel and massage it into the skin. You will feel refreshed while the oil also does its work. Just be sure not to go overboard for oil application. Once a day is sufficient.

Ageing

Argan oil is perhaps highly acclaimed for its anti-ageing and rejuvenating properties. It stimulates renewal of skin cells, defends the skin against free radical damage, cell degeneration and dryness, and it also boosts elasticity while smoothing wrinkles and lines. Mix a few drops of argan oil with honey and apply for 20 minutes and wash off with warm water. It’s a great anti-wrinkle mask. And massage a few drops of oil once a day, to keep the skin wrinkle free.

Sun Damage

The antioxidant rich oil and special compounds called triterpenoids in the oil protect the skin from UV light and restores skin.

Eczema and Psoriasis

Argan oil is also very beneficial for treating eczema; it helps to alleviate symptoms related to eczema, addresses allergies that trigger eczema. It also helps to deal with inflammatory symptoms related to psoriasis.

Hair

Argan oil also has amazing hair restorative properties, it is highly beneficial from improving everything from split ends to dandruff. It can repair damaged hair. Argan oil moisturizes instantly, and prevents split ends while restoring shine. It is an amazing frizz tamer. Create a mixture with one parts of argan oil with two parts of olive and castor oil, use twice a week and see your hair getting thicker, healthier and shinier. Create an easy leave in frizz tamer by mixing a few drops of argan oil with water and store in a water bottle; a few spritz on wet hair works as a great leave in and frizz tamer.

Scalp protector

It keeps the scalp in healthy condition and well nourished. It can also combat dandruff, keeps the roots of hairs hydrated and protected.

Nails:

Keeps nails strong and healthy and restores natural shine while easily resolving brittle nail problems. Strengthens nails and cuticles

Health Benefits of Argan Oil

Now, let’s take a look at the health benefits of Argan oil.

• Argan oil being high in anti-oxidants especially Vit E and made up of around 80 percent unsaturated fatty acids, is particularly effective as an anti-inflammatory agent. When taken orally it helps to decrease inflammation throughout the body.
• Argan oil also acts as a heart promoting agent, it helps to lower down cholesterol and it also aids to stimulate circulation.
• Researches show that argan oil can also help to relive arthiritc and rheumatic conditions, because it dramatically boosts the blood flow. And it is very effective in easing the arthritic pains.
• Argan oil can stabilize blood sugar. It helps to treat diabetes and hypertension. Argan oil is able to fight insulin resistance, it can also prevent obesity related health issues and it also aids in lowering blood pressure.
• Argan oil is made up of a unique combination of two rare plant sterols (schottenol and spinasterol)which is not found in any other oil. The combination of these sterols has shown results to stop malignant cancer cells from spreading.
• Argan oil increases the production of pepsin (the protein that stimulates digestion)in the stomach which aids the digestive process, culinary grade argan oil encourages a healthy digestive system.

HOW TO USE ARGAN OIL

As a food source, the oil is delicious. In Morocco, it is eaten with bread, couscous, salads, and more. You can also try making “Amlou,” – the Moroccan equivalent of peanut butter. Simply grind roasted almonds into pure Argan oil and enjoy the rich taste of this healthy alternative to your favorite nut spread. You can consume up to 1-2 tablespoons of argan oil each day in order to take advantage of its therapeutic or preventative properties.

Many cosmetic companies feature argan oil as a primary ingredient in creams, lotions, shampoos and facial masks, but pure argan oil used alone is also a wonderful option.

In case you have any nut allergies, test argan oil before using. There have been a few cases where it has caused an allergic reaction. You can always test the oil on the inside of your arm to make sure that you do not react to it, and ingest a small amount for oral intake to check reaction and if you are nut allergic its better to avoid taking it internally.

PURCHASING ARGAN OIL

Raw argan oil can have an unpleasant “nutty” flavor, but you can purchase refined argan oil that has undergone a steam process to “deodorize” the oil. The oil slathers on thick, but absorbs quickly, leaving skin soft, smooth and supple..

Now, this is the most important part of the whole page. It is really important to get actual high-quality oil. Unfortunately, there are many companies/vendors who take advantage of consumers by replacing argan oil (in part or in whole) with low quality based oils and create a cheaper version with more quantity. Be careful, cheaper versions will not have the benefits of argan oil. Rather than skimp on quality, it would be better to simply skip argan oil as a whole.

A low-quality oil will not give you the same oil benefits as it will not have the same concentration of nutrients. You get what you pay for. It is definitely worth it to be wary and read labels carefully. When selecting argan oil, look for the percentage of argan oil that is present, and whether it has been cold-pressed. Stay away from unknown random options.

A few of the good options for argan oil are

1. Josie Maran Argan oil. This is 100% argan oil available at Limited Editions, Sephora website.
2. Acure argan oil. 100% argan oil available at soap.com, they ship internationally.
3. Now Foods Argan oil, available at iherbs.com, they ship internationally.
4. Life-flo Pure Argan Oil, available at soap.com , they ship internationally.
5. The Body Shop Wild argan oil, available at Body Shop outlets.
6. Ogx Smooth Hydration Argan Oil & Shea Butter Moisture Restore Weightless Oil. This is a mixture oil and not pure. It is not very promising compared to pure oil, but it is the least expensive version to try. Available at Nazih stores in KSA and at soap.com. International shipping.

Beauty Chronicles is a Saudi-based blog about beauty, health and market/sale updates.