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.

Meeting the Experts behind JeddaDerm 2013 and their Top Tips for Healthy Skin

Jeddah International Dermatology & Cosmetics Conference” initiative was started in 2007 and over the last seven years we have witnessed the meeting grow and evolve every year in its scientific and academic values. Each year big names and great scientific minds from the local and international dermatological & aesthetic medical arena come together sharing cutting edge dermatological treatments and advances.

Guest blogger and dermatologist Dr. Shazia Ali met up with some of the top dermatologists this year to bring to you the highlights of the 7^th international JeddaDerm conference, and as a bonus, quizzed them on valuable skincare advice. She shares her findings with us at Jeddah Blog.

Dr. Ali A. Al-Raddadi on the organizing committee shared his feelings on how the annual meet is progressing, “We are very proud of our JeddaDerm initiative and we are constantly trying to improve the scientific program, ensuring attendance of internationally renowned speakers who are the masters in their field and can add value to the knowledge of our attendees. We are also constantly trying to improve the exhibition standards in terms of product and material representations. Our target is ultimately to be the best of the best.”

Our target is ultimately to be the best of the best.

Dr. Ali Alraddadi also shared a social responsibility message; “One of the key objectives of this conference is to constantly improve the quality and caliber of knowledge of our local dermatological society hence, providing top notch dermatological care to our people.”

We are constantly trying to raise the bar, improving the scientific content, picking the best speakers from around the world and providing our attendees an exclusive experience.

Dr. Magdi R. Abdulghani  sharing his organizational experience said, “The secret behind our steady success and growth is attention to micro-details. Organizing and managing a scientific conference is a mega mammoth project. We put a lot of hard work and diligent planning behind our scientific endeavour, JeddaDerm. We are constantly trying to raise the bar, improving the scientific content, picking the best speakers from around the world and providing our attendees an exclusive experience.

Our key philosophy is to listen to, and learn from, all mistakes big or small, and avoid them happening again. We encourage our speakers and great scientific minds to give us negative feedback so we can fix loopholes and come stronger and brighter next year – it’s a growing process. We are very proud that we have been successful in creating a niche platform in the whole of the Middle East. We are being recognized as one of the best scientific conferences in the region where great scientific minds can exchange ideas, learn, and grow to add value to our community.”

Our key philosophy is to listen to, and learn from, all mistakes big or small, and avoid them happening again.

Reflecting on the attendees, Dr. Sameer Zimmo enthuses, “We are extremely proud of the fact that we have been able to give the dermatologists in Jeddah an international level platform to share scientific data. This year we have witnessed a large increase of attendees from Saudi Arabia. Around 55 workshops were successfully organized for practical teaching and demonstration purposes.”

Don’t run after TV or media hype and instead, educate yourself about your skin and aesthetic care.

Reflecting on the growth of JeddaDerm from its inception, Dr. Zimmo expressed great pride and said, “It’s amazing to watch our baby grow and blossom. The organizing committee is always striving hard to update and improve the scientific content of the conference. We select the best speakers from all over the world. Just to quote some examples, we have had renowned and top notch dermatologists from UK, USA, Germany, Italy, Denmark, France, etc. participate and contribute in JeddaDerm during the last few years.”

And now we bring some valuable skincare advice to you from the experts.

Dr. Ali A. Al-Raddadi: “When you are looking for skincare advice, make sure you pick your doctor very carefully. Do your homework, search online, and educate yourself before you do any treatments. Be very careful when you are thinking about using skin lightening and bleaching products. Stay clear of cortisone and hydroquinone based creams which can leave you with serious side effects with long-term use.”

Educate yourself about your skin and aesthetic care. Choose your doctors and treatment options carefully. Be safe!

Talking about the rise of complications reported to dermatology clinics Dr. Ali Alraddadi advises us, to make sure we pick safe products and safe treatment choices.  He stressed on self-education, “Ask safety questions to avoid unsafe creams and risky treatments”.

Dr. Magdi R. Abdulghani: “My sincere advice ladies is: don’t run after TV or media hype and instead, educate yourself about your skin and aesthetic care. It is incumbent to know what you want before you decide on any aesthetic treatments. Choose your doctors and treatment options carefully. Be safe!”

My advice to all the ladies who want to look young and beautiful for years to come is simple: Avoid smoking, practice safe sun exposure and don’t tan!

Dr. Sameer Zimmo: “Smoking and prolonged sun exposure are the main enemies of skin. Unfortunately, we are seeing the rise of smoking among females in the Middle East region. My advice to all the ladies who want to look young and beautiful for years to come is simple: Avoid smoking, practice safe sun exposure and don’t tan! By practicing these healthy skin habits you will have beautiful skin forever”.

Dr. Shazia Ali: “Ladies I give you a three-step skincare plan: Protect, Prevent and Nourish:

1. Protect: Adopt healthy lifestyle, diet and habits. Protect yourself from the sun!!! Use broad-spectrum UVA & B sunscreen.
2. Prevent: To be able to properly take care of your skin learn about your skin type. Educate yourself about what’s out there and choose safe products suitable for your skin type.
3. Nourish: To look bright and fresh skin needs moisture; pick a product suitable for your skin-type. Nourish your skin with tried and tested antioxidants: Vitamin A, C, E, Q10, and peptides.