Morocco has important wealth from the forests, which helps the country economically. And it contains rare trees, such as Argan trees.
Argan is one of the world’s rarest and most endangered trees, a perennial tree with an enormous capacity to resist drought and fight desertification. It is spreading in the southern parts of Morocco, covering an area of approximately 830,000 hectares. It has been around for hundreds of years.
The steps to get Argan oil in villages:
Women still depend on traditional ways and tools to get the Argan oil. First, they go to forests and collect the fruits of Argan and dry them in the sun until the shell gets dry, and then they break the shell and break the second one to get the nucleus of Argan. Here, the coming step depends on the type of Argan oil we want. If we want oil that is used in cosmetics, they directly grind the nucleus and squeeze out the oil using traditional ways and tools. In what matter the Argan oil that is used in foods and used in breakfast with bread, women bake the nucleus, and during the grinding and squeeke out, they add cumin, Spicy red pepper, and salt in order to give it a flavor and keep it fresh for a long time.
The remains that women get when they squeeze out the Argan oil are used; they use it as a natural soap for their body and face to make it beautiful and clean. Women used those remains to feed the cows, goats, and sheep.
What makes Argan special is its oil, which is exported to countries around the world, to be used in the curing of a lot of diseases, in addition to its cosmetic benefits. Argan oil has become the focus of great interest by researchers, which has made the cooperative producing institutions unable to meet the growing demand in overseas markets. After discovering the benefits of Argan oil by foreign companies, it became a rich subject, which made some people call it the « green gold » or « liquid gold ».
Argan oil consists of 42.8% of Oleic
acid, 36.8% of Linoleic acid, 6.0% of Stearic
acid, 12.0% of Palmitic acid, and less
than 0.5% of Linolenic acid.
The price of Argan is between 100 and 300 dollars per liter, which makes it one of the most expensive oils in the world.
The specialists say that the Argan oil can cure cholesterol, Arthritis, Eczema, prevent pregnancy plans on the skin of the abdomen, strengthen nails, and control the appearance of wrinkles. It’s also fighting the colitis.
Concerning the cosmetic benefits, Argan helps to moisturize and clean the skin, nourishes hair and scalp. Moreover, it stimulates vital functions of skin cells, which contribute to resistance to aging, and it relieves the effects of acne, fire, and wound scars.