Moroccan Argan Oil is similar to Olive oil but it is much richer. This oil is now being used in many skin and hair products, because of its properties. The Argan tree only grows in Morroco and a few areas in Greece. Hence the government of Morocco is now protecting the trees, so that noone chops the trees down.
The Argan tree is a wild tree, and it can not be planted like apple trees. It can live for 150 to 200 years. The fruit it produces are intially green, they turn yellow and then fall off the tree beginning in May.
In Morocco besides producing raw Argan oil, Argan is also used by the women of the Berber tribe as nutrition for both themselves and their animals. It is also used medicinally and as a cosmetic. They cannot imagine life in their region without the Argon tree because it is very important for their livelihood.
The nuts are harvested from the ground in June and July. after they dry in the sun for 2 days they are peeled and the nuts are removed from them. They are then grilled to get them real crispy and left to cool down. The next step is the press, which presses the nuts to make the paste.
Water is then added to the paste, to help when it comes to squeezing the organic Argan oil from the paste. The oil is then collected and stored. The women have been doing this since they were girls, and many of them remember their mothers and grandmothers doing the same process too.
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