Hi everyone! I am so glad you found this page. It was posted way back in December of 2011, and since then, we have been happy to have had so many of you read it and find the information useful. However, you might notice that this information has been reincarnated many times across the internet. But know that if you are here, you are actually reading the original! And for those of you wanting content for your blogs and YouTube videos please give us at Saadia Organics proper credit for this information. Thank you!
With Argan Oil gaining in popularity, there are a lot of products popping up on the internet and even in stores claiming to be "Pure Argan Oil". Unfortunately, there are a lot of brands that you want to avoid. If you've read our story, you'll know that even getting your Argan Oil in Morocco doesn't guarantee it's authenticity. As it is so difficult and time-consuming to produce, a lot of Argan Oil is completely fake, diluted or over-processed. So here are a few ways to decide if a particular brand is worth investing in or not.
1. The Ingredients
The ingredients list should be very short. It should just say 100% Argan Oil or 100% Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil. For best results, if it has anything else listed you don't want it.
2. The bottle
We are wary of Argan Oil sold in clear or plastic bottles. Both can make the oil deteriorate, and most producers of quality Argan Oil wouldn’t put this liquid gold in anything other than a dark coloured glass bottle (amber or cobalt blue, for example). Aluminum or stainless steel can work well, too. Light breaks down the oil's best properties and keeping it inside something dark is the best way to store Argan Oil.3. The price
Argan Oil is very difficult to make. It takes hours of manual labour and that does not come free. So there is no such thing as cheap Argan Oil. $10 for 2 ounces/60 ml seems like a bargain, but if it's just vegetable oil in that bottle? It's no bargain at all. You might as well just step into your kitchen and use whatever you've got in the cupboard. This is not to say that the most expensive Argan Oil is the best either. You might just be paying for elaborate packaging and extensive marketing. Sometimes you can find authentic CULINARY Argan Oil at a more economical price. But know that even though this oil will taste amazing, it will not produce the best results on your skin, hair and nails. Raw, cosmetic-grade oil is from unroasted Argan fruits, and it is much more difficult to extract oil from raw materials.4. The scent
Strong-smelling Argan Oil that smells absolutely awful should obviously be avoided. It most likely has gone rancid. (To ensure freshness, keep the cap or dropper screwed on to your bottle well!)
Also, if the Argan Oil you have is very fragrant and so delicious smelling enough that you want to eat it, it very well could be Argan Oil intended for culinary use. The Argan kernels for this type of oil have been toasted first. And this means great things for your salad, but it won't give the results you want on your skin and hair.
Argan Oil that smells like absolutely nothing might be suspicious, too. It could be entirely fake, or at least diluted beyond olfactory recognition. Or, it could be machine-made and possibly even put through a "deodorization" process. However, with this said, some of the batches we get (particularly in the spring and summer) have a very, very light aroma. Fall and winter seem to bring oil that has a deeper natural scent.
Genuine, raw, cosmetic-grade Argan Oil can smell unique to the uninitiated nose. Most say it smells 'nutty'. My daughter thinks it smells like popcorn. I used to think it smelled a bit like a rubber band. Now I just think it smells like pure luxury. (But remember, some batches have a lighter scent than others.) If you do get a bottle that is a bit more aromatic, after a couple of days you become used to the scent and know what results the use of this oil brings, so you savour that raw, green, nutty aroma. Even if you never learn to love that smell, the scent always disappears after a few minutes on your skin, as true Argan Oil absorbs so quickly and beautifully.
However, many brands do put their precious Argan Oil through damaging heating and deodorization processes. If a brand consistently smells like ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, then it is possible that their oil is consistently deodorized. This process strips the oil not only of any smell it might have had, but also of some of its healing, restorative properties. Sometimes chemical solvents are used to pull the oil from the Argan kernels. And frequently during the refining process the oil is heated to a very high temperature (up to 375-400 degrees F for 30-60 minutes). But as mentioned, light and heat break down the oil's best properties, so we firmly believe it's best to leave this precious oil alone in its most natural state. Again, we stress that the scent of raw, hand-pressed Argan Oil varies from batch to batch. Sometimes the scent is lighter, sometimes it is a quite a bit more aromatic. In our experience, the smell of the oil most definitely varies with the seasons.
5. The texture
Argan Oil should be smooth and silky. Disappearing into your skin. It should not feel slimy, sticky or watery. It should not sting. Even on uncomfortable skin conditions, Argan Oil should bring a soothing effect, not a painful one.6. The sediment
Authentic Argan Oil often has a tiny bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle and it appears a bit "cloudy". The highly refined or fake oil will not have this sediment and will look very clear. Saadia Organics Argan Oil does have a few traces of sediment in some of our bottles. Don't be alarmed if you do spy a wee bit. Just let it settle and enjoy knowing that you have the real thing. Our oil is also cloudy and pale yellow in colour. We do not heat the oil at all, and it is run through a simple strainer, rather than put through a rigourous filtration system. In our opinion, the less the oil is messed with and manipulated, the better. When you see clear, bright yellow Argan Oil you know that heat and machines have been involved in the manufacturing process.7. The results
As they say, "the proof is in the pudding". Every single day we get people telling us how much they love our product. Telling us they've tossed other things they were using for skin care, hair care and baby care. Some even have stopped using prescription medications* as our pure, raw Argan Oil works better on their psoriasis or on their child's eczema. (Without the cost, potentially questionable ingredients or side effects.) A handful of reviews are posted here and some others are here. Feel free to comment and add your own!THE TEST
You might know that a woman named Saadia is our Production Manager over in Morocco. Not one drop of Argan Oil is imported without her stamp of approval. She is highly suspicious of fake, impure and refined Argan Oil. Recently, I took Saadia's son, (my husband!) to check out a brand of Argan Oil found in one chain of stores. He seems to have inherited her discerning ways.**
So let's run through our checklist of 7 warnings:
1. The ingredients list just said: 100% Argan Oil. Check.
2. Nice dark amber glass bottle. Check.
3. The price. On the high end. $58 (before tax)
4. The scent. Zero. It smelled like cooking oil, if anything. It has probably been deodorized.
5. The texture. Slimy.
6. No sediment as far as we could see. And the oil was crystal clear, not the least bit cloudy.
7. The results. Unsure. After failing tests 4, 5 and 6 we would be unwilling to buy this product to bother testing it.
I hope you found this informative! We just want you to make an informed decision as you attempt to purchase this rather elusive oil only made in a rather elusive country. If you want to check out our amazing, authentic, hand-pressed Argan Oil, take a look!
joèl~
*Speak with your doctor before discontinuing use of prescription medications.
** The view expressed in the video is just one by a person who grew up with Argan Oil. It is not the official view of Saadia Organics.
Hi Joèl,
Thank you for your follow up…
As you mentioned in your reply..you are not quite sure if it helps hair loss & stimulate hair growth..
I was going through an article earlier on 4hairgain.com..they mentioned:
Because it has a high content of vitamin E, argan oil is very effective for hair growth too.
It helps to repair as well as inhibit the occurrence of split ends. It nourishes hair from the root, strengthening it, thereby preventing hair loss.
So what’s your take on their claim??
Plus you said you never heard about ArganRain Products either…its a pretty significant chain..can you look it up again..I would much appreciate..
Thanks.
Just to correct my earlier post. As this is the first time I used argan oil, my nose is quite unfamiliar with the strange smell. Maybe my subconscious thought goaty when I read that seeds from goat droppings are sometimes used by some manufacturers and now that I read it smells somewhat like rubberband then I’m thinking of that too. Oh boy, talk about a highly suggestive mind.
Anyways, putting the definitely weird smell aside, the Aura Cacia argan oil I’m using now gives me great results. My facial skin is combination/dry and I use 1 drop in the morning. I clean my face with Clinique liquid soap and use my Clarisonic gadget. Then after patting it dry, I pump 1 drop of argan oil on my palms and rub my palms together then spread all the oil all over my face especially on my chin area which feels the driest. I look oily at first then it gently sinks in and the smell is gone too in a minute. I have an oily T-zone but I dont see extra oiliness. I use 2 drops at night.
To be quite honest, I have been using Clinique cosmetics for a decade and pile on stuff to just keep my dry sensitive area in control. My face gets itchy and red and stingy anytime in the day so I use emollient products during these spells. Now with argan oil, I never had the stings and itchiness. Its like my skin drank all the oil and was calmed. And to think I use Clarisonic which can be stripping, this argan oil truly helped.
Now if my initial bottle with the weird smell and unsure process has given me wonderful results, I am quite excited to have a bottle of yours that is as pure and raw as it gets. I just want to say that if you want the best out of true argan oil then its not wise to be too furgal by looking for cheap substitutes. If this oil can serve my all around beauty go to product then it will save me tons of money in the long run.
More power to your sincere team!
Hi,
I was just wondering if you’ve heard of myarganza cosmetics? I was planning on buying argan oil for my skin since Iv been suffering from eczema since childhood. I’v been on medication for a really long time and its just getting worse. And I heard this oil works. So I was just wondering if you have heard about this company? Secondly, I was looking through your website and saw that you have places in Vancouver that sell your argan oil. Recently I baught argan oil from someone selling it in Vancouver and it had a terrible smell to it and caused me to itch like crazy, so assumed it was fake. I payed a lot for that tiny bottle but it smelled like fish :/ it wasn’t from your company. However, I can’t seem to find the stores that sell your argan oil in Vancouver. I contacted the Dailey method but apparently it’s a Exercise studio…and doesn’t sell oils( this was listed on your website)
LOL all these debates if it is real or not. If you want the real one just be best buds with Moroccans and ask them nicely to bring some back when they go on holiday.
If I was not Moroccan and knew no Moroccans I would not bother with Argan oil. It is too expensive to buy as a non Moroccan.
My parents just went to Morocco this Summer. And they bought me back a bottle 500 ml for 250 MDH. If you know Moroccans they will not rip you off and if you do not look like a tourist you will be treated as a local. They only sell it at high prices to tourists, I witnessed this myself first hand.
Mine came in a large slightly opaque Glass bottle. You can get it for a very good price if you know the right people.
I applied the rules above and mine past the test, not that i doubted it in the first place, nutty smell, good consistent colours, silky smooth, absorbed quickly, has some sediment at the bottom. And brilliant for my skin and hair, really seen massive improvements in my skin and hair in the last 2 weeks.
-Also want to mention they sell it in the large super market shops. Although the oil goes through filters and is mass produced it is still good enough to be used as a beauty product. It is much cheaper then buying all these rip offs abroad. They make such a profit, they get it from Morocco for a good price and sell it abroad for 100% more, it is a joke.
That’s funny about the scent! :)
I’m so glad you’ve seen good results with Argan Oil. :)