I'm sure we're all aware of the craze that's been going on for a while now over argan oil, dubbed as the "thousand year old beauty secret". In Hollywood, it's adored by celebrities such as Eva Mendes and Marian Cotillard, and in demand hairstylists like Orlando Pita use the wonder product to bring life and shine to tired hair (
1).
But what is argan oil and why is it in so demand by everyone from the average Jane to Hollywood A-listers? I actually had to write a piece about this for a college project, so here's a snippet from my essay...
The Argan tree (scientific name: Argania spinosa) is known as the “Tree of Life” among the people of the Moroccan Berber community and its oil, extracted from the kernels, is now considered one of the rarest and most expensive oils in the world. Though used by women living in the harsh and arid environment of Morocco for hundreds of years to protect and nourish their skin and hair, it has recently gained popularity in the West and dubbed as a “miracle ingredient”. With its high levels of Vitamin E and composed of more than 80% fatty acids, it is used for everything from healing skin ailments to preventing premature aging. It is also now being utilized as a safer alternative for caring for baby’s skin or for those with extremely sensitive skin.
Pure argan oil, a powerful product that delivers so many benefits, does not come cheap as you may expect. I've seen tiny bottles that can literally fit in the palm of your hand go for over $100
each. Sadly, many of us simply cannot afford to shell out that much even for such a great product that will certainly yield positive results.
However, Bench has given us a great and affordable alternative with their
Moroccan Argan Oil from their Bench Organics line!
Though not made of pure Argan oil, which is why it's affordable in the first place, the product claims to still deliver a number of positive skin care benefits. It is completely multi-purpose and can be used for your face, hair, and entire body.
The oil is housed in a conveniently sized plastic, tinted bottle. There's actually a reason that argan oil is stored in tinted bottles in the same way olive oil or even most beers are - the tint helps to block or minimize ultraviolet light which may deteriorate the liquid inside.
The product is dispensed via a flip-top opening. Though the hole appears a little large, it actually releases a very controlled amount so you won't end up pouring too much out by accident. The cap is also quite secure and doesn't open too easily so I can deem this as safe enough to bring along with you in your bag if you need to.
