The Cultural Significance of Argan Oil
Gaining international fame for Morocco in the last couple of decades, Argan Oil has prominently grown out of the borders of its original country. Cherished for its numerous beauty and health benefits, Argan Oil is a natural phenomenon, with great historic and cultural importance.
A natural one-of-a-king age-defying miracle, Argan Oil has been dominating the global beauty culture. Nevertheless, its high demand benefits greatly the Berber women cooperatives, which exclusively produce Argan Oil, using only traditional, manual and sustainable ways of manufacture. Thus the economic boost for Morocco, Argan Oil has immense significance for preserving the local Moroccan culture.
Traditional Heritage And Identity Of Argan Oil
Argan Oil is so deeply intertwined in the traditional heritage of Morocco that it is often confused with the history of the country itself, becoming an emblem of this North African land.
Over the centuries, Argan Oil has been a traditional feature in the daily lives of the people of the Arganeraie region. The local Berber people are the ones who discovered, domesticated and mastered the methods of producing Argan Oil and finding its countless uses and benefits.
Even though the Argan tree only grows in a small area in the South of Morocco, it has an immense cultural impact over the identity of the local people, and Morocco as well. Today, recognised on a global scale, Argan Oil is still a very scarce resource and with a fragile ecosystem behind it.
It is estimated that there are only 21 million living Argan trees in the world. However, the Argan tree can only survive in its natural habitat in Morocco and nowhere else around the world. It takes up to 7 Argan trees to produce a liter of Argan Oil, so do the math why this oil is so rare and expensive. To save this irreplaceable natural treasure, in 1998 UNESCO put the Argan tree under its protection.
This is why Argan Oil manufacture is strictly left to the Berber women, who continue to respect the cultural significance of the oil for their community and country. They use only manual techniques and traditional handmade tools for cold pressing and extracting the luxurious oil and preserve all the nutritional value and healing properties of the Argan Oil.
Argan Oil As An Empowering Tool For Moroccan Women
Morocco is a country with traditional Muslim values, meaning the breadwinner of the household is usually the male figure. For a long time women in Morocco were not allowed to work or earn a wage in any way possible. Argan Oil production has always been in the hands of the Moroccan women, but not until recently, they didn't receive any reward for their hard work. Before Argan Oil became a worldwide sensation, adored by celebrities and beauty-obsessed women, the oil was sold on the streets of Morocco for a small price, not recognising neither its high value, nor the strenuous manual labor of the women extracting the oil.
More than 20 years ago, the local women skilled in producing Argan Oil, joined to create women cooperatives in order to organize strong economic structures and receive payment for their work. Women cooperatives are built on the idea of sisterhood, equality and strength from unity. Most of them have adopted a democratic approach and have no organizational hierarchy in favor of the equal value of every member.
The Berber women cooperatives, responsible for the majority of Argan Oil production, have become an important part of the economy of the country. They also add to the traditional and cultural identity of Argan Oil, maintaining its high quality. The specialized cooperatives help greatly to preserve the precious and fragile Argan groves from extinction by falling under malicious practices and unfair treatment.
In 2011 the Moroccan government created the Ministry of Solidarity for Women, Family and Social Development in order to further empower local women as a valuable workforce. Today Moroccan women have a prominent place in the future development efforts of the state's economy. Now women-led cooperatives in Morocco thrive, ensuring a steady income for women to contribute to their family income, ensure their education and be a productive member of the society. Not only this, the women cooperatives involved in Argan Oil production have a large contribution to keeping any Argan Oil tradition alive and promoting a sustainable yield and manufacture of the "liquid gold" of Morocco.
Ancient Beauty Rituals And Healing Practices With Argan Oil
Argan Oil is a true living ancient legend. The Argan tree, from which Argan Oil is being produced, has been dated to exist for millions of years on Earth. Therefore, the miraculous power of Argan Oil has been utilized by the Moroccan people for centuries.
Since ancient times Argan Oil has been a major part of the daily life of Moroccan people. The first historical data shows that Argan Oil was initially used as a fuel for oil lamps due to its high luminosity and bright fire. It was later when the Moroccans discovered the cosmetic and healing properties of the oil. Primarily, they started to use Argan Oil as a skin protector from the extremely dry and harsh desert climate in order to preserve their skin hydrated, nourished and shielded from the scorching African sun.
Consequently, Argan Oil became the most popular beauty tool in Morocco. Women religiously put pure Argan Oil in their hair to keep it long, shiny and healthy. Argan Oil would keep it thick, strong and luscious without any damage or scalp problems. The oil was also deeply rooted in their skin care. Prolonged and consistent use of Argan Oil from childbirth onward would maintain the Moroccan people's skin smooth, youthful, plump and without any imperfections. They counted solely on Argan Oil to delay aging indefinitely.
Argan Oil is not only beneficial for beautifying purposes but also for curing serious medical conditions. It was used by the locals to treat various skin concerns including acne, psoriasis and eczema. Argan Oil was considered an effective natural remedy for rheumatism and alleviating pain. As a part of Moroccan cuisine, culinary Argan Oil was widely used in many traditional dishes. Ingested regularly, Argan Oil lowers cholesterol levels, regulates blood pressure, takes away toxins from the body and supports maintaining steady cell metabolic health.
Argan Oil Is A Main Tourist Attraction In Morocco
As one of the most famous symbols of Morocco, Argan Oil is respectively a main tourist attraction in the country. Its unique properties, ancient origin, history and cultural significance for Morocco's traditions and economy, make it a remarkable national treasure, none traveler wants to miss. The tourist curiosity around the Argan Oil is not only about the oil itself, but especially of the methods used for the oil to be gathered and manufactured.
If you ever get the chance to visit the wonderful Morocco and see a dozen goats on a tree - you're not hallucinating. It is just a part of the whole Argan Oil producing process. The goats find the Argan nut very tasty and nutritious, but cannot digest the kernel. Their stomachs only take away the softer outer layer of the nut, and later the goats excrete the "peeled" kernel, shortening the labor of manually separating the hard Argan nut. Dating centuries back, this peculiar technique of collecting Argan nuts with the help of goats, is not used very often today, but for the sake of preserving the tradition and attracting tourist attention, we can still witness this amusing sight.
Another trip you shouldn't miss is an organized visit to the Berber women cooperatives where you can closely observe the separate steps of how pure 100% Moroccan Argan Oil is being produced using only traditional and sustainable methods of manufacture. Cooperative Marjana in Essaouira and the Argan Oil factory in Agadir are some of the cooperatives that organize special guided tours. The cooperatives offer not only stock of Argan Oil products for tourists to buy, but provide the visitors with valuable knowledge on how Argan Oil is historically, culturally and economically important to the Berber society. And to get a better taste of the experience, the Berber women cooperatives also present traditional dishes with culinary Argan Oil for the tourists to indulge in.
The Best Argan Oil Is From Essence Of Argan
Essence of Argan deeply respects the history and traditions of Argan Oil wholeheartedly kept for centuries by the Berber women in Morocco. Our Argan Oil is imported from such establishments, supporting the ecological and sustainable future of the Arganeraie region and enhancing the economic and cultural impact the oil has for the Berber women cooperatives.
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