What makes simply argan oil* so beneficial for the skin, hair and nails? Below is a brief explanation of each of the active components in the oil and the underlying science of how these work.

tocopherols

Tocopherols are naturally occurring anti-oxidants (vitamin E) which is essential for healthy skin. Many cosmetics have vitamin E added as an ingredient (check some labels, it is added to most cosmetic products) whereas it is found in abundance in simplyargan oil and does not need to be artificially added. What is more, the level of tocopherols found in argan oil are much higher than many other oils and the type of tocopherols found in argan oil (argan oil has high levels of gamma tocopherols) are much more beneficial than those found in many other oils. For example, olive oil contains c300mg/kg of alpha tocopherols (which are not as good for antioxidant benefits than gamma tocopherols) whereas argan oil contains c600mg/kg of which c70% are gamma tocopherols.¹ Put simply, simply argan oil has lots of very high-quality vitamin E.

phenols

Phenols are used in a range of bath, hair and skin care products and occur naturally in argan oil. Phenols have antibacterial properties that help cleanse the skin and eliminate odour by preventing and inhibiting the growth of micro-organisms. They also help to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, improve various skin conditions and help with eliminating the causes and effects of skin ageing.²

carotenes

Carotenes are powerful antioxidants that help protect against cellular damage and repair sun damaged skin. They are also regarded as a key anti-ageing ingredient in many cosmetic products and work to even skin tone. In hair products they are added to help with fragility and to prevent split ends. In many cosmetic products they are synthesised from vitamin A and then added, being called such buzzwords as Pro-Vitamin A.

squalene

Squalene is easily absorbed by the skin and is an anti-oxidant. It helps prevent UV damage and the formation of age spots, it promotes cell growth and it is also an antibacterial agent. Again, as with many of the natural constituents of simply argan oil, this is artificially added to many cosmetic products and, sadly, it is obtained, in many cases, from sharks’ livers.

essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids are important for healthy skin and deficiencies of these can have a detrimental effect. simply argan oil is packed full of these with high contents of oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic fatty acids. For example, a deficiency in linoleic acid causes the skin to develop barrier disorders and the skin dries out and becomes scaly, nails tend to crack and hair loss may occur. Linoleic acid also promotes the healing process of dermatoses and sun burn by increasing the speed of recovery of the skin.

If you would like to find out more about the science behind argan oil there are numerous scientific papers that are freely available on the internet. Our website has many links to interesting, informative and independent papers, articles and websites on the subject.

* We specifically refer to simply argan oil, rather than argan oil generally, because we test and know the composition of our oil. There are vast differences in the composition and quality of argan oil on the market (we know, as we have tested lots of brands of argan oil). This is the same with any oil and that is why you can pay over £20 for a good bottle of olive oil and less than £2 for a not so good one! Research shows that different brands of the same oils can have very different qualities and contain significantly varying amounts of the good stuff.³

references

1 Alternative Medicine Review Vol 16 No 3 2011 by Dom Guillaume PhD and Zoubida Charrouf PhD
2 The Potential of Plant Phenolics in Prevention and Therapy of Skin Disorders Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Feb; 17(2): 160. Published online 2016 Feb 18. doi: 10.3390/ijms17020160
3 Food Sci. Technol, Campinas, 34(2): 379-385, Apr.-June 2014