Argan Oil (rancid...)

Just like the past five years (it´s already tradition...)last weekend i went to the Fil Feira Internacional de Artesanato-Lisboa, a very popular Arts&Crafts International fair held in Lisbon every year.
So,this year i bought an amazing dress from an Indian seller...

...an African phone pouch...

...and finally,a rancid Argan Oil bottle bought to a North African seller!As all the bottles were sealed i wasn´t able to try them before buying it...It has a smokey smell and it is definitely rancid, good&fresh Argan Oil should smell nutty and not like this one :(

But, iam the "nutty" one!Even smelly,i tried it on my face (yes,blergh!),BUT,amazingly, even rancid,it left my skin super smooth,super moisturized and it was immediately absorved by the skin, just as a fresh Argan Oil would!

I mixed it with my favorite parfum oil essence (to prevent me from fainting when iam having it on my face...) and im quite happy with it now.

I don´t advise you to do the same, but as for me, for this one, ill go rancid! :D

This oil (extracted from the fruit of Morocco's argan tree)  is well know for its its endless hydrating and healing properties.does not clog pores and helps minimize fine lines,Argan oil can also help people with mild acne as the oleic acid found in the oil helps promote healthy levels of sebum production, and its linoleic acid helps prevent excess dead skin cells by promoting healthy skin turnover.

Its extraction,by traditional methods is a very  thought process that envolve the folowing steps:

1.the women harvest the nuts from the argan trees, which grow only in southwestern Morocco. Apparently, Moroccan goats are great at climbing trees, i saw one but no one believed me...they are super cute, actually one of my fav animal :)

 2.The women let the nuts dry. When they pick them, they look like green olives,To make a liter of oil, you need 88 pounds of fruit!

3, Once the nuts are dry, the women use two stones to break apart the dried flesh of the nut, and then to break away the hull. Its hard work!

4.They squeeze the paste by hand to extract the oil. The oil is bottled and the remaining solid stuff left from squeezing is fed to the goats as a special treat (one of the women said it was the animal's version of chocolate).

However, the oil used in cosmetic and culinary products available for sale today has most likely been harvested directly from the tree and processed with machines.

Ive been twice in Morocco, but unfortunately did´t had the possibility to watch the Argan Oil production process http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfnc1ySS4D4 (i was more busy getting lost in the Medinas looking for their super cool-colorful local Drug Stores!) but, Its on my TO DO list.

El Fna square in Marrakesh © CatiaCoias 

"Welcome to my beautiful shop"...somewhere in the High Atlas Mountains © CatiaCoias 

The fresh and colorful Yves Saint Laurent Majorelle Garden in Marrakech!© CatiaCoias 

The Majorelle Garden saved me from the 48°degrees felt on Marrakesh that day!it was super hot,the air seemed to  burn my nostrils!As you can see by my face...i was in an excruciating pain © CatiaCoias