Moroccan hair oil, famously known as "liquid gold," has taken the beauty world by storm, earning its place as a beloved go-to for all things hair care. Known for its nourishing and hydrating properties and restoring abilities, this luxurious oil has found a place in the routines of several beauty enthusiasts worldwide. So, what is it about Moroccan hair oil that makes this oil so special?
The Origins of Moroccan Hair Oil
Moroccan hair oil is derived from the kernels of the Argan tree. It grows in semi-desert regions of Morocco. The Argan tree produces oilnuts that are hand-cracked open for the oil. This practice dates back more than a thousand years in Morocco.
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Key Benefits of Moroccan Hair Oil
There are many advantages Moroccan Hair Oil can offer.
- Hydration and Moisturization: One of the major reasons Moroccan hair oil is in such high demand is because it hydrates and moisturizes the hair incredibly well. It is very high in fatty acids; therefore, it can reach each strand, which ensures soft, smooth, and well-manageable hair.
- Adds Shine: Say goodbye to dull and lifeless hair! Moroccan hair oil adds a natural sheen, giving your locks a healthy and glossy finish.
- Frizz Control: If you have a lot of frizzy hair and constant flyaways, Moroccan hair oil might be a well-kept secret for you. It is formulated so that it builds up a protective layer to seal moisture in without allowing moisture from the outside to disturb your hair.
- Strengthens Hair: Moroccan hair oil, rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E, makes your hair stronger and encourages healthy growth.
- Protects Against Heat Damage: As with the wide use of styling tools like straighteners and blow-dryers, many may suffer from heat damage.
- Scalp Treatment: You can treat your scalp with Moroccan hair oil and thus calm it. It is actually great if you have a dry and flaky scalp. Moreover, it reduces itchiness. The oil looks nourishing and thus balances the sebum production.
How to Use Moroccan Hair Oil
The versatility of this hair oil is what makes it so popular.
- Pre-wash treatment: Massage a few drops onto your scalp and through your hair, and let it sit for 30 minutes before shampooing.
Though there are many hair oils available, Moroccan hair oil is one of a kind because it has a light texture and is rich in nutrients. Such oil would never weigh your hair or leave a greasy residue like other heavy oils, be it coconut or castor oil.
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Ingredients to Look For
- Refrain from Fillers: Natural Moroccan oil should not contain parabens, sulfates, or synthetic fragrances.
A bit more nourishment can be added to your hair with a DIY hair mask using Moroccan hair oil.
Common Ingredients in Moroccan Deep Conditioners and Their Benefits
Here's a breakdown of common ingredients found in Moroccan deep conditioners and their respective benefits:
| Ingredient | Description and Benefits |
|---|---|
| Water (Aqua/Eau) | Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Usually the main solvent in cosmetic products. Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water. |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | An extremely common multitasker ingredient that gives your skin a nice soft feel (emollient) and gives body to creams and lotions. It also helps to stabilize oil-water mixes (emulsions), though it does not function as an emulsifier in itself. It’s a so-called fatty alcohol, a mix of cetyl and stearyl alcohol, other two emollient fatty alcohols. Though chemically speaking, it is alcohol (as in, it has an -OH group in its molecule), its properties are totally different from the properties of low molecular weight or drying alcohols such as denat. alcohol. |
| Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil | When it comes to cosmetic oils and hype, argan oil is for sure leading the way. Dubbed as the "liquid gold of Morocco", we have to admit we have some trouble determining why this oil enjoys such a special miracle status. So, argan oil comes from the kernel of the argan fruit that comes from the argan tree that grows only in Morocco. The tree is slow growing and getting the oil is a hard job. The traditional process is that the ripe argan fruits fall from the tree, then goats eat them up and poop out the seeds. The seeds are collected and smashed with a stone to get the kernels inside. This part is the hard one as the seeds have extremely hard shells. Once the kernels are obtained, the oil is pressed out from them (the kernels contain about 50% oil). As for skincare, argan oil is loaded with lots of skin goodies (but so are many other plant oils): it contains 80% nourishing and moisturizing unsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic (38-50%), linoleic (28-38%) and palmitic (10-18%). Thanks to all the above goodness in argan oil, it can greatly nourish and moisturize the skin and hair. It's also claimed to be able to neutralize collagen-damaging free radicals, help reduce scars, and revitalize and improve skin elasticity. A real oldie but a goodie. Argan oil - the "liquid gold of Morocco" that contains 80% unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic mainly), and antioxidant vitamin E and phenols. |
| Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil | The oil coming from the pulp of one of the most nutritious fruits in the world, the avocado. It's loaded with the nourishing and moisturizing fatty acid, oleic (70%) and contains some others including palmitic (10%) and linoleic acid (8%). Avocado oil has extraordinary skin penetration abilities and can nourish different skin layers. It's a very rich, highly moisturizing emollient oil that makes the skin smooth and nourished. Thanks to its vitamin E content it also has some antioxidant properties. |
| Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil | Jojoba is a drought resistant evergreen shrub native to South-western North America. It's known and grown for jojoba oil, the golden yellow liquid coming from the seeds (about 50% of the weight of the seeds will be oil). So what the heck is a wax ester and why is that important anyway? Well, to understand what a wax ester is, you first have to know that oils are chemically triglycerides: one glycerin + three fatty acids attached to it. The fatty acids attached to the glycerin vary and thus we have many kinds of oils, but they are all triglycerides. Mother Nature also created wax esters but for a totally different purpose. Chemically, a wax ester is a fatty acid + a fatty alcohol, one long molecule. Wax esters are on the outer surface of several plant leaves to give them environmental protection. So being a wax ester results in a couple of unique properties: First, jojoba oil is extremely stable. Like crazy stable. Even if you heat it to 370 C (698 F) for 96 hours, it does not budge. (Many plant oils tend to go off pretty quickly). Second, jojoba oil is the most similar to human sebum (both being wax esters), and the two are completely miscible. Jojoba oil - a wax ester (chemically not a real oil), that's very similar to human sebum. |
| Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract | Chamomile probably needs no introduction as it's one of the most widely used medicinal herbs. Cosmetic companies use it mainly for its anti-inflammatory properties. It contains the terpenoids chamazulene and bisabolol both of which show great anti-inflammatory action in animal studies. On top of that chamomile also has some antioxidant activity (thanks to some other active ingredients called matricine, apigenin and luteolin). |
| Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract | The extract coming from the lovely herb, rosemary. It contains lots of chemicals, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and diterpenes. Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. |
| Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride | A natural polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) that can be found in the cell wall of green plants. It is a natural and sustainable helper ingredient that can improve the absorption of the formula and it also reduces oiliness on the skin. |
| Hydroxyethylcellulose | A nice little helper ingredient that can thicken up cosmetic products and create beautiful gel formulas. It's derived from cellulose, the major component of the cell wall of green plants. It is compatible with most co-ingredients and gives a very good slip to the formulas. |
| Panthenol | An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient that’s also called pro-vitamin B5. Its main job in skincare products is to moisturise the skin. It’s a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. Another great thing about panthenol is that it has anti-inflammatory and skin protecting abilities. A study shows that it can reduce the irritation caused by less-nice other ingredients (e.g. If that wasn’t enough panthenol is also useful in nail and hair care products. As for the hair the hydration effect is also true there. Pro-Vitamin B5 is a goodie that moisturises the skin, has anti-inflammatory, skin protecting and wound healing properties. |
| Citric Acid | Citric acid comes from citrus fruits and is an AHA. But according to a comparative study done in 1995, citric acid has less skin improving magic properties than glycolic or lactic acid. An AHA that comes from citrus fruits. |
| Dimethicone | Probably the most common silicone of all. As for skincare, it makes the skin silky smooth, creates a subtle gloss and forms a protective barrier (aka occlusive). Also, works well to fill in fine lines and wrinkles and give skin a plump look (of course that is only temporary, but still, it's nice). There are also scar treatment gels out there using dimethicone as their base ingredient. It helps to soften scars and increase their elasticity. As for hair care, it is a non-volatile silicone meaning that it stays on the hair rather than evaporates from it and smoothes the hair like no other thing. A very common silicone that gives both skin and hair a silky smooth feel. It also forms a protective barrier on the skin and fills in fine lines. |
| Dimethiconol | A thick, high molecular weight silicone that is usually diluted in another, lighter silicone fluid (like dimethicone or cyclopentasiloxane). A thick, high molecular weight silicone that is usually diluted in a lighter silicone fluid. |
| Caprylyl Glycol | It’s a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel. The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product. A common glycol that improves the freeze-thaw stability of products. |
| Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate | Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate is an emollient that leaves a light, non-oily smooth and velvet skin sensation. According to manufacturer info it's also great at dispersing and dissolving pigments and sunscreen actives. An emollient that leaves a light, non-oily smooth and velvet skin sensation. |
| Polyquaternium-37 | A big polymer molecule that has a bunch of different versions and thus different uses. It can act as a film former, as a thickening agent, or it can increase the water-resistance in sunscreens. It is also used to entrap pigments/inorganic sunscreens within a micron size matrix for even coverage and easy application. A big polymer molecule that has a bunch of different versions and thus different uses. |
| Tetrasodium EDTA | Super common little helper ingredient that helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time. It does so by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes. Super common little helper ingredient that helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time. |
| Sodium PCA | PCA stands for Pyrrolidone Carboxylic Acid and though it might not sound like it, it is a thing that can be found naturally in our skin. |
| Fragrance (Parfum) | Exactly what it sounds: nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know what’s really in it. Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend. It’s the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. The generic term for nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. |
| Benzoic Acid | A helper ingredient that helps to make the products stay nice longer, aka preservative. It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. |
| Behentrimonium Chloride | A mainly oil-loving, vegetable raw material based ingredient that helps water and oil to mix together, aka emulsifier. A mainly oil-loving, vegetable raw material based ingredient that helps water and oil to mix together, aka emulsifier. |
| Potassium Sorbate | It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. No matter the origin, in small amounts (up to 1%) it’s a nice, gentle preservative. Has to be combined with some other nice preservatives, like potassium sorbate to be broad spectrum enough. A preservative that works mainly against fungi. A not so strong preservative that doesn’t really work against bacteria, but more against mold and yeast. |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | A little helper ingredient that works as a preservative. It works against bacteria and some species of fungi and yeast. It's often combined with IT-preservative, phenoxyethanol. A little helper ingredient that works as a preservative. It works against bacteria and some species of fungi and yeast. |
| Phenoxyethanol | It’s pretty much the current IT-preservative. It’s safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it’s not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben. It’s not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic. Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10). It’s often used together with ethylhexylglycerin as it nicely improves the preservative activity of phenoxyethanol. Pretty much the current IT-preservative. |
| Sorbic Acid | It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. It’s not a strong one and doesn’t really work against bacteria, but more against mold and yeast. To do that it has to break down to its active form, sorbic acid. For that to happen, there has to be water in the product and the right pH value (pH 3-4). But even if everything is right, it’s not enough on its own. If you see potassium sorbate you should see some other preservative next to it too. A preservative that works mainly against fungi. |
| CI 19140 (Yellow 5) | Ci 19140 or Tartrazine is a super common colorant in skincare, makeup, medicine & food. FDA says it's possible, but rare, to have an allergic-type reaction to a color additive. |
| Limonene | It’s a common fragrance ingredient that is one of the “EU 26 fragrances” that has to be labelled separately (and cannot be simply included in the term “fragrance/perfume” on the label) because of allergen potential. Best to avoid if your skin is sensitive. |
| Linalool | Linalool is a super common fragrance ingredient. It’s kind of everywhere - both in plants and in cosmetic products. The problem with linalool is, that just like limonene it oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. That’s why a product containing linalool that has been opened for several months is more likely to be allergenic than a fresh one. A super common fragrance ingredient that can be found among others in lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot or jasmine. The downside of it is that it oxidises on air exposure and might become allergenic. |
Moroccan hair oil is not just a trend; it is a timeless beauty staple that has been trusted for generations. This nourishing, protective hair oil enhances your hair's natural glory. You may need it to give shine to your hair, fight frizz, or give a boost to the growth of your hair. Moroccan hair oil is essential in your hair care routine. Bring the luxurious experience of Moroccan hair oil into your life and give your hair what it deserves.
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