Beauty Necessity: Argan Oil

Photo credit: www.healthyme.gr

I know what you're thinking - first flash tattoos and now oil?  What can I say - I guess my inner hippie comes out when it comes to beauty products.  Argan oil really is the bomb though.  And not the super expensive Josie Maran kind either, although I'm sure 1 ounce of that brand is great and totally worth the price of a tank of gas.  I'm talking about the 100% pure organic shit that you have to go to the crunchiest store you can find to get (or order from a crunchy seller on Amazon, like I do).  Unadulterated, unscented argan oil is a miracle.  I'm not going to get into the history of it or how it's processed or whatever, because you can go ahead and Wiki all that yourself (I think it involves goat shit? I'm not sure).  What I will tell you about is my experience with it using it on my face, hair, and body over the past while.  Here's the goods:

1)  It makes my hair super soft.  Like, softer than any conditioner I've ever used, and all it takes is one or two pumps from the bottle.  After I wash my hair, I towel dry, take a tiny bit of argan oil in my palms and work through my hair, focusing mostly on the ends.  Whether I blow dry or not (usually not) my hair always dries with a really soft and silky texture, and not greasy at all.  Speaking of the bottle, make sure whatever you buy comes in a dark/amber colored bottle, because apparently light can alter the properties of it severely.

2)  It banishes pimples.  What? Oil banishes pimples? Yup - argan oil sure does.  I have really sensitive skin and am prone to hormonal acne (I'll share that post-pregnancy horror story one day, with pics and all, promise) and my regimen is pretty intense, meaning I use a lot of products that strip the skin and force cell turnover to avoid getting wrinkles (hello retinoid cream).  A couple of times I week I give my skin a break and use a little argan oil on my face at night, especially if I have a PMS- related breakout.  It absorbs extremely fast, no grease, and in the morning my skin is visibly clearer, if not completely cleared up.  No bullshit.    

3) It makes your skin healthier.  It hasn't gotten rid of my stretch marks yet (because probably nothing will besides surgery, thanks again pregnancy), but it definitely makes my skin feel soft and hydrated without the oil-slick mess you get with baby oil/coconut oil/ crisco.

4) I think it's made my eyebrow hair thicker? I can't be sure, but I have noticed that they have gotten a bit fuller and I can't imagine that its because of any of the other products I use.  If you're already fighting a unibrow, you might not think this is a benefit, but I welcome it.  It's easier to remove hair to get your brows in check than it is to grow it in.

5)  It's a great bang for your buck.  Because it's a pure oil, you barely have to use any, so a little goes a long way.  I pay about $20 for a 4-5 month supply which includes using it on my hair and face and body a few times a week each.

Admittedly, pure argan oil doesn't smell great, but it doesn't smell bad either.  It's got a very faint olive-nutty kind of smell, barely there but not perfumey either.  If you don't have super sensitive skin and you really need all your shit to smell like roses then by all means search for one with sandalwood or something in it.  But if you want a moisturizer that has absolutely no chemicals in it and gives you better results than some of the most loaded-up potions on the market, then by all means head on down to your local kale store and buy some argan oil.