ACQUIZHEN

Argan – Argania spinosa

Argania spinosa is a short thorny tree which now only grows in the wild in the semi -desert of south-west Morocco. The trees can survive drought by being dormant and can live up to 250 years old. It bears olive sized fruit which have sweet smelling flesh and contain one or sometimes 2 or 3 oil rich seeds. Argania spinosa is known as The Tree of Life. Its fruit are eaten by goats who will climb in the branches to reach them despite the sharp thorns. Camels and sheep can eat its leaves and cattle will eat the processed seeds after the oil has been extracted from them. The oil is highly nutritious for humans to eat and is used by Berber women in Morocco to nourish skin, hair and nails. It is also a source of fuel and timber and this combined with intensive agriculture has placed this tree and those who depend on it under threat.

Forests of Argania spinosa used to cover North Africa and Southern Europe but there are now only 860 00 hectares remaining. UNESCO has designated the remaining forest a Biosphere Reserve. It is not only precious as the last remaining area these trees grow in. The trees themselves sustain life and shape the environment. They protect soil from heavy rain and wind erosion. They provide shade and their roots bind the soil together. Argania spinosa grows in conditions that are difficult for other plants and once they have been cut down other vegetation struggles. Thus these trees protect land from desertification and the advance of the harsh Sahara desert further north.  While the trees belong to the Moroccan Forestry Commission families have hereditary gathering rights for trees near their homes. This makes the commercial value of the tree for consumption and use in cosmetics a strong protection for the unique forest and people who use this resource sustainably. Because fruit collection rights are owned by people living in the area it provides individuals with empowerment as they can continue to use the tree as forage for domestic animals and personal use, and also sell the oil for profit.

Oil extraction is labour intensive as the fruit pulp must be removed and the seeds ground to extract the oil. It continues to be done on a small scale by those who collect the fruits. The oil is nutritious as it contains 80% unsaturated fatty acids and is high in essential fatty acids. The scientifically proven properties which make it an effective skin conditioner are the high levels of Vitamin E and anti-oxidants within the oil. The ground seeds contain residual traces of the oil and form a useful mechanical exfoliator. ACQUIZHEN incorporates the ground seeds into the Gentle Exfoliating Mask for their gentle exfoliant effect and because using it means conserving a precious resource.