Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil
Argania spinosa · INCI Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Argan oil is pressed from the kernel inside the fruit of the argan tree, which grows only in southwestern Morocco. It is a genuinely good conditioning oil, and also one of the most over-sold, so this is a page that gains from restraint.
It is one of the most over-marketed oils there is, so we describe it narrowly: a well-tolerated conditioning oil, rich in vitamin E, and no more than the evidence allows.
What it is
Argan is a cold-pressed kernel oil, made up mostly of oleic and linoleic acids, with a notably high level of vitamin E, largely in the gamma-tocopherol form, and some uncommon plant sterols. That is a good, useful profile for the skin: it absorbs well, softens, and helps the skin hold moisture, with a real antioxidant character from the vitamin E.
There is some genuine clinical work behind it too, mostly small studies in postmenopausal women, linking regular use to better skin hydration and elasticity. Worth noting that the best-known of those studies combined taking argan by mouth with applying it to the skin, so the effect cannot be pinned on the topical oil alone.
What it does in our formulas
Two things, described plainly and no further.
It conditions and softens
Argan is rich in oleic and linoleic acids, with an unusually high level of vitamin E and some uncommon plant sterols. On the skin it absorbs well and works as a conditioning oil that softens and helps hold moisture.
Well characterisedIt carries antioxidants
Its vitamin E, largely the gamma-tocopherol form, along with sterols and polyphenols, gives it a real antioxidant character. Small studies, mostly in postmenopausal women, have linked regular use to better skin hydration and elasticity.
Emerging evidenceWhat the research does not show
Few oils carry as much marketing as argan, "liquid gold" and the rest. The oil is good enough not to need it, so here is the plain version.
Marketed as A miracle anti-ageing oil
Marketed as Guaranteed non-comedogenic
So we keep to the honest description: a well-tolerated, vitamin-E-rich conditioning oil with some modest clinical support. That is a good thing to be, and it is what argan is.
On the label and in the range
Argan appears in the Oily and Oily Sensitive blends, at a modest level in the ingredient list. On the label it reads by its INCI name, shown with its common name, and marked as cold-pressed and organic. The exact percentage is published on each product page.
Is it suitable for me?
Argan oil has a good safety record, is well tolerated, and suits a vegan routine, with no restrictions under UK or EU cosmetic law. It is pressed from a tree kernel, and while allergic reactions are rare, a patch test first is sensible if your skin reacts easily.
Argan is pressed from a tree kernel, and while reactions are rare, a patch test first is sensible if your skin reacts easily.
The research behind this page
We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.
- Boucetta KQ, Charrouf Z, Aguenaou H, Derouiche A, Bensouda Y. The effect of dietary and/or cosmetic argan oil on postmenopausal skin elasticity. Clin Interv Aging 2015;10:339-349. "https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S71684", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S71684"}" rel="nofollow">→
- Boucetta KQ, Charrouf Z, Aguenaou H, Derouiche A, Bensouda Y. Skin hydration in postmenopausal women: argan oil benefit with oral and/or topical use. Prz Menopauzalny 2014;13(5):280-288. "https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.46470", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.46470"}" rel="nofollow">→
- Mechqoq H, El Yaagoubi M, El Hamdaoui A, et al. The Importance of Argan Oil in Medicine and Cosmetology. Nutrients 2024;16(20):3573. "https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203573", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203573"}" rel="nofollow">→