image from drugstore.comRecently there has been a lot of hype about this new “miracle” hair oil. MoroccanOil Treatment. It apparently imparts a lot of shine, makes your hair silky and basically does your dishes and folds your laundry. Who wouldn’t want silky soft shiny hair? I know I did. I did something I normally don’t do. I purchased this based on the hype without doing my research. Well my friends. Let me be the first or 2nd or 10th to say that this MoroccanOil is pure bullsh*t. Well actually goat sh*t.
OK. Let’s start from the beginning.
The MoroccanOil Treatment is said to contain the legendary Argan Oil. If you have never heard of Argan oil, it is explained here in Wikipedia. Argan oil is produced from the kernels of argan tree fruit. These trees only grow in a few regions, like Morocco, so this oil is one of the rarest in the world due the small supply and the limited growing area - hence the high price and the hype. Argan oil is a legendary oil that is rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Argan oil is said to have many treatment benefits, including hydrating skin, it allegedly has anti aging properties and has been rumored to be good for toning and firming. It is also believed to help with various skin conditions including acne.
Normally the oil is produced by first stripping the soft pulp from the nuts. Then they are cured in the sun. The nuts are cracked open and the seeds removed. They roast the seeds add water and grind the nuts into a thick paste. The paste is then squeezed and the oil is extracted.
BUT
There is documentation that there is another way to produce this oil. The breaking of the nut shells is labor intensive. And like good humans that we all are, we always look for a way to make things easier. In come the goats. The Moroccans found that it is easier to have the goats to eat the fruit from the Argan tree, wait for the seeds pass through the goat’s digestive track, and collect the now softer, partially digested seed from the er…um…other end. The digested seeds are easier to break open but I do believe that the “scent” of the “product” leaves much to be desired. Is it true? Yes. Do most companies use this practice to extract the oils? NO! Don’t worry. The MoroccanOil or Argan oil you put on your face, hair and salad dressing most likely did not come out of a goats butt! I just liked the idea of being able to write about a goat’s poop on my blog!
hee hee! The goats actually climb the tree to get to the fruit. How cute is this?
image from grayslaker.comANYWAY
Back to the item at hand. Argan oil. That is supposed to be the miracle ingredient in the MorrocanOil hair treatment. Since the actual benefits of Argan oil on the hair are not really proven I can’t say that this stuff will do any good for your hair. I will say that I have looked at the other ingredients of said MoroccanOil and I was VERY disappointed.
Here are the ingredients for MoroccanOil
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Argania Spinoza Kernel Oil (Aragan Oil), Linseed Extract (Linum Usitatissimum), Fragrance (Supplement), D&C Yellow 11, D&C Red 17, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone
OK. The first 3 ingredients are silicone or silicone binding agents.
Cyclopentasiloxane - a binding agent for silicone oils
Dimethicone - Derived from silica (a naturally occurring component of sand and quartz); emollient, water repellent, adds shine to skin and hair.
Cyclomethicone - a silicone oil used in hair and skin care products to impart shine and/or silkiness
The 4th ingredient is fragrance
Butylphenyl Methylpropional - a synthetic fragrance compound.
The 5th ingredient is Argan Oil then some linseed extract and more fragrances & dyes.
Argan oil is so far down on the list that the soft & silky results one might get from using this product, is most likely from the silicones in the first 3 ingredients.
This is basically silicone with a touch of oil and some perfume. What a complete and utter waste of money. You can buy other silicone laden products out there for ½ the cost with the same results.
Oh let’s talk about cost.
MoroccanOil isn’t cheap. 3.4 oz of the product will run you about $32 on drugstore.com
If you can find a smaller bottle, (like I did) 0.85 oz will cost you about $10- $15
Alternatively, pure argan oil runs the gamut in prices. You can buy Josie Moran’s pure argan oil from Sephora for $49 for 1.7 oz
Or you can look online and find etailers that will sell you Argan Oil at $32 for 30 ml
or others that will sell it to you for $28 for 100 ml
But that's neither here nor there. My main point is don’t buy MoroccanOil for your hair. It’s expensive and it’s crap.
Yes, I admit, it did make my hair feel silky. I have used it 4 times so far and each time my hair was silky but not greasy. But I achieved the same results from other silicone products. Plus, silicones aren’t so wonderful for your hair in the first place. Over time, silicones build up on your hair and you need to strip them out. This can be drying to the hair. It makes your hair feel like straw, which makes you want to put silicone in it to get it silky again, which builds up, which needs to be stripped out which …oh you get the point. A vicious circle indeed.
Oh. P.S. Argan oil may be beneficial to the skin, but do not use it if you are sensitive or acne prone. The oil itself is very comedogenic and can cause inflamed acne. FAIL!
Oh and P.P. S. I know some of you are going to disagree with me on this one. That's OK and I'm happy to read your comments.
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