Argan oil gets a dose of French chic

Far from subsiding, the argan craze just keeps getting stronger. The latest line comes from France, and it offers not just a complete line of natural skin, hair and body care with organic ingredients, but also an exciting new product with powers of seduction. I’ll explain later.

Naturelle d’Argan, which you can find at Beauty Bar, uses Morocco’s golden oil to maximum effect. It’s the first Ecocert-ified and Cosmebio-accredited argan oil-based brand in the French market, which means “a minimum of 95 percent of all ingredients are natural in origin, and 10 percent of that is organic,” explains Celine Heuls, export manager for Asia-Pacific for Groupe Batteur, who was in town recently to launch the brand.

Groupe Batteur is a key player in the pharmaceutical industry in France, with over 100 years of expertise in manufacturing and product design (another of their brands is Algotherm). Thus they have complete control of Naturelle d’Argan’s production chain, and distribute it through 5,000 points of sale (mainly pharmacies).

What I like about the brand — in addition to their innovative products — is their ethical commitment. Sales of Naturelle d’Argan support Moroccan women who work in a cooperative called the Arganeraie. Groupe Batteur has built a building specially for them where they can work in safe conditions, complete with health clinic and a space where their children can play.

Production is handled by around 60 women working daily, depending on the season. There they break the argan kernels by hand — about 43 kilos of argan nuts go into one liter of oil — so this kind of manual labor is no joke. Despite that, the women were against mechanization because they wanted to preserve the natural, traditional process.

“It’s their primary source of income,” notes Heuls, “so it helps women become more autonomous.”

Naturelle d’Argan also helps the environment. Scientific research is focused on saving the argan tree, and cultivating argan orchards prevents the desert from encroaching on Morocco’s fertile land.

We, on the other hand, benefit from the myriad properties of this miracle oil. Rich in omega 6 and 9 fatty acids and with almost triple the vitamin E of olive oil, argan softens, protects and moisturizes, improving our skin’s elasticity and barrier function, battling free radicals, and combating aging and the early loosening of skin. Not only is Naturelle d’Argan free from parabens, silicone, and phenoxyethanol, the company also deodorizes the oil to remove its pungent nutty aroma, making their products even more of a pleasure to use.

Here are my Top 6 must-haves:

1. Pure Argan Elixir – This multitasking oil smells fresh sans fragrance, and while I’ve tried other pure argan oils that are thicker and stickier, Naturelle d’Argan’s version is light and easily absorbed. Try it undiluted on your face, massage it into your body after bath or exfoliation, and leave it on your hair for an hour as a mask before shampooing. Tip: You can also add it to your creams to make them more nourishing.

2. Sublime Radiance Glittering Dry Oil – A standout in the line, Sublime Radiance combines organic argan, hazelnut and sesame oils with mica shimmer to facilitate “glamour and seduction.” It may look a scary orange in the bottle but when you massage it into your shoulders and decollete, it imparts a lovely bronze sheen that complements our Pinoy skin perfectly. Total love.

3. Purifying Cleansing Milk – Gentle enough to use on the eyes, this cleanser has argan, shea butter, olive oil, chamomile water and glycerin to moisturize, soothe, soften, reduce redness, improve elasticity, and limit water loss. You don’t even have to rinse it off, just wipe it away with a cotton pad, thus keeping argan’s goodness on your skin.

4. Vegetal Comfort Lotion – Another cunning multitasker, you can use this lotion as a toner to ensure complete makeup removal, or keep it in your cosmetic bag to refresh and hydrate you in hot weather or in flight. The floral fragrance from the orange flower water is another plus.

5. Booster Serum Youth Renaissance – Naturelle d’Argan’s bestseller, this is another insta-love product for me. Used in conjunction with your daily skincare, this innovative concentrate helps boost the rejuvenation capacity of your skin. Argan’s age-defying properties are mixed with regenerative Cassia Alata leaf extract, toning New Zealand fern and hydrating hyaluronic acid salt. Tests showed that it adds over 77 percent moisture to your skin. I love that it’s very easily absorbed, not greasy and the dropper bottle gives you exactly the right amount every time.

6. Day & Night Crème Youth Renaissance – Combining argan with the finest natural anti-aging ingredients — oak bark extract, lavender flower water, Muscat rose oil, New Zealand fern and hibiscus extract to smooth, protect and firm — this cream forms a fine film over your skin with an immediate lifting effect. Wrinkles are reduced by two percent in one hour. 

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In the Philippines, Naturelle d’Argan is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. and is available at Beauty Bar TriNoma, Greenbelt 5, Rockwell, Shangri-La, Eastwood, Bonifacio High Street, Podium, Gateway, Mall of Asia, Alabang Town Center and Paseo de Sta. Rosa.