Where you can find genuine Argan oil, from an ethical source

We recommend watching the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here:

Where you can find genuine Argan oil, from an ethical source (YouTube)

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Discover the versatile and distinctly Moroccan product of Argan Oil in today's conversation, recorded live at the Zin Cooperative, just outside of Essaouira.  

Argan oil can be pressed into both edible or cosmetic use, and our guest Chiadma explains the different methods of production, and how they know which is which. 

Discarded shells of the nuts are given to the famous tree-climbing goats, whom you might otherwise see along the highway from Marrakech to Essaouira, climbing trees in search of their own supply!

Argan trees particularly thrive in the dry, Mediterranean-style climate of Essaouira, Agadir and Taroudant (which we described recently in Episode 86). Which means sourcing your product from that region is a good start, but you still can't assume that it's the real deal. 

Chiadma shares a story of how, before she started working at the co-op, even she succumbed to a too-good-to-be-true sale. Suffice to say, the oil didn't last very long. Good, quality Argan products need a high percentage of oil, and Chiadma explains what to look for. 

The Zin Cooperative, like the rug cooperative we featured in Episode 79, provides much needed employment and community for local women, in a positive and supportive environment. Discover not only quality products, but an enterprise that had a meaningful impact on this rural area. 

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Transcript

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: [00:01:00] Welcome back to another amazing episode of Destination Morocco Podcast.

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: All the way from Essaouira. We are here today at Zin Oil Cooperative, and we have Chiadma, who's gonna explain to us everything there is to know about Argan oil for eating, Argan oil for beauty, and the whole process. And also some of the scams that you might run into trying to buy Argan oil.

So Chiadma, welcome to the podcast. 

Chiadma: Hello. Thank you. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Very glad you're here. Thank you for your time. Appreciate it. So, Chiadma, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Chiadma: Okay. My name is Chiadma, and I started working here in this Cooperative since a year before. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: A year ago. Okay. 

Chiadma: A year ago. [00:02:00]

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: What can you tell us about Argan oil in terms of history? 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: The Argan tree. 

Chiadma: Argan tree. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Yes. 

Chiadma: The Argan tree, what I know is that it's old here in Morocco. And the only place that you can find it here in the world is Morocco. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Morocco. 

Chiadma: It was in Brazil, but it didn't give them the fruit.

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Oh, I see. It didn't bear any fruit. 

Chiadma: Yes. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. Now, in Morocco, is there a specific region where it grows, or it grows throughout the kingdom of Morocco? 

Chiadma: No, there is just the south, south of Morocco. Like Essaouira, Agadir and Taroudant. Taroudant. It's three cities. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: So in these three cities. Okay. coming from Marrakesh to Essaouira, we've seen a lot of forests and forests of Argan trees, which is just incredible.

So for an Argan tree to bear fruits, how long does it take for it to bear fruit? 

Chiadma: Just five years. Maybe less. [00:03:00] It's up to the weather. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Oh, it's up to the weather. I see. What about like in the garden you have an Argan tree. Do you water it or it just, the water that comes from the rain is enough? 

Chiadma: The rain is enough. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: The rain is enough, it's gonna be really dry, kind of hot weather with a little bit of rain. Not too much water. 

Chiadma: Yes. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay, that makes sense. Now, what can you tell us about the Cooperative?

And I see behind us, there's, some women, we can hear the noise cracking and the shell or the nut. So what can you tell us about this Cooperative? 

Chiadma: As an institution, 

 the cooperatives are I think just here in Morocco. So they are made just to help women to - yeah, this is the main like very specific operation. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: So the [00:04:00] main operation of the Cooperative is to help women? Yes. Can you tell us a little bit about the women behind us, and also we saw them just a few feet down on the other location doing the same thing. Can you explain to us what do they do and the importance of the Cooperative for them and to them?

Chiadma: For these women, they are working here. They are actually living near this place. Okay. And they can come here to work, to help themselves. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: I see. 

Chiadma: And this is the only work that they can do here in this region. I see. Especially they are a little bit far from Essaouira. Yeah. So they can't go there and find another work. Yes. And this is a traditional work for women actually. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: So because of the distance between here and Essaouira, so this is the perfect really job for them. Yes. Traditionally what they do. Yes. We've seen a lot of [00:05:00] products and the variety is just, it's incredible.

So many products for beauty, for consumption. Can you tell us, first of all, the process of from A to Z, from the moment you have the nut or the Argan from the tree, what's the process like? Step one, step two, until the last step of the process, please.

Chiadma: There is four steps. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Four steps. Yes. Okay. 

Chiadma: The first step is when we get the fruit. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. 

Chiadma: We need to remove the first shell. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: I see. 

Chiadma: Yes. To remove the nuts. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: The nuts, okay. Yes. So we remove the nut from the shell? Yes. Okay. And then the shell, what do we do with the shell?

Chiadma: We give it to the goats. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: To the goats? Yes. As a food? 

Chiadma: Yes. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: What's the benefit of it [00:06:00] to the goats? 

Chiadma: Actually, they, I dunno why - they like it! They like it. Okay. Normally the goats like to climb the trees to eat the first shell. And then they throw up the shell. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. So what's step number two?

Chiadma: Step number two is we break the nut to get the almond. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: The almond 

inside of it? Yes. Okay. So that's step number two. So the nut, we burn it to make fire. 

To make fire. Yes. Okay. 

Chiadma: And from the almond you can make oils. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay, I got it. So step number three, so that's what separates the 

Chiadma: edible, 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: cosmetic, 

Chiadma: and cosmetic and, 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: okay.

Explain that to us, Chiadma, please. 

Chiadma: The difference between the cosmetic oil and the edible oil is that we need to roast the almonds when we want to make the edible oil. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: I see, the oil for consumption. Yes. You roast the [00:07:00] almond. Yes. Okay. 

Chiadma: To remove the bitterness.

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: The bitterness. Okay. What about for beauty? 

Chiadma: We don't need to roast it. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: You don't roast it? Yes. We leave it just as it is. 

You leave it as it is. Do you mix it with something else? No. How do you extract the oil from it? 

Chiadma: We crush it. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. 

Chiadma: Then we get a piece. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. Then we need 

Chiadma: to squeeze it to remove the oil.

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. Because we saw that process and I see it right there. That's the last step. 

Chiadma: Yes. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: That's really fascinating. So, when we get the fruit from the tree, do we go straight to step number one or do we have to wait a certain time until the fruit dries out? 

Chiadma: No, scratch the process.

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: That's very fast.

Chiadma: Because we need to leave it to get like more dry because of the sun. I 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: see. Because of the sun. Now we did a little bit of a walk around, earlier, and the variety of the product is just incredible. I ate a little bit of Argan [00:08:00] oil and taste. It brings a lot of memories, especially for my childhood.

And then I did some on my hair. I'm not expecting it to grow, but can you explain to us what else can you get from, for beauty, obviously, because the last step, I see there's black soap, and in Moroccan culture and tradition, black soap is extremely important, especially for the women. Can you tell us a little bit more about that please, Chiadma?

Chiadma: Okay, so in the last step, when we get the rest from after we get the oil, there is the rest. So from that one we make the black soap. We use it to remove the dead skin from our body. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: The dead skin. Okay. Yes. Okay. What else can you make out of Argan oil in terms of beauty?

Skincare? 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Face moisturizer? Serums. Creams, 

Chiadma: Shampoos. Can you 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: talk [00:09:00] specifically about each product, to explain to the audience? Yes. 

Chiadma: There is creams, like night and creams. 

There is shampoo. Because we know that Argan oil is good for dandruff.

 We can make a shampoo from like for dandruff and for hair loss. 

Different ingredients. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: So when you use the shampoo, this is what, we see this in the US quite a bit, people are starting to recognize and know the benefit of Argan oil, especially when it comes to beauty, what's the percentage of Argan oil when used as a mixture or part of a shampoo? 

Chiadma: As a mixture? 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Yes. 

Chiadma: 50%. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: 50? Oh wow. 

Chiadma: The rest is for the other ingredients. Oh, wow. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: In the US I've seen three, 3%, 5%, but this is 50%, 

Chiadma: normally 50%. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Oh, wow. That's really amazing. So what are the other product that you can talk to us about please, [00:10:00] Chiadma? 

Chiadma: Oils, the mixture of oils. It's Argan oil mixed with the essential oils. To make perfume. Because some people they do like perfumed oils rather than the natural one. 

They need to use it just for massage, as a moisturizer or extra shower for the hair ends. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. Okay. Awesome. Now, Argan oil, again, in the Moroccan culture, it's really important. And the consumption, I think Moroccans, back in the day, they used more of the consumption oil versus the beauty oil, Argan oil. Like anything that is valuable and there's abundance of it, can you tell us a little bit about the scams that people fall for, or somebody who's come in and visited Essaouira, Marrakech or Agadir, they say, "Hey, if you [00:11:00] need some Argan oil, I can get it for you." Or, can you tell us some of the scams that you hear about, some of the scams that you want the audience to know about?

That way they protect themselves. So when they come in to Morocco, they know exactly where to go and buy the real authentic Argan oil. 

Chiadma: I'm going to tell you my experience. Okay, 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: perfect. Please. 

Chiadma: So, before I started working here in the Cooperative, when I needed to buy Argan oil, either food oil or cosmetic, I needed to check as much as I can. Once I wanted to buy a cosmetic oil and I was on the road from Marrakech, I was studying in Marrakech, I was coming back to Essaouira. So in the road I find a guy who were like selling Argan oil, and it was so cheap. And I said, "Is it Argan oil?"

And he said, "Yes, it is!" And I never saw the cosmetic [00:12:00] one. So I buy it. After one week or two, the flavor changed. And I never, it was, there was no benefit of that oil. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Oh my goodness. So that's, it's really common.

Chiadma: And when I come here, when I started working here, I saw the experience, I knew how to differentiate between the real Argan oil and the not one. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Can you explain to us and to the audience, how can you tell the difference between fake Argan oil and real Argan oil?

Because the look, it looks the same. 

Chiadma: No. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: It doesn't?

Chiadma: There is a difference! 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Oh, I see. 

Chiadma: Maybe because I see every day oil, so I can recognize the good one and the bad one. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. 

Chiadma: The color, which is like light. And when it is like a mixture, it's not that much. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: So is it like an, it looks like amber color?

Chiadma: Yes. Maybe. Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. [00:13:00]

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. What about the smell? 

Chiadma: Yes. the natural Argan oil has no smell. Okay. So if there is a smell, so it's not Argan oil. Okay. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: I see. Okay. However, 

Chiadma: for the edible oil, there is a smell there. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: There's a smell. It's a very distinct smell. Yes. Okay, perfect. Now, this is a lot of information obviously,

is there anything you want to add for the audience to be aware of, or they can contact you directly to buy from you? Do you ship anywhere in Morocco or outside Morocco, or how does it work if somebody wants to get to purchase your product? 

Chiadma: We have a Facebook page. 

And we ship to like other countries. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. Excellent. Now, as we're coming to the end of this episode, this has been really good, are there any questions that I should have asked you, Chiadma, but I did not? 

Chiadma: Actually, no, we talked a whole lot! 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: We covered the whole thing. Okay. 

IMRAN: Yes. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: This [00:14:00] is all that I can think of unless you have something else.

IMRAN: Oh, now I remembered my question! 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay, go ahead. 

IMRAN: My question is that since I heard to deliver packages to any country, could you even sell packages to people who are at Antarctica? 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Antarctic?

IMRAN: Antarctica is a country!

Chiadma: It's too far.... 

IMRAN: But scientists work there always, they should eat some Argan oil. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Yeah. They need bread too. 

IMRAN: Yeah, we'll ship them some bread.

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. Okay. You wanna finish? You wanna conclude the episode? You wanna finish it? Okay. Okay, go ahead. No stay. You can talk. 

IMRAN: I need to whisper something to you... 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay. [00:15:00]

IMRAN: Okay. But also, whoever's watching this, either if it's a parent or anybody who's on watching on this episode or any other Destination Morocco episode, what was I going to say? Please come to Morocco. If you just book right now, trust me- go to Morocco, that's a).

b), just get your stuff, go as fast as you can before August the fourth, and then come here before July the 23rd and we can send you like GPS on where we are.

So then you can like, like tag on whatever we're doing, trust me. 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Okay! 

IMRAN: Tag it on whatever we're doing, trust me. Post it on Facebook, Instagram, or whatever, even on TikTok with those funny memes. Trust me, I'm gonna get you kind of famous. 

[00:16:00] Just like I made myself famous on Episode 16. Please watch episode 16 and... 

Thank you?

No, just say thank you. 

Goodbye, see you soon. Please book a trip! 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: Thank you so much. 

 Thank you so much, really, really appreciate it.

You're welcome. Thank you for being part of the podcast. You are welcome. Thank you for the opportunity and thank you for your time, this has been amazing. Thank you so much. You are welcome. Stay tuned. Bye-Bye. 

 Thank you for joining me on Destination Morocco podcast today.

I truly hope this episode brought you a little closer to the heart and soul of Morocco. And remember, the stories and sounds you hear on the podcast are just the beginning. If you're feeling inspired, and ready to experience Morocco's incredible culture, breathtaking landscapes, and genuine hospitality firsthand, let Destinations Morocco [00:17:00] create your unique personalized journey.

 Visit destinationsmorocco.com to explore tour ideas, listen to past episodes and most importantly,

book your free discovery call today. And start planning! Until next time, Bslama, 

AZDEAN ELMOUSTAQUIM: thank you. 

(Goodbye).