Argan Oil as an Anti-Aging Oil
Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the Argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) that is common to Morocco and parts of Algeria. Argan oil’s significance in Moroccan culture derives from its traditional use in local cuisine, medicine and cosmetics.
The nuts are first broken with rocks to remove the kernels, which are then air-dried in clay containers and roasted in the case of cooking oil production but left unroasted for producing cosmetic grade oil. In the final stage, the women grind and press (cold pressing) the kernels by hand to release the oil. Women’s co-operatives now do much of the work, and the kernels are processed mechanically using a scraper-pulping machine and the oil extracted by mechanical cold pressing. Charrouf and Guillaume developed the concept of these women’s co-operatives and remains the leading figure in the valorisation of Argan oil in Morocco.
Hilali et al. proposed Campesterol as a suitable marker of oil purity, since it is present in much lower concentrations in Argan oil than in most vegetable oils. In this way, the authors assessed argan oil purity “unambiguously up to 98%”.
Argan Oil's antioxidants are mainly tocopherols (vitamin E), in addition to polyphenols, especially phenolic acid (ferulic acid). Vitamin E is a lipid-soluble nutrient that is derived from dietary intake of vegetable oils such as olive and Argan oils. In addition to its antioxidant properties, vitamin E can act on skin elasticity by the downregulation of TGFβ, resulting in a signal inducing fibroblasts to produce more collagen and elastic fibers necessary for the normal appearance and integrity of skin. Treatment with Argan oil has increased the level of vitamin E in postmenopausal women’s blood more than treatment with Olive oil. Ferulic acid is a phenolic compound found in Argan and Olive oil for some authors, and absent in olive oil composition for the others, known by its antioxidant properties.The synergistic antioxidant effect of vitamin E and ferulic acid plays a key role in the maintenance of skin elasticity through the decline in collagen and elastic fibers degradation in response to MMP inhibition activity. That may help to protect postmenopausal women against the high levels of ROS implied in the acceleration of skin aging that takes place in age-related estrogen loss. So, vitamin E, synergistically with the ferulic acid present in Argan oil, can replace the role of estrogen in the prevention of skin aging through the maintenance of skin elasticity in postmenopausal women.
Reference:
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 Jan 30;10:339-49. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S71684. PMID: 25673976; PMCID: PMC4321565.
Miklavčič MB, Taous F, Valenčič V, Elghali T, Podgornik M, Strojnik L, Ogrinc N. Fatty Acid Composition of Cosmetic Argan Oil: Provenience and Authenticity Criteria. Molecules. 2020 Sep 7;25(18):4080. doi: 10.3390/molecules25184080. PMID: 32906680; PMCID: PMC7570657.