I’ve done a little bit of research and there’s a small movement of people who swear by argan oil, especially after abandoning coconut oil as a moisturizer.
Unfortunately, for us acne sufferers, it’s not that clear skin and easy. Here are my thoughts on this … ARGAN oil.
FINDING #1: What? Growth Hormones?
Especially the cold pressed, organic extra virgin coconut oil, this has phytochemicals and growth hormones which help to stimulate your skin cells to reproduce faster and stay youthful. Argan oil, on the other hand, comes from the kernels of the argan tree fruit, so there are no growth hormones.
FINDING #2: Published Studies
Argan oil only has one observational clinical trial and no randomized, double-blind clinical trials yet. Basically, the jury’s still out on this one folks. Right now, it’s just people talking about their experiences on the internet. Nothing official yet.
FINDING #3: Them Fatty Acids
So this is kind of surprising. Argan oil has 36.8% much more pro-inflammatory linoleic acid (omega-6) as opposed to extra virgin coconut oil’s lowly 2% pro-inflammatory omega-6’s. In fact, extra virgin coconut oil actually has a lot more anti-inflammatory fatty acids such as caprylic, capric, and lauric acid.
And if you know anything about my program, you know that is BAAAD.
Extra virgin coconut oil contains 92% saturated fatty acids while argan oil only has 18%. Extra virgin coconut oil’s fatty acids are also more stable than any other oil, less prone to oxidation and give firmness to your cell walls.
FINDING #4: How Long Can It Last?
Argan oil usually lasts for about 12-18 months. You could keep it for up to 2 years if it’s a virgin argan oil of very high quality and kept away from light, oxidation and below 18ºC (about 64ºF).
On the other hand, extra virgin coconut oil can last 2 years with you even having to do anything really. What this means is that it doesn’t need preservatives, which is one of the reasons why it’s so great for you.
BOTTOM LINE
I’ve tried using argan oil on myself when the skin around my eyes got dried out during an … unfortunate “perfect storm” of infections. I have to report to you that my previous article about coconut oil not being as “effective” as a moisturizer was correct. And if you haven’t read that article yet, I suggest you check it out here.
That’s how I came to find argan oil, and it did work a lot better than coconut oil in that it didn’t fade as quickly and moisturized my eyes a lot better than coconut oil.
I didn’t break out, but my skin may be different than yours. My diet may also be vastly different than yours so I’ve been able to change the pH level of my body and balance my hormones using principles that acne sufferer should know from the Acne Free Diet.
Thus far, scientists don’t have any clear proven benefits of argan oil. And there is no other oil that exists that can stand up to virgin coconut oil in terms of its anti-aging and cellular health capabilities, barrier repair, antimicrobial, and fatty-acid benefits, or its nutritional value.
In the end, if I were you and your skin isn’t too dry but you’re worried about wrinkles, I’d try out coconut oil to start. If things go well, use it sparingly and focus on your diet.
If things don’t go well, try using argan oil but still remember to NOT rely too heavily on external products. See how things go after 2-3 weeks. You may want to take before and after pictures so you have a reference point.
