In the beauty world, new trends pop up every single day. And in the quest to try and keep up with all the newness, it can be easy to forget about the tried and true ingredients that we know work. One such ingredient that’s managed to never fall off our radars, though, is argan oil.
Originally found in Morocco, argan oil has long been hailed as a miracle ingredient for promoting hair health and busting frizz. Argan oil isn’t simply used in oil form, but has also been formulated into products like shampoo and conditioner, as well as hair serums and oil blends; all designed to tame and nourish your hair.
The benefits of incorporating argan oil-laden products into your hair care routine are many, and below, we’ll let you in on the top five reasons our hair loves this oil — when used on its own and also as part of a well-formulated styling product.
Argan Oil Boosts Shine
One of our favourite benefits of argan oil is the way it adds instant shine to our hair, giving the effect of immediate results. In the same way slathering our faces in face oil before bed feels like a big warm hug for our soul, applying argan oil to the mid-lengths and ends of our hair (either when damp or after styling) has a similar effect. Argan oil is a lightweight, glossy oil, so we especially love to apply it during the cooler months, when our hair and skin can tend to feel a little drier.
Argan Oil Fights Frizz
In the same way that it adds instant shine when applied to hair, argan oil can also help to tame frizz. Argan oil has hydrophobic properties, which means it repels water from your strands, thus preventing it from penetrating the hair shaft and causing frizz.
Argan Oil Boosts Moisture In Hair
Argan oil is largely made up of linoleic and oleic acids, which lubricate the hair and give your hair a helping hand with maintaining moisture. It’s also rich in vitamin E, where the benefits are two-fold: not only is vitamin E thought to prevent dryness in hair and skin when used topically, but it’s also a potent antioxidant that may be an effective free-radical scavenger to the skin of the scalp in the same way as it does for the skin on other parts of our bodies, hopefully preventing premature hair ageing and hair loss.
Helps Maintain Strength In Coloured and Heat-Styled Hair
Many of us use a combination of colour treatments and heat styling to get our hair exactly how we like it day-to-day — even though we’re aware that it causes stress on our strands. The good news is, there are ways to mitigate the damage done to the hair, including adding argan oil to your routine. In a small 2013 study conducted on Caucasian hair, it was determined that there’s some evidence that argan oil reduces damage caused to hair through in-salon colouring.
A separate study performed in 2015 showed that other oils with high oleic acid and linoleic acid contents provided a protective layer around the hair before heat-styling. Plus, oil treatments like argan have also been shown to help prevent split ends from occurring when styling the hair.
It Plays Well With Other Ingredients
On its own, argan oil is a lightweight oil that can help to smooth and nourish hair when applied to clean, damp hair, and if used as a styling product. When formulated into products like the HASK Argan Miracle Damage Repair Cream ($7.99), which is available exclusively at Chemist Warehouse, argan oil is supercharged to reduce breakage, smooth split ends, and restore moisture to damaged hair.
This cream, specifically, is formulated for all hair types but is especially excellent for colour and chemically treated hair. It includes Cuticle Smoothing Technology that’s designed to repair and strengthen the hair, by rebuilding elasticity and further eradicating frizz (particularly handy given all the rain these past months) to leave your hair glossy and protected from the elements.
If you’re looking for a supercharged hair product where argan oil is the hero ingredient, try the HASK Argan Miracle Damage Repair Cream ($7.99). Your hair will thank you for it.
