Argan oil is made by extracting oil from the kernels inside the hard-shelled nuts of the argan tree (Argania spinosa), a species native to southwestern Morocco. The process involves harvesting ripe fruit, removing the fleshy pulp, cracking open an exceptionally hard nut, and then pressing the inner kernels to release oil. Whether done by hand in a village or by machine in a cooperative, the core steps are the same, though one key difference (roasting the kernels or not) determines whether the final product is culinary or cosmetic oil.
From Fruit to Kernel: The First Steps
Argan fruit ripens and falls from the tree between June and September. Collection is often a family affair in rural Morocco, with household members gathering fallen fruit from family-owned trees and transporting it home by donkey or shared taxi. The harvested fruit is then sun-dried, which shrinks the outer fleshy pulp and makes it easier to remove.
Once dried, the pulp is peeled away to reveal a nut roughly the size and hardness of a peach pit, but far tougher. Inside each nut sit one to three small, oil-rich kernels. Getting to them is the most labor-intensive part of the entire process. Traditionally, women crack the nuts one by one between two stones, a flat anvil stone on the bottom and a smaller striking stone on top. This requires considerable skill to split the shell without crushing the delicate kernel inside. A single person can spend hours cracking enough nuts to produce even a small amount of oil.
Roasted vs. Unroasted: Culinary and Cosmetic Oil
The distinction between culinary argan oil and cosmetic argan oil comes down to one step: roasting. Culinary argan oil is cold-pressed from roasted kernels. The kernels are toasted in a clay or metal pan until they turn golden brown and release a rich, nutty aroma similar to toasted sesame. This roasting step deepens the flavor and gives culinary argan oil its dark amber color and distinctive taste, which is prized in Moroccan cooking for drizzling over couscous, salads, and the traditional almond-honey spread called amlou.
Cosmetic argan oil, by contrast, is cold-pressed from completely unroasted kernels. Skipping the roasting preserves a lighter color, a milder scent, and a higher concentration of certain antioxidants, particularly tocopherols (a form of vitamin E), which are valued in skincare. If you see “cold-pressed” on a bottle of argan oil marketed for hair or skin, it means the kernels were never heated before pressing.
Traditional Hand Extraction
The centuries-old method of making argan oil is still practiced in some Moroccan households, though it has largely been replaced by mechanical methods. After cracking and (optionally) roasting the kernels, women grind them by hand using a stone rotary mill called a “tazert.” The grinding produces a thick, oily paste. Water is then gradually kneaded into this paste by hand over an extended period, sometimes 30 minutes or more, which causes the oil to separate from the solids. The oil is skimmed off and collected, and the remaining paste (press cake) is set aside.
This method is extremely time-consuming. Producing a single liter of oil can take a full day of work when you factor in cracking, grinding, and kneading. The oil also tends to have a shorter shelf life because the addition of water during extraction introduces moisture that accelerates spoilage. Research has noted that traditional extraction often happens under conditions that are less than ideal for bacteriological safety, traceability, and oxidative stability.
Modern Mechanical Pressing
Since the 1990s, women’s cooperatives and small industrial units across Morocco have shifted to semi-mechanized production. The process keeps most of the traditional steps intact but replaces the hardest physical labor with machines. Fruits are peeled mechanically rather than by hand. Kernels, once cracked from their shells (still sometimes done manually, since the irregular shape of argan nuts resists automation), are fed into a mechanical screw press that squeezes the oil out under pressure.
The critical improvement is that water is no longer needed. A mechanical press generates enough force to separate the oil from the kernel solids without the hand-kneading step. This produces oil with better oxidative stability, meaning it resists going rancid for longer. Mechanical pressing also increases yield, extracting more oil per kilogram of kernels than hand methods can. The oil that flows from the press is then left to settle naturally so that fine particles sink to the bottom before the clear oil is decanted or filtered.
These cooperatives have become an essential source of employment for women in rural argan-growing regions, though oversight and transparency remain important to ensure fair compensation for producers.
Clarifying and Filtering the Oil
Freshly pressed argan oil is cloudy with suspended kernel particles. It needs time to settle. In both traditional and modern production, the oil is poured into containers and left undisturbed so solids gradually sink. The clear oil on top is then carefully poured off. Some producers also pass the oil through a fine filter to remove remaining sediment, which gives it a cleaner appearance and can improve shelf life by removing particles that might promote oxidation.
Quality Grades of Argan Oil
Not all argan oil is the same quality, and Morocco has established official grading standards similar to those used for olive oil. The grades are based on measurable chemical markers, primarily acidity (how much the oil’s fats have broken down) and peroxide value (how much oxidation has occurred).
- Extra Virgin Argan Oil: Acidity no higher than 0.8%, peroxide value below 15 meqO₂/kg. This is the highest quality, indicating minimal degradation.
- Virgin Argan Oil: Acidity below 1.5%, peroxide value no higher than 20 meqO₂/kg. Still high quality, with slightly more tolerance for natural variation.
- Pure Argan Oil: Acidity up to 2.5%, peroxide value up to 20 meqO₂/kg. Acceptable quality but showing more signs of oxidation or age.
Key quality indicators also include levels of tocopherols and the balance of fatty acids. Genuine argan oil has a characteristic ratio of oleic acid to linoleic acid. Samples that deviate significantly from this profile, for example, those with linoleic acid above 50% of total fatty acids, are likely adulterated with cheaper oils.
Storage and Shelf Life
Argan oil is relatively stable compared to many plant oils, thanks to its high tocopherol content, but it still degrades over time. A year-long study of cosmetic argan oil found that storage temperature makes a significant difference. Oil kept at 40°C (104°F) lost quality rapidly. Oil stored at 25°C (77°F) and protected from sunlight remained within official Moroccan quality standards for 12 months, but fell below stricter industrial standards after about 6 months.
For the best shelf life, store argan oil in a cool, dark place in a tightly sealed dark glass bottle. Heat and sunlight are its two biggest enemies. Culinary argan oil, because of its roasted kernels, has a stronger flavor that may mask early signs of rancidity, so pay attention to any stale or off smells before using older bottles.
What Happens to the Leftovers
Argan oil extraction generates substantial byproducts: the fleshy pulp, the hard nutshells, and the solid press cake left after the oil is squeezed out. None of it goes to waste in traditional Moroccan practice. The pulp is commonly used as animal feed. Nutshells, which are extremely dense, are burned as fuel or ground into material for cosmetic exfoliants. The protein-rich press cake has traditionally been fed to goats and cattle, but it is increasingly finding commercial applications. At least seven patents have been filed on argan byproduct uses, primarily in cosmetics and skincare, and registered products derived from argan press cake and pulp are already on the market.