Possible way to protect hair from conventional peroxide damage

**ktani** · January 21st, 2009, 09:00 AM

I just heard back from Aziz. Among other things, I was curious about the exact amount of oil in his 100 ml bottles.

100 ml on the internet varies from 3.3 oz to 3.5 oz.

This is his reply.

"100 ml = 3,38 fl. oz
My bottle A1 – ARGAN3 have such volume. "

3.38 oz is almost 3.4 oz. I have seen 2 oz of cosmetic argan oil for $15.95 USD and much more, elsewhere on the internet, compared to Argan 3's price of 3.38 oz for $20.45 USD. Argan 3 clearly has the best prices in my opinion. Their oil is from an argan oil co-operative and it is pure.

The information in missy60's post was just a typo. I was curious and wanted confirmation, before saying anything.

**ktani** · January 21st, 2009, 09:27 AM

Aziz has promised to send me current research and information on argan oil, when it is available. He is a lovely man, IMO. He offered to do this, I did not ask.

**ktani** · January 21st, 2009, 11:25 AM

Affirmative Green Action

"300 ha of Argan trees to be reforested south of Morocco

Essaouira .... Some 300 ha of Argan trees will be reforested in the south of Morocco, under a cooperation agreement signed in 2002 between Midi Pyrenees regions and the region of Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz .... Mohammed V Foundation for Research and Argan Tree Preservation.

.... Foundation's director general, Ms Katim Alaoui, noted ... the agreement also provides for the upgrading and the marketing of the argan oil by women's cooperatives.

.... foundation promoted the use of solar ovens by the population working on argan oil by installing 30 solar ovens in the region.

.... project aims at saving firewood through the use of solar energy .... each solar oven enables to save between 5 and 10 kg of wood a day .... setting up of 500 solar ovens results in avoiding a loss of 50 to 100 ha of argan trees per year."
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/socia...rgan_tree/view

**ktani** · January 21st, 2009, 01:18 PM

I can think of no downside to using a combination of oils, first coconut oil, then argan oil, as a pre treatment, even if one's hair does not like either oil for usual oiling.

This is not about switching oils from what one normally uses to condition.

The oils recommended here, are for hair damage protection, from the free radicals that occur during conventional hair colouring, generated by free iron and copper.

Coconut oil contains acids that chelate copper and iron and argan oil chelates copper.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...5&postcount=10

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=131

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=172

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=209

**ktani** · January 21st, 2009, 01:24 PM

Argan3 is the North American distributor/vendor for an argan oil co-operative, http://users.casanet.net.ma/arganier...contact_en.htm (their email listed on the co-op page is incorrect, see the correct one below), and their prices are very reasonable, to me. Their prices are the best I have seen anywhere so far, for pure argan oil. They sell pure, first cold-pressed, certified organic argan oil, which is even better IMO, and their customer service response time is fast, very friendly and very polite.

I can attest to the speed of response because I have emailed them several times and I always got fast replies, within a day, for the last 2 days, (I had questions. I was not placing an order).

"OUR GUARANTIES: Our extra-virgin Argane Oil is organic and first cold-pressure quality. Controlled by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency .... guaranteed by a certificate of origin, a chemical report and a phytosanitary certificate as required by the authorities of Canada. Registered and declared to US FDA.This product is certified by Qualité France (certifier organism, Paris)." http://www.argan3.com/english/welcome.php

I do not think that their shipping prices in both Canada and to the U.S., are high, (See link, for a U.S. example), http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=243. The correct amount of oil in their 100 ml bottle of cosmetic oil is 3.38 oz. There was a typo in the email, (See the same link). They have free delivery, no minimum order, in both Montreal and Toronto.

Aziz Alaoui
Founder
ARGAN3, since 1998
4796 Circle Road
Montréal QC
H3W 1Z4 Canada
TEL. 514 482 2079
www.argan3.com
infos@argan3.com

Toronto Distributor for Argan3
Thomas Robinson
Partner – ARS Foods Inc.
170 Brycemoor Road
Toronto, ON M1C 2R3
thomas@arsfoods.ca
Cellular at 647-286-2180.

Prices: A1, pure cosmetic argan oil, 100 ml (3.38 oz), $25.75 CAD, $20.45 USD; A5, pure food oil, 200 ml (6.8 oz) $24.70 CAD, $19.39 USD, http://www.argan3.com/english/order.php, (there is a currency converter in the link).

Only light oiling is needed for both coconut oil and argan oil on top of that as a pre treatment, before conventional hair colouring. Coconut oil is absorbed into hair. Argan oil should mostly absorb into hair, so very little would be needed per treatment and a 3.8 oz bottle can conceivably last quite a while, IMO.

Cosmetic argan oil is lighter in colour than the food oil (better for lighter hair colours and has no odour) but either should be fine to use, IMO. Traditionally, the oil from unroasted nuts (cosmetic version) is used for cosmetic and medical purposes, See "How argan oil empowers", http://friendsofmorocco.org/2008News/May08/0517News.htm.

Coconut oil has been reported in 8 reports so far, to yield positive results, used as a pre treatment before conventional hair colour procedures, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=248.

Argan oil to me, is the "icing on the cake" (bonus), because it chelates even more copper, and it has positive reports, used for both hair conditioning, and skin care, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ad.php?t=4796l.

**ktani** · January 22nd, 2009, 11:47 AM

I have updated the post before this one, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=250, with information on shipping, a previous typo, local delivery, customer service response time (I had questions. I was not ordering.), and the quality of argan oil from Argan3.

**ktani** · January 22nd, 2009, 06:39 PM

For the food argan oil.

2008

"Argan oil:Occurrence, composition and impact on human health

.... studies have fully confirmed the traditionally known cholesterol- and triacylglycerol-lowering effects of argan oil in humans, together with its hypotensive effect. .... argan oil consumption clearly reduces cardiovascular risks .... argan oil has been shown to possess antioxidant properties .... Minor components of argan oil .... also likely to be responsible for some of its pharmacological properties .... Among those phenolic fraction of argan oil has been shown to inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation .... and to have an antiproliferative effect on human prostate cancer cell lines .... so far .... most advanced clinical researches have only established that an argan oil-enriched diet can be recommended to patients having cardiovascular diseases ...."
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/c...46841/PDFSTART

This is from 2005, on Argan oil and the chelation of copper.

"Virgin argan oil phenolic extracts (VAO-PE) ....
.... results show that VAO-PE abolishes the Cu-induced electrophoretic shift in LDL .... indicating that there was a protection from oxidative modification of LDL. .... VAO-PE can also act by either .... blocking the copper-binding site or by binding to another .... site .... thus reducing the binding of copper. .... VAO-PE may interfere with the redox activity of copper ions on the surface of the lipoprotein .... exert similar effects to those obtained by blocking the copper-binding site."
http://www.iugs.ca/File/400/Berrougui_et_al.pdf

Argan oil lowers cholesterol in part by chelating copper. The food oil is darker in colour than the cosmetic oil and has a nutty odour.

**ktani** · January 23rd, 2009, 09:33 AM

"TOP 10 TIPS FOR BUYING ARGAN OIL

.... not all argan oil is created equal. .... even the best raw material can be easily compromised due to .... commercial manufacturing and treatment processes used by some cosmetics companies.

1. Make sure you are buying authentic argan oil. If you are buying argan oil from a reputable (online) retailer in the USA or Europe, you can skip this tip and go straight to #2. .... if you are planning on purchasing the oil while visiting Morocco or from an unfamiliar retailer .... please read on. .... unsuspecting tourists .... have been sold common vegetable oil .... labeled as argan oil. To avoid being duped, read the label .... make sure the name of the cooperative that produced it is featured. Better yet, go directly to the cooperatives and buy it straight from the source.

2. .... choosing to use argan oil as a beauty product, make sure you buy cosmetic grade and not culinary argan oil. .... nuts destined for culinary oil are roasted to bring out their distinctive nutty flavor; .... used for skin- and hair-care products are usually left raw to maintain the integrity of the essential fatty acids and vitamins.

3. .... maximum beauty benefit, choose argan oil that is all-natural and preferably certified organic. ....

4. Choose first cold-pressed argan oil. .... to buy the best argan oil, look for oil that is labeled "first cold-pressed." Cold-pressed means that the oil was not heated over a certain temperature (usually 80 degrees Fahrenheit) during processing .... retaining more nutrients and undergoing less degradation. First cold-pressed means that the oil was made with the first pressing of the argan nuts.

5. .... best to purchase fairly-traded argan oil. Women in Morocco have greatly benefited from ... heightened interest in argan oil and are now operating cooperatives in return for fair wages and good working conditions. By actively seeking out fair-trade products, you are supporting their efforts.

6. To preserve as many of the oil's properties as possible .... opt for a dark-colored, UV-protected glass bottle, rather than a plastic container.

7. If you are not buying 100% pure argan oil, research .... other ingredients in the finished product. .... double check that they are not diminishing the oil's natural properties, such as acetic acid is thought to do.

8. Given .... price, make sure that there is a high enough concentration of argan oil in any finished product you buy to make an actual difference in your skin....

9. If you are sensitive to the natural nutty odor of argan oil (which does dissipate upon application), choose .... product that has been deodorized ....

10. .... to enhance your health and beauty from the inside out .... consume a tablespoon of culinary argan oil every day.... Be sure to choose opaque bottle ...."
http://searchwarp.com/swa345663.htm

I agree with almost everything here, based on the research I have read. IMO, either the cosmetic or culinary oil will do for a pre treatment. 2 things may alter one's choice. The colour and odour of the culinary or food oil. It is darker and has a strong odour, which some may have difficulty with. The shelf life of properly processed argan oil, is 2 years unopened, about 1 year opened, properly stored (in a cool dark place).

**ktani** · January 23rd, 2009, 11:13 AM

Coconut, argan oil and heat

There are various misconceptions on the inernet regarding the processing of these 2 oils. It is not recommended to cook with argan oil, but the heat used during processing, if done properly, like that overseen through a co-operative, does not compromise the oil's properties.

Coconut oil

"The Myth of Enzymes and Coconut Oil

"There are no enzymes in coconut oil, nor any other edible oil for that matter." - Mary Enig, Ph.D, a nutritionist/biochemist and the author of Know Your Fats.

"If you don't heat the oil high enough to destroy the enzymes and then filter them off, plus filter the oil, that oil becomes unstable and tastes terrible." Ray Peat, Ph.D, author of several articles on fats and oils, and coconut oil in particular.

.... good thing about coconut oil is .... it isn't damaged by heat. .... why it's so good for cooking. .... saturation that makes it stable. If coconut oil contains enzymes it would become very perishable - just like all raw foods containing enzymes." Lita Lee, Ph.D. - Lita is a chemist, enzyme nutritionist, nutritional counselor .... has written on coconut oil.

"Coconut oil does not contain enzymes. Many in .... raw food movement are misinformed about this." Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren, M.D., medical doctor, doctor of chiropractic, licensed nutritionist, certified clinical nutritionist .... lecturer on the health benefits of coconut oil ....

.... a myth that there are coconut oils on the market that are "live" with enzymes and "see no heat." Coconuts are native to the tropics, where temperatures are very hot. Any coconut oil distributed anywhere in North America has "seen heat."
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/en...oconut_oil.htm

Argan oil

From Aziz, Argan3

"ARGANE OIL DEODORIZED
This type of Oil was made for the first time in 2005 and I started to import it to Canada only in 2008 . The Argane oil is deodorized by a physical natural process. The deodorization has been by steam over than 100 ° C and not a chemical process.

The oil conserves its fundamental properties .... : richness in vitamins E and unsaponifiables, known for its nourishing properties, regenerating and restructuring. Its strong antioxidants offset malnutrition in the depth of the skin responsible for cellular aging. Tests have been done in Morocco and many Laboratories of Cosmetics use such oil because its slightly unscented . The odor was a problem in the past for beauty care oil, With this new oil , the problem of odor has been 95% reduced and solved. Properties: .... Known to lower cholesterol and protects the cardiovascular system ...."

"Thermal stability .... of argan oil, 2008
The primary aim of this study was to determine the oxidative stability of argan oils .... Both food and cosmetic argan oils were investigated. .... cosmetic and food grades have a similar profile and content of phenolic antioxidants, vitamers, and squalene, it appears that the ratio of fatty acid groups .... much higher in argan oils than in other vegetable oils .... responsible for their higher thermal stability."
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...7e2cb01b463f9e

**ktani** · January 25th, 2009, 05:58 AM

From the 8 reports on coconut oil as a pre treatment, the hair has not felt stripped and it has some slip, post colouring. In one case the ends were a bit dry but not as dry as without coconut oil, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=248.

From the argan oil thread, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ad.php?t=4796l, and talking to someone who has used both oils for conditioning, argan oil can leave the hair less frizzy than coconut oil, is not greasy but coconut oil feels slightly better on the hair.

It sounds like the 2 oils should make great partners. Both are not greasy and argan oil tops up coconut oil's ability to chelate copper. Any frizz control would be a bonus.

I recommend a light coconut oiling first (it absorbs into the hair). Then a light argan oiling on top of that (argan oil may not absorb into hair as completely as coconut oil but it is mostly absorbed and is not reportedly greasy). Amounts used can vary but heavy oilings of coconut oil have not been reported to have been used and I do not think that heavy oilings are required.