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The next miracle food/skin product?

On a recent trip to New York City, I had dinner at a restaurant called WD50. If you’re not familiar with it, it is the flagship of chef Wylie Dufresne and is renowned for the style of cooking he uses: molecular gastronomy. That is, using science in the kitchen (we have written about this before). At any rate, the meal was fantastic and one item in the desert was argan oil foam. Now getting oil to foam I will leave to Wylie and the molecular gastronomists, however the flavor of the argan oil was amazing.

We were familiar with argan oil before as it is touted to be amazing for one’s skin and hair. Argan oil skin products abound, but word has it the pure argan oil is the best. Apparently argan oil has an amazingly high concentration of tocopherols (vitamin E) as well as phenols (like the amazing resveratrol that is in wine) and essential fatty acids (EFAs). It also has some phytosterols which are allegedly great at healing scars. At any rate, users have touted it as clearing up acne and rosacea, as well as alleviating eczema and the general bragging of silky hair and smooth luxurious skin.

Did I mention it tastes nutty and subtly sweet with a hint of acidity? In Morocco and increasingly in Europe, which has used it for centuries and now the U.S., this oil is used as a flavoring oil – not a cooking one – to add its nutty contribution to all sorts of dishes.

It gets even better though. The oil is extracted from the nut (read: renewable!) of the endemic argan tree. Goats will actually climb to the top of the smaller tree to pick at the nuts (see picture at NY Times Travel). It grows only in Morocco and many of the trees are 150-200 years old. It is ground by hand and – get this – ALL of the argan oil sold is sold through a cooperative that shares its profit with the Berber women who process it by hand (read: very woman friendly) and donates portions of its profit to reforestation (read: environmentally friendly). Does it get any better? A great tasting oil that tastes delicious (it is probably also quite nutritious) and you can rub it all over yourself and look better – and at the same time feel good about it because you are helping women and the environment as well as indigenous cultures.

This bottle is well regarded and is $40 – I don’t see why you couldn’t use it on your face as well…

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