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The south western part of Morocco is home to the Argania Spinosa or the argan tree. This infamous tree generates a special nut from which the nutty flavored, rich, and thin, argan oil is drawn out. In today’s world, there is a rising popularity when it comes to this special kind of oil as the wonders brought about by information technology bring its cosmetic, dietary, and medicinal uses and benefits for the whole world to see.

Getting the Facts Straight

The groves of the argan tree are of utmost importance to Morocco and its people. These trees can survive for up to 500 years. According to the Natural News website, they offer benefits when it comes to fertility of the soil, maintenance of humidity, and they eliminate the need for cultivation. The roots of the argan tree, which are buried deeply in the ground, is about five times the length of the actual tree itself. The good thing about the argan tree is that it loses its leaves spontaneously during the dry seasons in order to avoid moisture from evaporating, a characteristic vital to its survival.

Health Benefits

Nutrients which can be acquired from argan oil include linoleic acid, a vitamin E precursor, and EFAs or essential fatty acids. This makes argan oil a great supplier of antioxidants. These antioxidants work in fighting off higher free radicals, which cause premature signs of aging and damage to the cells. Argan oil can moisturize skin, correct dryness, and even work on improving the elasticity of the skin. According to a Moroccan website, argan oil has a number of benefits for patient with artherosclerosis and high cholesterol levels.

Uses of Argan Oil in Everyday Life

Argan oil offers benefits for conditions like chicken pox, burns, scars, and acne as it has been used in traditional medicine. When it is to be included in a dietary program, argan oil can be used as an ingredient in dishes like fish, salads, and soups. Argan oil’s rich nutty flavor can enhance the taste of several dishes.

Argan oil is acclaimed for its hydrating, rejuvenating, and moisturizing effects on a person’s skin and for beautifying and strengthening the nails and hair, according to a Moroccan website.

Considerations and Risks

The production of argan oil is quite hard. It is a rare product, even endemic to the south west part of Morocco. At least 8 argan trees are needed to produce one liter of argan oil. Aside from that, the whole process requires fruit drying, hand shelling, and pulping every single one of the nuts, then crushing, roasting, and grinding, in order for the argan oil to be extracted.

Endangered Species

The rising agricultural, aesthetic and other purposes for argain oil have turned argan trees into an endangered species. The UNESCO or the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization have taken some action on the protection of Argan forests in the year 1999 and have made them a World Heritage of Humanity, according to the Argan Moroccan website.

A person can acquire stretch marks for a number of reasons.  When a woman is undergoing pregnancy, or if a man has been engaging in some body building for quite some time, there is a huge possibility that the skin will stretch. 

Collagen and elastin fibers found in the dermis, which is the second layer of skin, may end up being pulled apart.  This is also something which is prevalent in people who have gained a tremendous amount of weight in such a short period of time. Teenagers often end up experiencing stretched skin simply because several organs in their bodies are still developing into their fully formed states.

Stretch marks are also made possible with genetics, a lack of exercise and an improper diet being the main culprits.  There are certainly a lot of people who have always wanted to eliminate the presence of these marks simply because they have a specific idea of what is considered attractive.

Getting rid of stretch marks brings them a step closer to being seen as beautiful and gorgeous, simply because they are able to show off certain parts of their skin anytime they want.  They can visit the beach in a bikini or a pair of board shorts, and avoid covering themselves up with extra clothing.

Below some stretch mark treatments which have long been considered by many to be the most effective. 

• A number of plastic surgeons in this day and age have sought out the aid of newly developed technologies which can help them repair their patients’ skin and remove stretch marks.  Some of the most popular treatments for treating these patches of thin, silvery streaks on the skin include laser therapy and dermabrasion.

Laser therapy utilizes beams of light which are then aimed at areas affected by stretch marks to stimulate cell generation in the skin.  Dermabrasion, on the other hand, is about surgeons using medical sandpaper to strip away layers of skin.  Both of these techniques have left a lot of people satisfied, and are truly effective. 

Of course, if there’s something to be concerned about, it’s that these treatments can lead to a lot of sessions down the road.  This can add up to a person’s expenses, which can only mean more involved.  This may not be an ideal method for people who are budget conscious. 

• One of the most cost-efficient ways in which a person can get rid of, or reduce the presence of stretch marks on their skin is through the use of retinoids.  These can either be purchased over the counter or be prescribed by a skin care expert.  These are derived from essential nutrients such as Vitamin C, and are topically applied on the skin in the form of ointments and creams.

They serve the purpose of being helpful aids in the regeneration of skin cells.  What this does is help in the improvement of skin texture, as well as provides a youthful glow which can enhance a person’s skin color further.  With this in mind, the stretch marks will then start becoming less visible. 

These stretch mark treatments are highly beneficial for people, although they would have to consider whether or not they truly are equipped with the finances to avail of them.  Creams and topical solutions are available, although one would have to seek out proper consultation from a doctor before anything else.

Everyone has been through acne in their puberty. Teens get it; even we adults get it too from time to time. It’s caused not only by environmental factors, stress and improper hygiene, but also factors in your hormones and sometimes even medical conditions that you may or may not know about.

Acne is preventable; you may get it but you can also get rid of it fairly easily. There are a lot of over the counter medication just sitting in pharmacies waiting for you to pick them up; and if you’re too lazy to go outside, even your kitchen has a wealth of homegrown treatments that are not only accessible but works equally well in getting rid of acne.

Gentle Wash as Prevention 

Prevention is what you might expect; keeping the area around your face is the key element here; but you don’t want it to be too clean. Using mild soaps or soaps that are specialized for facial skin care can suffice. Also, limiting the number of times you wash your face in a day helps prevent break outs or excessive oil production from taking place.

The rationale why you should wash your face too much has to do with your body’s delicate system. Your face produces sebum, a yellowish liquid that acts a shield around your face to keep articles like dirt out of your face’s spores.

If there is too little of it, it can cause dirt and grime to dig them into your skin, irritating it and even causing blackheads and white heads to appear. If there is too much, it will also clog your spores on top of articles getting into your pores; thus causing the sebum to harden along with it and cause white heads.

This can be avoided by not only applying gentle soaps, but also being gentle in application. Gentle scrubs may remove sebum on the surface of your face but it takes just enough that your body can compensate for its loss.

Simple Treatment 

Treatment around controlling the spread as well as maximizing the recovery time, but it does not ultimately mean that the effect is instanteous. Although plucking out zits is an amazingly tempting idea, it does the opposite of treatment and can even lead to nasty scarring.

Topical medication is recommended for most acne cases, but home remedies such as citrus juices are great alternatives. Vitamin C insures that your skin not only heals properly, but also gives it a healthy tone.

Topical medication as well as home-remedies also has variants for inflammations that acne areas tend to cause if it is bunched up in a certain area; essentially not only to contain the acne to a specific area and lessening it but also toreduce irritability in the process.

In looking for effective medication, relief and containment are great characteristics to have in an acne product. Relief may be essentially to reduce the irritability caused by the acne, but it reduces the incidents of further irritating it with your hand as a means to relieve it.

A lot of women often worry about becoming pregnant.  It’s not that they’re uncertain of bringing a baby into this world, which they are quite excited about, but it’s more about vanity. 

In fact, many women who have undergone childbirth find themselves displeased with the amount of stretch marks that have grown on certain areas of their body.  These are known as striae, and are the result of sudden and massive stretching of the skin. 

Instances such as pregnancy, obesity or muscle gain can lead the skin to be pulled,stretching it and simply diminishing the amount of collagen and elastin fibers in the dermis.  These would come in the form of thin, silvery tears on the skin, and would often develop around the hips, arms, thighs and even buttocks. 

They would initially appear reddish, slowly becoming white as time passes by.  This is a condition which many people find unattractive, thus causing them to avoid wearing short or tiny clothing which would reveal the affected areas of their bodies.  However, this isn’t to say that there’s nothing that can be done about them. 

In fact, sometimes all it takes is the application of a really effective stretch mark cream to help them reduce or even eliminate the presence of striae on their bodies. 

• There are a lot of manufacturers and companies that have recognized the need of individuals to acquire healthy and glowing skin that is free of any imperfections or blemishes.  Therefore, they have taken several months, even years, of research and development to formulate solutions such as creams and ointments which can effectively remove these stretch marks.

However, this isn’t the case for every brand out there.  In fact, there may even be some companies which churn out rather shoddy products which aren’t really beneficial. Thus, it is important for a person to actually look into the ingredients that are mixed in with these creams.  There are some moisturizers such as cocoa butter which are highly efficient in eliminating stretch marks. 

Aside from that, glycolic acid is a remarkable exfoliating substance that removes dead and damaged skin cells, allowing a person to have rejuvenated skin that is flawless and smooth.  However, as stated before, some of these creams may also have certain adverse reactions, which is why the percentage of the ingredients used should always be looked at. 

• Before using creams and ointments, it would be important for a sufferer of stretch marks to consult a licensed skin care expert.  Some people may experience allergic reactions from these treatments, and it would be a lot wiser for them to rely on the aid of a dermatologist which can prescribe topical solutions designed to accommodate their needs and their health as well.

These are just some of the matters that a person must look into if they wish to avail of stretch mark creams.  Striae can certainly be a nuisance to deal with, so one should have to take the above mentioned points into serious consideration if they wish to finally have flawless looking skin.

Moroccan oil also popularly known as Argan oil, is extracted from kernels of the argan tree. It is a rich source of poly- and mono-saturated fats and contains tocopherol, a compound with similar characteristics to that of vitamin E. the use of argan oil has been known to combat diseases of the cardiovascular system, protects the body against certain types of cancer, and prevents resistance to insulin in order fight off the development of a disease called diabetes.

Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

The use and consumption of argan oil has been known to reduce the risks of developing cardiovascular conditions. In 2004, a study which was published by Dr. Herrara in British Journal of Nutrition discovered that rats that were given a diet which has argan oil had a significantly lower blood pressure compared to the non-argan oil users. Different follow up studies found that diets that have argan oil have several effects which can both treat and prevent diseases that involve the cardiovascular system. The unsaturated fatty acids which are found in the oil can help in regulating cholesterol levels in the blood. Aside from that, including argan oil in the diet is one way for a person to achieve the recommended intake of fat without putting the health of the heart at risk.

Cancer and Argan Oil

Studies on argan oil have shown that it can decrease the cell division rate of proatte cancer cells. A Cancer Investigation Study in 2006 revealed that components found in argan oil slowed the growth of different kind of prostate cells which have cancer. An exposure to some of the components in argan oil also reversed the carcinogens and their cancerous effects on the prostate cells. A good source of antioxidants is virgin argan oil, so the use of it can protect you from other cancer forms. Antioxidants work by repairing cell damage, which when accumulated, can lead to mutations in cancer on the genes. Including argan oil in the diet can reduce the risk of developing cancer and it can offer a wide variety of health benefits which are associated with the use of antioxidants.

Insulin Resistance and Argan Oil

Argan oil has been widely used in Morocco and other near areas for the treatment of diabetes. Several research studies have discovered that the use of argan oil can decrease the body’s resistance to insulin, an initial step towards the development of the life-threatening disease. Dr. Haddad, found in his 2006 study, that argan oil actually enhances the response of cells to low insulin doses, a specific process which gets disturbed when a person has diabetes. In totality, regular argan oil use can decrease the hazardous effects that a diet which is rich in carbohydrates can bring, and it can protect the body against resistance to insulin to keep the body healthy and fight off diabetes.

Because argan oil has reaped so much attention because of the health benefits it can offer, the argan tree is now considered as an endangered species. In purchasing the oil, make sure that you do not acquire the counterfeit ones for optimum results.

Acne is perceived as a problem for teenagers but according to the American Academy of Dermatology, there are 40 to 50 million people in America affected by acne and that almost all age groups are prone to develop these unpleasant, uncomfortable, and even painful spots. Acne is not only limited to one’s face; although this is the area where it is often noticed. Acne may appear on the back, shoulders, chest, and even on one’s legs. If you are an adult embarrassed by your acne, there are several treatment plans which can help in cleaning oil and dirt away from the skin.

One of the most enduring and perhaps unresolved controversies surrounding acne is the extent to which the condition may be affected by diet. An article in the “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” published in 2010 says that studies on acne and diet are thought to be rare, which makes it hard to say whether spices and other foods affect this condition.

Acne and Allergy

In 1978, a German study which was published in the journal “Dermatologica” found that getting rid of allergens did not show some kind of improvement on skin acne. However, only some patients were allergic to other substances like spices. Furthermore, the research subjects who participated in the study received basic therapy as an addition to dietary changes. Aside from that, it was difficult to determine of the patients really complied with the prescribed diet. Thus, it is hard to say whether the elimination of spices from one’s diet can improve acne or not.

Patient Beliefs

A Jordanian study which was published in “Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal” last 2006 said that patients with acne do not really believe that spices can cause worsening of the condition. Some of the factors which are believed to cause acne and aggravate it were coffee, eggs, cakes, fried food, cosmetics, premenstrual hormonal factors, and family history. However, one must keep in mind that belief is different from proof. If you think that spices make the acne worse, you can ask for the perception of other people regarding your opinion.

A Macrobiotic View on Acne and Diet

Aveline Kushi, a top teacher on macrobiotics, said in her book that the development of acne over time may be a result of a dietary pattern instead of only one certain food. Michio Kushi, a renowned macrobiotic teacher in the United States stated in his book, “Book of Macrobiotics”, that if individuals are experiencing skin problems after starting a macrobiotic diet, this can often be the result of the unbalanced eating that one has done in the past. A lot of foods may be the culprit of this, and this includes spices.

View from a Cosmetologist

A cosmetologist named Georgette Klinger, who received numerous awards because of her successful skin programs said that there is no general rule about foods which can apply to everyone since food allergies are individualized. She believes that in susceptible people, allergens can bring about acne. Although little scientific research has established linkages on spices and acne, there are people, including holistic health instructors and cosmetologists, who believe in this possibility.