The One Secret for Beautiful Skin: Argan Oil

If you're a natural beauty junkie like me, you may have noticed argan oil jockeying for position as the latest wonder potion. Produced from kernels of the argan tree, which is native to Morocco, the concentrated oil is packed with vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and it's prized for its multitasking ways.

Argan oil can be used as a deep moisturizer for skin and hair -- just apply it directly -- and is ideal for soothing cracked cuticles. The oil is so gentle that it can also be used on growing pregnant bellies and on the babies they produce. (Just make sure any brand you buy does not contain preservatives or additives.)

I'm particularly partial to this supremely potent moisturizer because it is also used in Moroccan cooking, a testament to its pure and natural state. The skin is the body's biggest organ, and everything we put on it sinks into our bloodstream. Just like we consider what we put into our bodies, we should also be aware of what we put on our bodies.

In theory, we should be able to eat everything we put on our skin. I tend to use the edible test as a safety meter for my personal care products. I read the labels of each product and ask myself if I would be comfortable ingesting the ingredients. Sure, you may not want to consume rose essential oil, but you could.

With that said, I won't be dressing my salad with argan oil any time soon. The stuff is effective but expensive. One ounce of organic 100 percent argan oil can run $9 or more. The lowest price Argan Oil that I've found is at Amazon.com.

But I'll definitely save it for my face.

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