The argan tree is only found in the southwest of Morocco; in 1998 the argan areas were declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
Collecting and processing argan fruits has always been a woman's responsibility in traditional agriculture. The fruits that have dried and fallen on the tree are picked up from the ground by hand by women in summer. Because of the many thorns and the dense branches, they cannot be knocked down from the tree.

During further processing, the pulp is first removed, the hard seeds are then broken open with the help of two stones and the seed plates are removed. The “almonds” are then ground by hand in a stone or metal mill.
Pressing argan oil by hand is much more time-consuming than producing it using pressing machines. Harvesting from 4-5 argan trees is required to produce one liter of oil, which also explains the high price of the oil.
In 2014, the centuries-old knowledge and practices regarding the use of the argan tree and its fruits were recognized as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Due to industrialization, many families have lost their income. However, there are now numerous cooperatives with a total of more than 1000 women who keep this tradition of hand-pressed argan oil alive.
Moroccans use unroasted argan oil to treat skin diseases and use it for beauty care of skin and hair. The moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties help soothe flaky, dry and irritation-prone skin. It can have a soothing effect on acne, peeling skin and burns and can also be used for rheumatism.