Kitten Vixen Cosmetics: Spot light on Argan Oil

The miracle ingredient du jour:

Argan oil, also known as Moroccan oil is Ayurvedic oil made from the nuts of the Argan tree. It is believed to help all sorts of hair and skin conditions including dry skin, wrinkles, acne, psoriasis, eczema, over processed, dry and brittle hair. It is high in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, which is why it has excellent moisturizing properties. As if that’s not enough, it’s also a natural UV protection for both the skin and hair.

Rich in antioxidants and anti inflammatory, Argan oil also contains:

· Vitamin F (omega 6): anti-aging and moisturizing

· Vitamin E: UV protection, and neutralizes free radicals

· Phenols: powerful aid against fungus and bacteria, activates blood circulation and Vitamin C

· Triterpens: restructure cells and slows down cell aging

Squalene: suggested to prevent against skin cancer

With such heavy hitting properties, it’s no wonder Argan oil has become the darling du jour of the beauty industry. Here are my top five picks of available products using Argan oil:

Josie Maran Matchmaker Serum is a foundation, which balances and restores skin with argan oil. It also covers blemishes and fine lines with chameleon pigments, a color-matching technology that goes on white and then adjusts to skin tone.

Kiehl's Superbly Smoothing Argan Hair Pak  This three-minute mask delivers argan oil and a conditioning blend of cocoa seed butter, sesame seed oil and safflower seed oil. ($25; Kiehl's)

Nick Chavez Angel wings with argan oil This lightweight pre-styling primer helps nourish, moisturize, and increase hair's elasticity without weighing it down. Not only does it work to strengthen and restore hair's softness and shine, it also provides increased manageability and enhanced color retention.

Melvita Capiforce Split Ends Serum Damaged Hair This moisturizing serum has softening olive and argan oils, hemp, apricot and sea beet to repair damaged ends. ($24; melvita.com)

Intelligent Nutrients Certified Organic Destress Express Hair and Body Treatment Oil Formulated with cooling, scalp-soothing extracts of jojoba and argan oils, this tackles hair and scalp damage alike, doubling as a calming massage oil. ($42; ABC Carpet & Home)  

About me:

I was the kid at school who was always given nicknames. Most were cute but the ones that stuck with me were the cruel ones intended to make the other kid’s laugh – ‘flat face’, and ‘pancake head’ were particular favorites and, although maybe apt at the time, fuelled an obsession in me. I wanted to understand and fix what it was that others found different and funny.   So at the tender age of sixteen I immersed myself in the world of beauty, first as a hairdresser and then as a make-up artist, in a quest to fully understand what beauty was and how I could create it. Eighteen years later, after applying make-up to some of the most beautiful women in the world, I have come to the realization that beauty is in every woman, in the common and not so common features. I believe beauty is an attitude, an air of confidence or radiant energy that comes from within, and it’s the imperfections that make beautiful women the most interesting.  My work has appeared all over the world, from the catwalks of London and Milan to the billboards of the U.S and Australia. I am currently a freelance make-up artist based in Los Angeles. I am the Co Founder and spokeswoman for Kitten Vixen Cosmetics - a brand I launched with my sister four years ago.

Beauty Quote:

It's important for all types of women to know that you don't have to fit a prototype of what one person thinks is beautiful in order to be beautiful or feel beautiful.... People think, Sexy, big breasts, curvy body, no cellulite. It's not that. Take the girl at the beach with the cellulite legs, wearing her bathing suit the way she likes it, walking with a certain air, comfortable with herself. That woman is sexy. Then you see the perfect girl who's really thin, tugging at her bathing suit, wondering how her hair looks. That's not sexy.

JENNIFER LOPEZ, Readers Digest, Aug. 2003

The Kitten Vixen Beauty Blog Promise

At Kitten Vixen the integrity of our word is of utmost importance to us. Our blog is no different. Any product recommendation mentioned by Gigi or reviewed by our team and listed as a “top pick” will be mentioned because we have tried the product and liked it - not because we have received the product for free. In the event that there is a chemical free, natural or Organic product on the market that performs as good as or out performs a top pick - Gigi will always mention that product. We want our readers to feel confident that any information shared on this page is based on Gigi's extensive knowledge in the beauty industry, and is not focused on any particular brand.

Spot light on Argan Oil

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