It seems argan oil is officially a thing now. The insanely nourishing and anti-aging oil is no longer a cult beauty product and you can readily find products touting it within the aisles of Target. (Though argan is old news, the fact that goats will go to these lengths for argan fruit will continuously be a source of amusement for me.)
However, not argan oil is equal. I tried the Josie Maran's argan oil, which left me underwhelmed. The more wallet-friendly Acure Organics version was my favorite for years, I used it to cure a family member's eczema, heal old acne scars, prevent breakouts and even rapidly heal my cat's surgical scar – my vet was duly impressed!
Green beauty bloggers, however, have been unabashedly gushing over Kahina Giving Beauty's argan oil for years. It's definitely a splurge, but I always make an exception for a travel set and fortunately, they curated one. I picked mine up from Saffron Rouge (whatever happened to them?) during the past two winters. I was blown away by how my parched winter complexion (made even more complicated by pregnancy) responded to the set, and then picked up a second one the following year just because it was so good.
Their travel collection consists of 30 ml bottles of the following:
• Argan Oil: 100% organic & certified by Ecocert
• Facial Cleanser: now Ecocert-certified organic & natural
• Facial Lotion: 100% natural, 95% of botanical ingredients are organic
The Facial Cleanser is very creamy with the viscosity and texture of a body lotion. As milky as it is, the cleanser does take effort to removing eye makeup. Because it leaves a lingering emollient behind, this for me is a morning cleanser.
The Facial Lotion is light weight, and nondescript. It's scentless, absorbs readily, hydrating and very much a basic lotion. SPF free, I liked this patted over the Argan Oil to seal everything in before heading to bed.
However, it's really the Argan Oil that knocks this set out of the park for me. Everything just looks better immediately and hours after application. My skin is at it's best after months after continuous use. All this time, I thought it was the set, but now I know it's really the Argan Oil.
If there was a starter oil I'd suggest to anyone, this would be it. Oils are lipophilic, which means they quickly are absorbed through the layers of the skin into the collagen producing cells, immediately plumping the skin and preventing dehydration. When antioxidants are in a carrier oil (and argan oil is rich in antioxidants) the free radical protection goes further into the skin, fending off premature aging.
My next Kahina Giving Beauty purchase is going to be a larger bottle of their Argan Oil, though their eye cream also looks intriguing.
Ingredients:
Kahina Argan Oil: argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil*
Kahina Facial Cleanser: aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice*, aqua, argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil*, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, glycerin*, leuconostoc (radish) root ferment filtrate, cocoglucoside, coconut alcohol, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract*, glyceryl oleate, salix nigra (willow) bark extract, lauryl glucoside, vanillosmopsis erythropappa (bisabolol) wood oil, sclerotium gum, citrus aurantium (neroli) flower oil*, chamomila recutita (matricaria) flower extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract*, tanacetum annuum (blue tansy) flower oil*, hydrogenated lecithin, p-anisic acid, PCA, xantham gum - See more at: http://kahina-givingbeauty.com/shop/kahina-facial-cleanser/#sthash.xOnzC67K.dpuf
Kahina Facial Lotion: water, argan oil*, glycerin, japanese honeysuckle extract*, shea butter*, sodium PCA, sorbitan olivate, xanthan gum, betaine, acacia gum, behenyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, argan leaf extract, lecithin*, beeswax*, phospholipids, glycolipids, soybean oil, soybean sterols, levulinic acid, potassium sorbate, sodium hyaluronate, lactic acid
*Ingredient from Organic Farming
$85 / Kahina Giving Beauty
