Examining Beauty and Fashion Cultures Around the World: Cross-Cultural Psychology

Examining Beauty and Fashion Cultures Around the World: Cross-Cultural Psychology

Post 3: Morocco

By Sierra Lookabill 

https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Moroccan-Goats-in-an-Argan-Tree-Argania-Spinosa-Eating-Argan-Nuts-Posters_i15346293_.htm

Peyton and I chose Morocco as our third country to explore aspects of beauty culture. Argan oil is currently used worldwide for various beauty and health regimens, with its first uses tracing back to Morocco where Argan trees originate. Today, thousands of beauty products with the label "Moroccan Argan Oil" are sold around the world and are viewed as a useful and even luxury beauty product due to the more limited access of the oil. These uses include hair masks, shampoo, treatments, and skin products. Argan oil is incredibly moisturizing, making it a useful ingredient for hair and body products. Given the current circumstances, the inability to go out and buy products and not wanting to order products in an effort to lower demands for workers, we were not able to physically try out any Argan oil products for this blog post. Because of this, I have included photos of some of the ways Argan oil is currently used in Morocco and throughout the world. I also added examples of beauty products on the market today using Argan oil. 

https://www.naturallivingideas.com/11-reasons-to-put-argan-oil-on-your-face/

http://arganoilworld.com.au/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-argan-oil-for-hair/

The Argan tree, pictured above, is an important facet of Morocco's culture and history. Argan oil is a more expensive beauty product due to its scarcity and difficulty in procuring it. Argan oil comes from the Argan tree, which is culturally significant to Morocco. According to Jess Simpson from MentalFloss.com, use of the oil can be traced to around 600 BCE where it was used for the beauty purposes we see today and also for healing. 

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/morocco/articles/history-of-moroccan-argan-oil-in-1-minute/

The Argan tree is used by the Berber people in modern day Morocco and Northern Africa for various tasks outside of the oil. Parts of the tree itself is used for fire timber and food, while the nut is used to make the oil. The process of using the tree is described as being communal, with groups of women sitting around together working to crack the nuts from the tree and extract the oil. This process brings the cultural significance, outside of the now famous and widely used beauty practices with the oil. This type of community, of working on the nuts of the tree together, would most likely be an incredibly bonding act. 

https://www.ft.com/content/1b30e5a2-a53d-11e3-8988-00144feab7de

Similarly, in 1996, when researchers came together in a successful attempt to increase Argan oil production in the region and what has made it so commonly used throughout the world, the Moroccan government also became involved. This push in production brought wealth to those who had Argan trees on their property and were able to harvest the nuts and also invested in the women in these communities much like how women worked together to harvest them in the past. Bianca Britton from CNN.com also describes how the increase in Argan oil has allowed for more economic stability and opportunities for the women involved in the process. This aspect has not changed from centuries in the past; women still find and relish in the community that the Argan nut processing involves. Culturally, this idea is significant because while the use of the oil is an important beauty tradition, the process behind it is deeply rooted in their society. The idea of working together to produce the oil demonstrates this commitment to community. In America and other Western countries this idea is most likely not recognized, with the products being used solely for their benefit to beauty techniques we value, but underneath is a culturally significant tradition of the prosperity in working together and building community. 

Sources:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/72258/goat-dung-face-cream-history-moroccos-argan-oil

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/morocco/articles/history-of-moroccan-argan-oil-in-1-minute/

https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/15/africa/argan-oil-morocco/index.html