Argan oil : Morocco’s new gold | France 2 | Envoyé Spécial

Argan oil is the toast of the spas. Masseurs swear by it and clients reserve weeks in advance for their session in luxury beauty parlours. They want to get the benefit of this oil that is proclaimed as the new miracle product. They say it’s anti-wrinkle, anti-oxidizing, and even anti-cholesterol.Argan oil is not simply an in-fashion massage oil. With its toasted nut aroma, it’s the new must-have for celebrity chefs. A gastronomical treat that will cost you 140 euros a litre in smart grocery stores.And yet, argan oil is a rare, home-produced product, only made in Morocco, by Berber villagers. A form of fair-trade business has built up over recent years: cooperatives distribute the profits to all the workers. Argan oil is now attracting the attention of the major cosmetic companies. In supermarkets the shelves now stock argan oil shower gel, shampoos and balms. Argan is a commercial bonanza, but we discovered that some of these products contain very little argan oil.How did this unknown product become the most expensive oil in the world in just five years? Who is profiting from this success? We also uncovered some scams, both big and small.An investigation in Morocco and France into argan oil, the green gold from the desert.