5 Reasons To Head To Morocco If You Want An All-Natural Beauty Regimen
Vitamin D is one thing Morocco has plenty of, making it a perfect travel destination when you're after your yearly golden tan.
But a tan is something you can get anywhere, and Morocco offers much more beauty than that.
As the home of organic oils, fragrances, henna, remedies and natural, exotic beauty secrets, Morocco is truly the home of beauty.
Don't know what I mean?
Here are five ways the Moroccans do it:
Argan Oil
Moroccan argan oil is world-renowned for its incredible beautifying and health qualities. The plant oil, made from native Moroccan organ tree kernels, can be used for cooking and, more commonly, in haircare and skin products.
Moroccan traditions include weekly cleansing rituals, where women visit a hammam, a communal sauna and bath, which includes argan oil at almost every process -- from scrubbing and steaming to massages and hair masks.
As a salve for dry skin and hair, the 100 percent natural product is the basis of the beauty regime of every Moroccan or Arab woman, which is why endless apothecaries entice women with the promise of liquid gold in a bottle.
It's not a hard sell, but it is an expensive one. It takes 30 kilograms of fruit to produce two kilograms of kernels, all of which makes one liter of argan oil.
A single liter takes the average cooperative worker (usually a woman) a week to produce. It's a laborious task, but it's well worth it.
Essential Oil Fragrances
If you manage to make it through a trip to Morocco without being tempted by the hundreds of perfumes and fragrances the county has to offer, then you've clearly been walking around with your nose pinched.
The scents of Arabia -- sandalwood, amber, thousand flowers, frankincense, jasmine, musk and out -- are everywhere in Morocco, carried upon the skin, scarves and cotton garments of the locals.
Small clouds of essence hover around men and women alike, who wear not just perfume, but a bit of ancient history.
These beautiful essential oils come in small glass bottles, and their scent is so intense, small dabs of the stuff are enough to turn the noses of anybody you walk past.
Henna
Henna is one of the most common, natural ways women enhance their beauty. It's not just a tradition in Morocco, but throughout the whole of the Arab and Indian world
A step into Morocco's famous apothecaries will show you the myriad of ways henna is used to enhance what you already have. With intricate prints and patterns painted on skin, lipstick made from henna plant flowers and even hair dye, henna is the purest form of body adornment.
Kohl
The original smokey eye can be clearly attributed to Arab and South Asian men and women.
Kohl eyeliner is made from grinding a crystialised mineral called stibnite to make a natural eye cosmetic, which has long been used by women, and even men and children, as makeup.
In ancient times and currently in some remote villages throughout Morocco and the Arab world, women will paint the eyes of newborn babies and young children to "strengthen the child's eyes," but more importantly, to protect them from the evil eye.
Though the original reasons for wearing kohl eyeliner have long been abandoned for more modern reasons, the dark eye makeup is easily one of the most beautiful ways to add depth and intensity to the eye and enhance natural beauty.
Black Soap
Moroccan black soap, or "savon noir," is made from olive oil pulp and argan oil. It's a 100 percent natural product, famous for its use in hammams -- traditional Moroccan/Arab baths and saunas.
Its exfoliating, moisturizing properties make it not just a regular body scrub, but a staple in most hammams and in most Moroccan beauty regimes.
