Argan oil is derived from the nuts of Argania spinosa, a native desert tree in Morocco. In other words, the fruit of the Argania spinosa tree often called “argan nuts” are tree nuts. The oil is cold pressed as opposed to heat processed or highly refined, making it more likely to contain allergenic protein. As I’ve explained before, the difference between a seed and a nut is that nuts are a composite of the seed and the fruit where the fruit does not open to release the seed, and the fruit of this tree meets that definition.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argania Accessed 25 April 2014
The tree nuts considered priority allergens are almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts. There are however many other types of tree nuts. If you are allergic to tree nuts, although argan nut is not on the list of the priority allergens, it would be prudent to avoid the use of argan oil.
If you’re determined to use argan oil despite your tree nut allergy, I suggest first scheduling an appointment to meet with your Allergist to determine if you react to it. You will likely need to bring a bottle of argan oil to that appointment, as it is not a common tree nut that he or she would have on hand.
Argan oil is a botanical oil, and even for those without tree nut allergies, botanicals can cause issues for some people. Specifically, Allergic Living magazine covered the topic in Dr. Sandy Skotnicki’s Spring 2014 “Ask The Dermatologist” column. A reader had inquired about skin breakouts on the back of her neck and scalp since she started using argan oil on her hair.
Dr. Skotnicki advised that if those breakout look like acne, then the argan oil is most likely to blame, as like any other oil in hair care products, it is known to cause acne around the scalp line, neck, upper back, and chest. She further advised that botanical oils in hair care products have been associated with the “epidemic of contact dermatitis reactions on the neck, face, upper back, and chest” of which she sees many cases each month. Contact dermatitis would appear as red, itchy, scaly skin, and she advised that it can occur after many months of using the product uneventfully.
Dr. Skotnicki advised that the only way to tell if the breakout is from argan oil is by consulting a Dermatologist to conduct patch testing to all the ingredients in the product. She further advised that a simpler approach would be to stop using the oil and avoid the botanical hair care category.
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UPDATE 4 April 2015: A reader shared this story with me concerning Argan Oil she discovered in a supplement she was taking, which caused her difficulty breathing.
Good morning!
I’m a 33 year old woman who’s been living with a fatal peanut allergy my
whole life. Over the past few years it has gotten exponentially worse, as
having reactions from airborne particles on the train, subway, and even
open streets in NYC due to the peanut cart vendors.
Most recently I started having trouble breathing on a consistent basis and
couldn’t understand why…that is until I read up on your article in
regards to Argan Oil!
I just started taking a daily supplement for about a week now made by
Nature’s Bounty called Hair, Nails, and Skin. When it said that it was
infused with Argan Oil I didn’t think anything of it, as I had no idea it
was a nut!
I really do wish the community was more sensitive with this disability and
made others aware (some people are so ignorant).
Thanks for all that you do!
Emie M.
I’m the hardest whenever it comes to taking care of my curly hair and skin. Any kind of suggestions? Looking for anything which is not too pricey and reasonably priced. I have got black color hair with split ends and I need to have that sparkly look and feel. I additionally have dry skin and cream will work typically but I want to consider something different. Any sort of strategies would probably be welcomed.
Gretchen if you could please explain what your hubby’s reaction looked like. I believe my daughter is having an allgeric reaction to argan oil. Thank you
Nice information blog. Yes Aragn oil is a tree nut. Sarah from http://www.arganoiltree.com
Thank you for this information. Since my husband has a tree nut allergy I often need to avoid using lotions and shampoo’s with nut oils. Once he got a large rash on his leg which we thought was a reaction to the lotion I had on. I have wondered about using this brand but will probably continue to avoid it. –Thanks!