Comparison of Abyssinian oil and argan oil in hair care

In this article we want to demonstrate the benefits and good performance of using Fancor Abyssinian oil in hair care applications. Furthermore we compare this natural oil with the popular argan oil, which is known for its conditioning and shine enhancing effect on hair. TRI Princeton, an independent non-profit scientific research and education institute located in New Jersey, US, and well known in the market for its applied hair science, conducted a study to evaluate the effect of both oils for increasing combability, hair strengthening, anti-breakage and detection of the shine of the hair after treatment. Based on the results of the study we can claim that Fancor Abyssinian oil has a very good overall performance in all evaluated aspects. It can increase the manageability, shine and strength of the hair. These benefits were displayed to be equal or even better when compared with argan oil. The results of the study show Fancor Abyssinian oil is a comparable substitution for argan oil in hair care applications.

Overview of the crops

The Crambe abyssinica is an oilseed crop belonging to the Brassicaceae family. It is known under the name Abyssinian plant (Fig. 1), crambe or even Abyssinian mustard. It is an annual plant with a higher resistance against drought in comparison to other oilseed crops due to a long tap root. Only moderate rainfall for growth is necessary. It is native to the Ethiopian Highlands (also known as Abyssinia). Nowadays, Abyssinian crops are also successfully cultivated in the Mediterranean and temperate zones due to their ability to grow even in colder regions. The breeding of this plant has been through natural selection without any genetic engineering. The plant can grow up to 1.5 m depending on the humidity during their growth period and flowering with small, hermaphroditic four-leaved flowers. The Abyssinian plant needs around 50 days until it flowers with an additional 30 days before the crops can be harvested. Therefore a high adaptability of this renewable plant on actual market demand is achievable. The Argania spinosa is a slow-growing tree of the Sapotaceae family exclusively endemic in the southwest of Morocco, the land of the Amazigh (native Berber). The argan groves cover about 8000 km2 and are a designated UNESCO Biosphere reserve. The normal life span of an argan tree (Fig. 2), can be more than 200 years and it can actively protect the Earth’s crust against erosion. It can grow to between 8 and 10 metres high and provides an annual crop only once a year. The fruits are 2-4 cm long, oval and contain one very hard nut with mainly one oil-rich seed inside. The argan oil extracted from the kernels has been used by native people as an edible oil for centuries and became a very popular and expensive oil in the last decade.1–3 The argan tree is facing trouble in maintaining its integrity and may induce degradation due to the recurrent droughts and forest overuse.1,3 Natural oils are essential ingredients for formulation chemists. Plant oils are esters of glycerine and fatty acids which form triglycerides. Natural oils can also contain various smaller components, such as free fatty acids, phospholipids, tocopherols and hydrocarbons. Fancor Abyssinian Oil is removed from the Crambe abyssinica seeds using a mechanical crushing process. Elementis Specialties does not use an external heat source to aid the process. The seeds of the Abyssinian plant (Fig. 3) are about 3 mm diameter and contain approximately 30% Abyssinian oil. Unlike many other oils Fancor Abyssinian oil is not produced via solvent extraction so it is a natural product. This green processing method has enabled Elementis Specialties to gain Ecocert certification status for Fancor Abyssinian oil. The nuts of the argan tree (Fig. 4) are about 3 cm long and contain around 60% argan oil. The success of argan oil on the international market has created a need to secure the quality of this high-value product. This can be a reason for people to fraudulently attempt to adulterate argan oil with cheaper oils.1,2 Validation of its quality, origin and sustainability is therefore very important. Traditional argan oil preparation follows a multistep process that is often not standardised.3 As a result of this, the quality can vary from batch to batch. For cosmetic applications mainly unroasted kernels are used and very often the oil is extracted with lipophilic solvents. Some grades of argan oil also have Ecocert certification status, but not all. Fancor Abyssinian oil has the INCI Name: Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil. Argan oil has the INCI Name: Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil.