Where do I buy argan oil at the source?

Real argan oil has a real address: the Souss, the southwest of Morocco, roughly the triangle between Agadir, Essaouira and Taroudant, because the argan tree grows almost nowhere else on earth. The most authentic — and best-value — way to buy it is direct from one of the women’s cooperatives that dot the roads through this region, particularly along the Essaouira–Agadir road and around Taroudant. These cooperatives were set up to put the income into the hands of the rural Berber women who do the brutally labour-intensive work of cracking the nuts, so buying there is both genuine and ethical.

What I love about visiting one is that you see the whole thing. Women sit cracking the hard argan nuts between two stones, exactly as it has always been done, then grinding and pressing the kernels; you can watch, ask questions, and smell the difference between the two oils before you buy. The cosmetic oil — for skin and hair — is cold-pressed from raw, unroasted kernels and is pale gold and almost scentless. The culinary oil, for drizzling and for amlou, is pressed from roasted kernels and is deliberately deep, nutty and toasty. Knowing which you want matters.

I have to be blunt about fakes, because argan is heavily adulterated. A great deal of what is sold as "argan oil," especially at generic souk stalls, tourist shops, airports and roadside tables far from the Souss, is cut with cheap vegetable oil or is not argan at all. Pure argan is not cheap, because the yield per nut is tiny; suspiciously cheap, large bottles are a red flag. So is anyone selling "argan" hundreds of kilometres from where the tree grows as though it were local.

My practical guidance: buy from an established cooperative or a reputable shop that can tell you exactly where the oil was pressed, check the oil is pure (a short ingredient list, ideally just argan), and smell-test it — cosmetic should be near-odourless, culinary nutty, neither rancid. A small bottle of genuine cosmetic argan is a wonderful, light souvenir that supports the women who made it. Decant or seal it well for the flight, and pack it in your checked bag inside a sealed pouch to be safe.