My hair stylist just introduced me to her secret weapon. For centuries, women in Morocco have been coating it on their hair and nails to counteract the effects of aging and the elements.  The key ingredient is argan oil, which derives from a nut inside a lush fruit growing on Argan trees in the Southwest Moroccan desert.  Today, it resides in a special hair treatment called MoroccanOil.

I have tested my fair share of silicone serums and styling gels, and I have never found one that didn't load down my hair or give it a greasy sheen...until I met MoroccanOil.  Its weightless formula seals in a silky shine unlike any other.  MoroccanOil neither leaves a heavy build-up on hair nor an oily residue on the hands.  Going beyond similar hair products that treat frizz and combat humidity, MoroccanOil actually provides long-term conditioning and strengthening with continued use.  Moreover, it softens unmanageable hair, nourishes the scalp, repairs split ends, reduces drying time, and protects against UV damage.  Clearly, this is not your average hair oil!

MoroccanOil offers a versatile range of uses.  Professional hairstylists apply MoroccanOil on the hair both before and during color treatment, since it has been shown to enhance and prolong color.  It also boasts deep conditioning benefits that reduce frizz and increase elasticity.  At home, you can rub it throughout clean, damp hair before styling.  Highlighted hair will naturally require more oil than untreated hair, but a little does go a long way.  With a lasting aroma that is not overpowering, MoroccanOil smells so pleasant that it can stand alone as a simple hair perfume.

Packed with moisturizing unsaturated fatty acids, argan oil naturally renews cell structure and rebuilds the hair shaft, restoring life to dull or damaged locks.  It contains an extremely high count of tocopherols, which supply antioxidant powers to rid hair of free radicals.  Providing lubrication and shine, cyclopentasiloxane is a water-thin silicone fluid, which means that it helps disperse dimethicone (a heavier silicone) and does not weigh down the hair.  Both cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone evaporate quickly after transporting nutrients to the hair shaft.  MoroccanOil's intoxicating scent owes its sweetness to coumarin, which has been used in perfumes evoking freshly mowed hay since 1882.

MoroccanOil is stored in an amber glass bottle ($39 for 3.4 oz.) to protect against oxidation caused by exposure to UV rays.  Its patented formula, around a year old, is unique in both fragrance and results.  To protect hair from damage and prepare it for effortless styling, MoroccanOil is a worthy addition to any haircare regime.

Ingredients in MoroccanOil:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Butylphenyl, MethylPropional, Argania Spinoza Kernal Oil (Aragan Oil), Linseed (Linum Usitatissimum) Extract, Fragrance Supplement, D&C Yellow-11, D&C Red-17, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone