Organic nigella oil, prickly pear oil, rose water and orange blossom water. Simple Maghreb products to nourish and refresh your skin and hair.
Our oils and floral waters bring together the natural care products most used in the Maghreb and the Middle East. A vegetable oil nourishes the skin and hair. A floral water, also called a hydrosol, is the water collected when flowers or plants are steam-distilled. The two complement each other: the water hydrates, the oil holds that water in the skin.
Nigella oil comes from the small black seeds of Nigella sativa, called habba sawda in Arabic. Its smell is strong and peppery. Prickly pear seed oil is pressed from the seeds of the fruit of a cactus, the opuntia. A large quantity of fruit is needed to obtain a single litre, which explains its rarity. It is rich in vitamin E.
Rose water often comes from the Damask rose, grown in Morocco around Kelaat M’Gouna, south of the High Atlas. Orange blossom water is distilled from the flowers of the bitter orange tree. It also flavours the pastries and milk of many Maghreb families. Rose water can also be sprayed on the pillow or the linen. In the Maghreb, guests are sometimes sprinkled with it on arrival.
Argan oil, pressed from the nuts of a tree from the south-west of Morocco, completes the range. We offer it pure or in care products for the face and hair.
For an oil, look for the words first cold pressing: the oil is extracted without heating the seeds. An organic oil comes from plants grown without synthetic chemical pesticides. The list of ingredients should name a single plant, for example Nigella sativa seed oil. A good-quality nigella oil has an amber colour and a distinctly peppery smell.
For a floral water, check that it is a pure hydrosol, obtained by distillation, and not a water scented with a flavouring. Some orange blossom waters are made for cooking, others for the skin: the label states the food use or cosmetic use. A floral water must contain no added colouring or alcohol.
Brands such as Melvita, Puressentiel, Planète au Naturel or Bionoble offer organic oils and hydrosols. Choose a bottle in tinted glass, which protects the contents from light. A spray bottle is more practical for a floral water; a dropper doses an oil better. Small 50 ml sizes let you try several waters.
Also choose according to your skin. Rose water is used on all skin types. Prickly pear oil, richer, is aimed at dry skin or mature skin. Argan oil suits most skin types and dry hair.
Spray the floral water on your face morning and evening, like a toning lotion, or apply it with a cotton pad. It freshens the skin and prepares it to receive the cream or oil. In summer, a bottle kept cool feels refreshing on the skin after time in the sun.
A few drops of oil are enough: 2 to 3 drops on the face, warmed between your hands. On hair, do an oil bath on the lengths, an hour before shampooing. Test any new oil on your arm, especially nigella oil, which has a stronger scent. For very dry hair, leave the oil on overnight under a towel.
After opening, keep your hydrosols in the fridge and use them within a few months. Oils are stored away from light and heat, with the cap closed. A rancid smell shows that an oil is too old. Note the opening date on the bottle with a marker so you can find it again.
To go further, combine these products with oriental kohl or with the hammam black soap. The whole selection can be found in our oriental beauty care section.
