Moroccan Haul- Moroccan goodies

Asalam waliykum 

I was not to sure what to call this post, it is not really a haul, more of recommendation of certain products I received, used and love. My intention for this post it not to boast what I have, or to show off. My intention is to reccomend products that may be of benefit to sisters that are also affordable (apart from the Argan oil) for anyone and most are 100% natural!

The first products I received were the magic lipsticks. These are super popular in Morocco. It is definitely a blast from the past. These were popular in Europe in the 60/70's but now unheard of to most people. This bought back so many memories for me, I remember rummaging through my mums makeup bag when I was around 5/6 years old and coming across this green lipstick. Smothering my lips and then looking in the mirror wondering why my lips are Pinkish red instead of a bright green. Oh the memories. 

Anyway, I asked for a few of these and got 6, Masha Allah. They cost 5 MDH each which is about 50/60p each! Total bargain. They came nicely packaged. 4 of them have the classic packaging, and two have a nice floral design. For those unable to buy from Morocco, You may get ripped off. As this product is becoming more popular more online and Muslim stores are selling them. I have seen them for £6-10 each! I am sorry that is a total rip off, when I got mine for 50p each. Is that fair people are charging 10X what I bought them for? Is that Islamic? No.

 

I did a swatch on my hand. Obviously I am not going to put on my lips to show you. The green lipstick is the one I swatched on the bottom, the orange above it etc. The Orange one is my favourite as it gives a nice red colour on the lips. 

How does it work??

it is a green lipstick that appears clear when applied changes 'magically' into different shades of pink and red, according to the wearer's body chemistry.

The lipstick - variations of which are sold by Dior, Smashbox and Mood Magic - reportedly contains a dye called Red 27, which reacts to the pH balance and temperature of the wearer's lips, causing the color change.

So now you know how it works, when you apply to the lips it will turn a pink, Plum or Red tone. The Purple and Blue lipstick give a nice deep Plum, Dark cherry colour. They even have a Black one which makes the lips turn a very, very deep plum red a sort of burgundy shade.

The reason why I prefer these over normal lipsticks because they last, boy, oh boy do they stay put. I tend to avoid lipsticks as for me they do not stay, after 20 mins it has come off and gone! When I use these lipsticks they act like a lip stain and they stay for hours, they claim 8 hours on some sites online, but I would say more like 12 hours. So after the initial shine and moisture has gone, after eating, drinking, washing etc the colour remains. Even trying to remove the swatches from my hand it was difficult and I had to use a combination of soap and makeup remover to get it off completely.

Sabon- Another favourite Moroccan product "Sabon Beldi" Traditional Moroccan Soap or Sabon Noir 'Black soap' comes form olives, olive oil, Argan oil and water. It is rich in vitamin E. This is traditionally used in Moroccan Hammams (I will be doing another post on how to create a Hammam at home, and explain how to use this product).

The texture is like a dark green caramel, thick, but not sticky soap. I love the smell, combination of olive and Argan. It is slightly alkaline so try to avoid using this on damaged skin or after shaving or waxing. 100% natural and I will explain how to use it in my 'Hammam at home' post in the next few days that will be available on my blog. 

This cost 10 MDH that is £1/£1.20 for 20 packets, which I then emptied it into 2 old containers. In Morocco this is sold in packets and also sold by weight, so you will see a huge mound of this sabon in the shop and the shop keeper will take from it the amount you require. Very cheap but again online I have found it for a lot more. I filled a 190g tub with the 12 packets. I have seen 200g for £6+ again the customer pays way to much for a very cheap and affordable product. 

Ghassoul mud in English spelt 'rhassoul' but it is pronounced GH' if you say rhassoul then you are saying Messenger (as in prophets so avoid saying RH). The one I have contains herbs and clove in it, hence why it is darker then other ghassoul muds. 

Again in Morocco they sell this packaged and in loose. This is about 300g packet and was roughly 15 MDH or less again this is £1.50-£2 for this. I found this online for much, much more 250g for £12-£16. This product is cheap in Morocco and widely available anywhere in Morocco, for it to be sold for so much is not fair and dishonest. 

Ghassoul mud/clay is an ancient, mineral-rich detoxifying clay. Quarry mined deep beneath the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and sundried, this clay naturally contains high levels of silica, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium and sodium. Renowned for its remarkable ability to absorb impurities and cleanse, Moroccan Ghassoul Clay eliminates oils and toxins from skin and hair, improves skin elasticity, minimizes pores, improves skin clarity, extracts blackheads and gives body and shine to hair.

Moroccan Rhassoul Clay has proven to be a far more effective skincare product than other clays because it contains higher percentages of minerals.This Clay is suitable for people with dry, damaged, or oily skin. It is very gentle. This can replace your shampoo, and be used as a face cleanser, face mask, and body mask etc. (How to, will be included in my at 'home Moroccan hammam' post)

Castor Oil- is a light to transparent oil, mild to odorless. This 100ml bottle was 20MDH about £2/£2.20. I have seen it online selling for £6-19 for a 100ml-200ml bottle. This is very safe for people with sensitive skin as I have mentioned below. Reactions to this oil is very rare, this is a cheaper alternative to Argan oil. If you can not afford Argan then there is Castor Oil and also Olive oil, do not forget Olive oil is also a recommended Sunnah. 

Its uses include skin disorders, burns, sunburns, Eczema, cuts, and abrasions.

Rubbing castor oil on the skin relieves pain, reduces inflammation, detoxifies the body and boosts lymphatic circulation. It is also good at helping reduce spots, scaring and redness as it penetrates deep within the skin better then most other oils. It has been used to draw out styes in the eye by pouring a small amount into the eye and allowing it to circulate around the inside of the eyelid. Note that most bottles of castor oil indicate it is to be kept away from the eyes. 

The oil is also used as a rub or pack for various ailments, including abdominal complaints, headaches, muscle pains, inflammatory conditions, skin eruptions, lesions, and sinusitis. A castor oil pack is made by soaking a piece of flannel in castor oil, then putting it on the area of complaint and placing a heat source, such as a hot water bottle, on top of it. 

Warning** Castor oil is one of the oldest drugs. When given orally, it has a laxative effect and induces labor in women who are pregnant**. 

   

Argan oil- my favourite oil that is also known as liquid gold. I have listed all the details of this wonderful oil and tree in a previous post HERE!!. Just to mention briefly this oil is miracle oil, and all the companies have jumped on the ban wagon, introducing this into cosmetic products in tiny amounts and making claims there is more argan in it then they like to claim. One thing that has really got people interested is the claim to reduce wrinkles. I can not say if that is true or not, Alhamdulillah no wrinkles yet.

This bottle, 500ml cost 250 MDH which is £25/£26. It is the most expensive oil I have ever bought in my life. Online you can be sure to be forking out a lot of cash for a tiny bottle. I have seen varying prices online that claim to be the real thing, 50ml from £10-£15. Briefly, real Argan oil is sold in Glass bottles, it is labeled correctly, where it produced,  the colour should be lighter then that of Olive oil, but not clear. There should be some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. The smell is a light nutty scent, not too strong or odorless. (The smell disappears after a few minutes). The texture should be smooth, fluid like, not sticky or greasy. When one drop is applied to the skin and rubbed into the hand it should absorb quickly and leave no grease. It should be stored in a cool place and away from direct sunlight. 

You will be surprised to know that not many Moroccan women use this in Morocco, and until recently the Argan trees were nearly all destroyed. It is such a laboring method to extract the oil. Most people in Morocco tend to use Olive oil, Rose water and Orange blossom water. And the usual cheaper Hammam products.  

I will explain how to use this oil in my next post In Sha Allah. 

Jazak Allah Khier, thanks for reading this post. If you enjoyed this please do comment below and share. Feel free to share the post with everyone, and if you are not following the blog already then please do.
The next post will be on creating a Hammam experience at home!

Wasalam -x-