Moroccanoil is an Israeli[2][3] cosmetics company headquartered in New York City,[4][5][6] specializing in hair care products containing argan oil. The company was founded in 2008 in Montreal by Chilean-Canadian Carmen Tal and her Israeli then-husband Ofer Tal.[7][8][9]

Moroccanoil Israel, Ltd.
Moroccanoil
Company typePrivate
IndustryCosmetics
Founded2008 (16 years ago) (2008) in Montreal, Canada
Founders
  • Carmen Tal
  • Ofer Tal
Headquarters57th St., Manhattan, ,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
ProductsArgan oil-based hair care products
RevenueUS$60.6 million[1] (2024)
Number of employees
≥500[1] (2024)
Websitewww.moroccanoil.com

History

Foundation

The original business at the basis of Moroccanoil was started by Israeli brothers Mike and Erik Sabag in 2003, when Mike, a hairdresser, experimented the protective properties of argan oil, which was brought to them by their mother after a trip to her native Morocco. The two began selling the product to hair salons in the Tel Aviv area.[10]

Carmen Tal recounts having discovered the product when receiving a treatment in a salon in Tel Aviv, where she had travelled to attend her sister-in-law's wedding; Tal, whose hair had been damaged by an aggressive dye in her own salon in Montreal, observed a quick recovery following the repairing treatment. Her husband Ofer Tal contacted the manufacturer of the product and acquired distribution rights in North America.[4][7][8][11][12] After the treatment proved commercially successful in America, the couple purchased the company in 2008 and moved production to a new plant in northern Israel.[8][11]

Operations

As of January 2013, 80% of Moroccanoil's output is reportedly manufactured in its factory "two hours north of Jerusalem",[1][4][11] with Ma'alot-Tarshiha being cited as the plant's location in the company's safety data sheets.[13] The company has production facilities in Israel, Italy and Canada,[14][15] as well as offices in Montreal (where it has its legal department), Rishon LeZion (where it is legally registered), Edgware, Frankfurt, Tokyo and formerly São Paulo.[2][4][16][17][18][19]

Moroccanoil publicly displays commitment to cruelty-free products and sustainability, with reduction of single-use plastic, prevention of soil contamination and groundwater pollution, partnerships with environmental and animal rights groups (including PETA, Oceana, Green Circle Salons, the Humane Society of the United States and the Sato Project), and its main production plant being solar-powered to prevent greenhouse gas emissions.[15][20][21][22]

Marketing

Moroccanoil sells its products in over 85 countries worldwide,[23][24] mostly business-to-business to beauty salons; however, more recently the company began expanding its sales directly to consumers, particularly in travel retails and duty-free shops.[11][25][26] In addition, a number of celebrities (including Angelina Jolie, Brie Larson, Emily Blunt, Fergie, Iman, Jack Grealish, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Biel, Jessica Simpson, Katy Perry, Lily Aldridge, Madonna and Margot Robbie) and fashion houses (including Badgley Mischka, Carolina Herrera and Roberto Cavalli) have been reported to use the company's products.[4][11][27]

Moroccanoil became the main sponsor ("presenting partner") of the Eurovision Song Contest following the 2019 edition in Tel Aviv, since when its "team of world-class professional hairstylists" has worked on the performers and hosts in the backstage,[28] and the contest's red carpet event has been renamed "turquoise carpet" after the company's brand colour.[29] The sponsorship was initially set to expire in 2024; however, shortly after the 2024 contest, the company suggested that it would continue to sponsor the event in 2025.[30][31]

Criticism

Moroccanoil has been accused of lacking transparency over the exact location of its production facilities other than labelling its products as "made in Israel" or "made in Canada", with activists, including from the BDS movement and CJPME, calling to boycott the company over the possibility that it operates in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories while "distracting" consumers through a "glamourous" portrayal of its products. The "Moroccan" branding has also drawn criticism due to the company's lack of ties with Morocco, with accusations of deliberate cultural appropriation to pose as non-Israeli and avert boycotts.[1][14][20][32][33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Haskouri, Khouloud (10 May 2024). El Masaiti, Amira (ed.). "How Morocco's Argan fuels a $62 million Israeli business and became a scientific experiment". Hespress. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Datenschutzrichtlinie" (PDF) (in German). Moroccanoil. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  3. ^ "MOROCCANOIL UK LIMITED persons with significant control". gov.uk. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e Strauss, Alix (25 February 2013). "Moroccanoil Magic". NUVO. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Moroccanoil Headquarters and Office Locations". Craft.co. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Moroccanoil Opens State-of-the-Art Academy in NYC". American Salon. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Day in the Life: Moroccanoil co-founder Carmen Tal". Glossy. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Pérez, Gervasio (11 September 2018). "Carmen Tal, la mujer detrás del éxito de Moroccanoil". Mujer Hoy (in European Spanish). Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  9. ^ "What is Moroccanoil". Painted by Anavel. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  10. ^ Infantry, Ashante (4 July 2013). "Moroccanoil founders back with Saryna Key hair care line". Toronto Star. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e Dudescu-Besner, Keren (30 January 2013). "The multi-million dollar bad hair day". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  12. ^ Boodhan, Veronica (16 October 2018). "A Chat with Moroccanoil Co-Founder, Carmen Tal". Salon Magazine. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Material Safety Data Sheet" (PDF). Moroccanoil. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Boycott Campaign: Moroccan Oil". CJPME. April 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  15. ^ a b Ireland, Kapila (2 June 2023). "Moroccanoil set to expand in China and Middle Eastern markets". DFNI. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  16. ^ Camins, Marla Deborah (14 August 2018). "Moroccanoil Co-Founder Carmen Tal on the Brand's 10 Year Anniversary". Beauty Launchpad. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Moroccanoil U.S. privacy policy". Moroccanoil. July 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Société MOROCCANOIL DE GMBH - SIREN 913 539 706". Annuaire des Entreprises (in French). Government of the French Republic. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  19. ^ "MOROCCANOIL UK LIMITED overview". gov.uk. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  20. ^ a b Cappolla, Danielle (18 August 2023). "Are Moroccanoil's Products Clean and Sustainable? We Investigate". Better Goods. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Our Operations". Moroccanoil Professionals. Moroccanoil. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Our Stance On Animal Testing". Moroccanoil. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Moroccanoil". Moroccanoil. Retrieved 24 May 2024 – via LinkedIn.
  24. ^ "Moroccanoil Hair Products". Art + Science. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  25. ^ Sieracki, Jill (29 August 2016). "Moroccanoil Cofounder Is A Force Of Nature". CBS News Philadelphia. CBS. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  26. ^ Daykin, Jerry (9 May 2024). "Are sponsors making the most of the Malmö Eurovision?". The Drum. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  27. ^ Bradbury, Sarah (20 March 2023). "Moroccanoil's cult Treatment loved by Margot Robbie has over 28,000 five-star reviews at Amazon!". Mirror Online. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  28. ^ "Moroccanoil becomes Presenting Partner of Eurovision 2020". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  29. ^ Adams, Oliver (8 May 2022). "LIVE: Eurovision 2022 Opening Ceremony Turquoise Carpet". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Moroccanoil X Eurovision". Moroccanoil. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  31. ^ Østbø, Stein (31 May 2024). "Eurovision: Moroccanoil fortsetter som hovedsponsor". VG (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  32. ^ Irving, Sarah (26 June 2015). "Moroccanoil — Israeli hair products that glamorize apartheid". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  33. ^ Jazouani, Hanane (16 April 2013). "Comment la marque de beauté MoroccanOil fait la richesse d'Israël et la honte du Maroc". Yabiladi.com (in French). Retrieved 5 June 2024.