# Moroccanoil

Moroccanoil is an Israeli cosmetics company headquartered in New York City, 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.

## 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.
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. 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.

### Expansion

Over the years, Moroccanoil's products became available in an increasing number of countries, and their lines were expanded to include body care products in 2016 and fragrances in 2021. In addition, the company opened a salon academy for stylists in Manhattan in 2020.

## Operations

As of January 2013, 80% of Moroccanoil's output is reportedly manufactured in its factory "two hours north of Jerusalem", with Ma'alot-Tarshiha being cited as the plant's location in the company's safety data sheets. The company has production facilities in Israel, Italy and Canada, 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.
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.

## Marketing

Moroccanoil sells its products in over 85 countries worldwide, mostly business-to-business to beauty salons (around 85,000 as of January 2020); however, more recently the company began expanding its sales directly to consumers, particularly in travel retails and duty-free shops. 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.
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, and the contest's red carpet event has been renamed "turquoise carpet" after the company's brand colour. 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.

## 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.