Index
- What’s this
- Property
- Uses
What’s this
Avocado oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the fruits of Persea americana, a tree native to Central America and belonging to the Lauraceae family. It is therefore an oil extracted by pressing from the pulp of the avocado, a fruit notoriously rich in fats. Avocado oil generally has a cloudy appearance, a deep yellow to green color, a pleasant, fruity smell and a particularly greasy texture. Like all vegetable oils, avocado oil also consists for the most part of fatty acids – including mono and polyunsaturated gaseous acids, including essential ones – which give the product emollient properties. Furthermore, avocado oil contains phytosterols, carotenoids and vitamin E with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, protective and healing action. In the countries of origin,edible oil while its cosmetic properties are better known by us and is therefore used for the care and beauty of skin, hair and nails. Properties
Avocado oil is a precious beauty oil and is widely used for skin care, alone or in creams and lotions. In fact, this oil has excellent properties:
- emollients
- anti-inflammatory
- antioxidants
- cicatrizants
The application of avocado oil increases the barrier functions of the skin and protects it from the aggression of external agents, including the sun’s rays which can damage the skin. The protective properties of avocado oil, as well as for the skin, are also exploited for the beauty of hair and nails to strengthen them, stimulate their growth and make them more shiny and resistant. The use of avocado oil then helps to soften the skin, improve its elasticity and tone and counteract the formation of wrinkles. Use cosmetics with avocado oil or pure avocado oilprevents excessive transpiration of water and, consequently, helps to keep the skin hydrated and to prevent dryness, cracking and signs of aging. Finally, avocado oil helps to improve microcirculation, relieve inflammation and speed up skin healing, properties that are useful for fighting stretch marks, the formation of dark spots and irritation of the skin and scalp. Uses
Avocado oil is particularly appreciated in cosmetics for its propertiesand benefits for skin, hair and nails and we often find it in the ingredient list of various cosmetics such as creams, shampoos, conditioners and hair masks. In addition to cosmetics, this precious oil can also be used alone, pure or mixed with other vegetable oils or butters and enriched with one or more essential oils to create customized blends. Avocado oil is suitable for all skin types, but the greatest benefits are in the case of dry or aged skin, delicate, sensitive or irritated skin. Thanks to its emollient, soothing and protective properties, avocado oil is particularly appreciated by those with inflamed, dehydrated and cracked skin or with small wrinkles. To use avocado oilit is sufficient to massage a few drops of the product into the areas to be treated, i.e. face, eye contour, lips and neck. Since avocado oil tends to leave the skin greasy, it is best to use it in the evening before going to sleep, rather than in the morning.
In addition to the face, avocado oil is also indicated for other areas of the body, for example in case of stretch marks or loss of elasticity and skin tone. In this case, since these are larger areas, instead of using a few drops, a larger amount will be used, perhaps mixed with other vegetable oils and essential oils to prepare a real massage oil. For dry hands and feet, on the other hand, it is better to choose creams based on avocado oil, which absorb better than pure oil and do not leave the skin greasy; for this purpose you can also add a teaspoon of avocado oil to a neutral cream to make it richer and more nutritious.
As for the use of avocado oil for hair instead, this splendid oil is indicated in case of dry, dull and brittle hair, to restore shine and volume and to stimulate its growth. Also in this case it is possible to use avocado oil alone or mixed with other vegetable oils and essential oils such as sage, rosemary or grapefruit essence, useful for strengthening hair. If the compresses with pure avocado oil are too heavy for your hair, you can use shampoos, conditioners and masks based on this ingredient, or add a teaspoon of it to a neutral shampoo.
In avocado countries of origin and areas where the plant is grown, avocado oil is also used as a foodto be added raw to vegetable dishes, legumes, salads and other recipes. If you buy food-grade avocado oil, it is therefore also possible to consume this precious oil at the table.
