#avocadoil

25 Wonderful benefits and uses of avocado for skin, hair, health and beauty

Avocados, otherwise known as an alligator pear, because of their shape and color, contain incredible amount of essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. As well as being delicious to eat, avocados are used in many health and beauty products including hair conditioners, face creams and bath oils, to name but a few. You can’t ignore avocados, they taste great, they do you good and they can make you look gorgeous too. Here are 25 things you may not have known about avocados:

1. Anti-aging avocado 

Benefits of avocado include anti-aging. Avocado is an amazing treatment that helps reduce wrinkles. Not only you can apply mashed avocado flesh to your skin as a facial mask, but also, when you eat avocado, it will help fight aging process from within. Everyone wants to keep their youthful good looks for as long, as possible and eating avocados can help. The antioxidants in the fruit will help to detoxify your body and help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, making your skin more supple and plump.

2. Drink avocado juice for healthy skin

For a healthy and glowing complexion, drink a cup of avocado juice a day and it will nourish and protect your skin from the inside out. How to make avocado juice? Mix one ripe avocado with a cup of milk in your blender, add some honey if you like it sweet and enjoy wonderful refreshing drink full of healthy nutrients. Avocados are rich in vitamins, as we’ve already mentioned before, which will help to re-invigorate dull and dry skin and make it look glowing with health!

3. Avocado revitalizes your scalp

The list of benefits of avocado for hair is quite long. As well as being a superb way to treat dry hair, avocados can also be used to treat a dry and itchy scalp. How to use avocado for hair? Massage some mashed up avocado into your scalp and amino acids and proteins will penetrate your scalp and help to heal, nourish and improve the overall condition of your scalp and hair.

4. Avocado is a wonderful frizzy hair treatment

The natural oils and nutrients of avocado make it a great treatment for damaged and frizzy hair. Mash up half an avocado (or use your blender), add two table spoons of avocado oil and massage it into your hair and scalp. Leave on for around fifteen minutes before shampooing and your unruly hair will be smooth and more controllable. If you have corse, frizzy hair, warm up a couple of drops of avocado oil between your hands and apply to the ends of your hair, it will not only help fight split ends and add shine, but also will change your hair from frizzy to manageable.

5. Avocado dandruff treatment

Benefits of avocado for hair also include dandruff treatment. The whole of the avocado fruit has its uses, even the seeds. The seeds of the fruit can be made into a powder that has been used for many years in some countries, as a natural dandruff treatment.

6. Avocado hair mask for shiny hair

Mash one ripe avocado and mix it with one egg yolk, add one tablespoon of coconut oil and massage the mixture into your hair and scalp, leave in for 15-20 minutes, then shampoo and condition. This hair mask will soften brittle and dry hair, will add luster and shine.

7. Avocado helps to reduce bad breath

Bad breath often emanates, not from your mouth, but from your stomach. If you drink avocado juice, it will both cleanse your mouth and your intestine and help to remove the microbes that are the cause of bad breath.

8. Avocado oil works as a natural sunscreen

You can use avocado oil as a natural sunscreen and a soothing ointment for sunburnt skin. The oil will help to protect your skin from the harmful UVA and UVB rays, and natural soothing and healing properties of the ointment will restore the damage, caused to skin by spending too long in the sun. Avocado oil will also protect your skin from environmental damage, thanks to a high content of anti-oxidants.

9. Avocado treats skin conditions

The healthy fats in avocados will moisturize your skin and reduce any inflammation. The oils of avocado are very closely matched to the natural oils in your skin, so it will nourish and help protect your skin from the rigors of the day too. Just mash one ripe avocado and apply it to your face  and neck as a mask for 5-10 minutes, then wash off and enjoy beautiful, healthy and glowing skin.

10. Nourishing and rejuvenating body lotion

Apply one ripe, mashed avocado mixed with a tablespoon of avocado oil (or olive oil) to your skin, while in the shower, especially concentrate on the rough, troublesome and dry areas, like your heels and elbows, leave on for about 5 minutes, then wash off and feel the difference; it will help to nourish and rejuvenate your skin and leave it feeling soft and supple.

11. Avocado and cucumber refreshing face mask

Thanks to moisturizing, nourishing and hydrating benefits of avocado, the fruit can be used in various homemade face masks. Mix avocado and cucumber in equal proportions in your blender and apply to your face and neck for a quick ‘pick me up’ facial treatment; after doing this mask just 2 or 3 times a week you will see a wonderful difference it will make to your skin – softer, fresher and more beautiful skin with almost no effort.

12. Avocado and aloe vera nourishing facial treatment

Mash half a ripe avocado, add a tablespoon of aloe vera gel and a tablespoon of avocado oil (you can use olive oil instead); apply this face mask to your face for 5-10 minutes, and then wash off with lots of water. Thanks to vitamins and nutrients of these natural ingredients your skin will feel nourished, rejuvenated and moisturized.

13. Avocado treats dehydrated skin

The benefits of avocado for treating various skin conditions are many, this is why it is widely used in so many commercial creams and balms. It is extremely good for treating very dry, aging and dehydrated skin. Avocado oil has amazing moisturizing abilities and it will provide you with a deep and long lasting re-hydration of dry skin. Just warm up a couple of drops of avocado oil between your hands and apply to your already cleansed skin every night before going to bed; already after a couple of days you will notice the difference, your skin will become soft, hydrated and glowing. (Quick note: avoid applying avocado oil to your skin if your skin is oily, as avocado oil is very nourishing and can cause breakouts).

14. Avocado hand scrub

To exfoliate and moisturize your hands, mix some mashed avocado with some finely ground oats or sugar and, then rub gently into your hands and leave on for about 5 minutes, then wash off without soap. The mixture will gently remove the dead skin cells from hands and will moisturize and nourish, leaving your hands feeling silky smooth.

15. Homemade avocado facial cleanser

Clean all the dirt and grime from your face with a simple recipe of avocado, honey and some milk. Mix together these three ingredients into a lotion like consistency (or use your blender to create a paste) and then use it as a facial cleanser. It will clean and nourish your skin, clear out your pores and give you back that fresh and youthful look.

16. Calming and soothing shaving cream

Did you know that you can use flesh of avocado as a wonderful calming and soothing shaving cream? Well, in certain countries it’s a very popular  treatment. So, next time you run out of your usual shaving product, you know what to do, right?! 

17. Strong nails with avocado oil

Massage your nails and cuticles with avocado oil every evening and already after a couple of days you will notice that your nails will become stronger and healthier.

18. It lowers cholesterol

Avocado makes the perfect, heart friendly snack. The fruit is rich in antioxidants and healthy fats that can lower the cholesterol levels in your body and keep your cardiovascular system in good working order.

19. Avocado improves the digestion

Health benefits of avocado include a better digestion. Eating avocado can help you to absorb the nutrients that your body needs to function more effectively. They provide a general boost to your digestive system and can help prevent constipation too, making you more regular.

20. One of the best foods to eat while pregnant

Avocado is a wonderful food for pregnant ladies, as it’s loaded with folic acid, which is very important for forming baby’s nervous system, as well as brain; also, avocado contains vitamin C, K and B6, folate, potassium and fiber, so eat delicious avocados and get your vitamins the natural and healthy way.

21. Helps stop the development of some cancers

Health benefits of avocado also include cancer prevention. Research has found that avocados can help to prevent the growth of certain cancerous cells. The oilic acid found in the fruit has been found to help prevent the growth of breast cancer cells and it has been shown to be effective in preventing cancers of the mouth too.

22. Can be an aid in the treatment of diabetes

Avocados can be a good way to help regulate your blood sugar levels. The good fats in the fruit have been shown to reduce insulin resistance in your body and the soluble fiber that avocados contain help to regulate the blood sugar levels.

23. Reduce high blood pressure

Health benefits of avocado also include high blood pressure reduction. Avocados contain potassium and plenty of good fats, which can help people who suffer from high blood pressure. If you do suffer from hypertension, try drinking avocado juice, it has been proven to help. Keep in mind that freshly made avocado juice is a lot better, than one from a package!

24. Avocado protects your eyes

The carotenoid lutein found in avocado, which is essential to help protect you against age related macular degeneration and cataracts, is far higher in concentration in avocados, than in any other fruit.

25. Avocado – It’s a true super food!

Quite simply, avocado is full of nutrients, vitamins and various minerals that your body really needs; health benefits of avocado are truly numerous and therefore, it deserves its reputation as a super food. It’s so good that it is often recommended as a baby food and, in areas of South America, where the fruit grows naturally, it said that where there is avocado there is no famine!

Do you like eating avocados? Do you use avocados in your beauty routine? Feel free to share your beauty secrets and tips in the comment section below.

Marie Wong, Cecilia Requejo-Jackman, and Allan Woolf

April 2010

The high oil content of the avocado fruit (Persea americana Mill.) has been known since Aztec times, with the fruit sometimes referred to as "vegetable butter" or "butter pear." The plant originated in Central America, mainly in Mexico, and its cultivation has spread to warm subtropical and temperate climates worldwide. The flesh of an avocado can contain up to 30% oil (based on fresh weight), but there is very little in the seed (≈2%) or the skin (≈7%). Avocado oil was originally, and still is, extracted for cosmetic use because of its very high skin penetration and rapid absorption. Following pre-drying of the avocado flesh to remove as much water as possible (≈65% water in avocado flesh), avocado oil for cosmetics is traditionally extracted with solvents at elevated temperatures. After extraction, the oil for application in skin care products is usually refined, bleached, and deodorized, resulting in an odorless yellow oil.

Avocados are primarily grown for the fresh fruit market, either domestic or export. There are 12 major cultivars of avocado, but the main cultivars grown globally are ‘Hass' and ‘Fuerte.' The ‘Hass' cultivar constitutes more than 90% of the avocado crop in New Zealand (NZ) as this cultivar has excellent yield potential and also suffers less postharvest and handling disorders owing to their thicker skins. In 2000, two processing companies in NZ began production of extra virgin avocado oil; they pioneered the process for extracting cold-pressed avocado oil, which is sold as culinary oil for use on salads and for cooking (Eyres et al., 2001), and in 2012 1 company in Mexico started to use this technology aswell. Like extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed avocado oil is unrefined and so retains the flavor and color characteristics of the fruit flesh.

Production levels in NZ vary year to year depending on the season (some trees bear fruit biennially), weather (wind and storms can damage fruit, which are then not suitable for fresh fruit export), and export markets. Over the 2008/2009 season, NZ processors produced more than 150,000 liters of extra virgin avocado oil, with production expected to increase in the 2009/2010 season. Extra virgin avocado oil is also being produced in Mexico, 

Chile, South Africa, and Kenya. Extra virgin avocado oil from NZ is exported to Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America by Grove Avocado Oil (Tauranga, NZ) and Olivado (Kerikeri, NZ). Avocados are primarily grown in NZ for fresh fruit export; any fruit not suitable for export is sold on the local market or to processors (for oil and other processed avocado products). Approximately 3% of the NZ avocado crop is processed for the oil. Windfall fruit not suitable for the local market is sometimes bought by oil processors. Fruits that are rotten or exhibit postharvest disorders and are unsuitable for consumption are not used for oil production.

The process developed in NZ for extraction of avocado oil is based on the mechanical extraction method used for olive oil. However, before we discuss the extraction process, we need first to consider the avocado fruit and its development. It is important to understand the pre- and postharvest physiology of avocados, particularly how their maturity and degree of ripeness impact the optimum time for oil extraction.

Cultivation of avocado

Avocados are grown in frost-free subtropical regions. Once the fruit has formed on the tree, it slowly matures (10 months), increasing in size and oil content. Most avocado-exporting countries have guidelines for when to harvest the fruit such that they are considered to be at optimum maturity to ensure they ripen and develop the desirable flavor and texture profile. The maturity of avocados is easily determined by measuring the dry matter content of the fruit (e.g., for NZ, the minimum dry matter for export is 24% by fresh weight; for the United States, it is 20.8%). The dry matter content is highly correlated with the total oil content in the fruit, hence harvesting at less than the minimum recommended dry matter content level will result in fruit with less than optimal oil content. The correlation between dry matter and oil content has been found to be valid across a number of countries (NZ, Australia, and United States), with different regions and orchards.

Avocado fruit do not ripen while they remain on the tree even once they have reached maximum maturity. If the fruits are not harvested, they can remain on the tree even when the next year's fruit is developing, and can remain on the tree for more than 18 months from flowering. Once harvested, the avocado will begin to ripen. This process involves the softening of the flesh due to endogenous pectolytic enzyme activity and, for some varieties, the coloring of the skin from green to purple-black. The degree of ripeness of the avocado is primarily determined by measuring the firmness of the fruit. Hence to ensure the oil content in the avocados is at the maximum for processing, the fruit should ideally be mature at harvest. This is not the case with immature fruit blown off the tree in a storm (windfall fruit); this fruit is still ripened but the oil content in the fruit is less than optimum. Ripening leads to tissue softening, which aids with the extraction of the oil due to the release of the oil from the parenchyma cells. Ripening can be promoted by treating the fruit with ethylene (a gaseous plant hormone that synchronizes ripening) in controlled-temperature rooms.

To have optimal oil quality, avocado fruit should not be overripe and also should have minimal rots or other postharvest disorders (such as flesh greying due to long storage). The amount of oil extracted from mature and ripe avocados earlier in the season has been found to be only approximately 75% of the maximum available oil in the flesh (15% oil by fresh weight) compared to later in the season when it is possible to extract more than 90% of the available oil, this being the maximum oil yield (≈25% oil by fresh weight).

EXTRACTION OF AVOCADO OIL

The process for recovering oil from ripe avocados is a mechanical extraction, similar to olive oil extraction, with the additional step of removing the skin and stone (seed). After this, the flesh is ground to a paste and then malaxed for 40-60 minutes at 45-50°C. This is a higher malaxing temperature than used for olive oil extraction, but it is still considered to be cold-pressed extraction for avocado oil. The slightly higher temperature aids the extraction of the oil from the oil-containing cells and does not affect the quality of the oil. The oil and water phases are separated from the pulp using a high-speed decanting centrifuge, and then the oil is separated from the water in final polishing centrifuges. The pulp from the decanting centrifuge and waste skin/seeds are returned to orchards for soil conditioning and mulch, or used as animal feed.

Avocado oil, if extracted from sound fruit (no rots, physiological disorders, or damage), will result in oil with a very low percentage of free fatty acids (%FFA) (<0.5% as oleic acid). Also, the peroxide values (PV) can be very low (<2 meq/kg). Recommended standards for extra virgin avocado oil have proposed a maximum PV of 4 meq/kg (Table 1).

In sound, ripened fruit, the level of lipolysis that occurs is low, resulting in low %FFA. The fruit does not need to be processed immediately after ripening, but long delays should be avoided. Generally a higher %FFA is due to poor-quality fruit, delays in processing ripened fruit, or poor manufacturing practices.

PROPERTIES OF AVOCADO OIL

Extra virgin avocado oil from the ‘Hass' cultivar has a characteristic flavor, is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, and has a high smoke point (≥250°C), making it a good oil for frying. ‘Hass' cold-pressed avocado oil is a brilliant emerald green when extracted; the color is attributed to high levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids extracted into the oil.

Cold-pressed ‘Hass' avocado oil has been described as having an avocado flavor, with grassy and butter/mushroom-like flavors. Other varieties may produce oils of slightly different flavor profile as has been seen with ‘Fuerte,' which has been described as having more mushroom and less avocado flavor.

The fatty acid profile is very similar to olive oil, in that it is very high in oleic acid. A typical avocado oil has 76% monounsaturates (oleic and palmitoleic acids), 12% polyunsaturates (linoleic and linolenic acids), and 12% saturates (palmitic and stearic acids); these values are given as percentage of fatty acid/total fatty acids. The main antioxidant in the oil is a-tocopherol, which is present at levels of 70-190 mg/kg oil. b-, g-, and d-tocopherols are only present in minor amounts (<10 mg/kg oil). Other nonlipid components present in the oil include chlorophylls (11-19 mg/kg oil) and carotenoids (1.0-3.5 mg/kg oil).

The chlorophylls from the flesh and the skin contribute to the characteristic emerald green color of the oil. Depending on the location in the mesocarp, the chlorophyll content varies, but the majority of chlorophyll and carotenoids are present in the greener layers of flesh next to the skin. If avocado skin is included in the pulp during malaxing, then the likelihood of extracting more pigments is greater. Chlorophyll does not contribute to oil stability but can be a problem, as chlorophyll can act as a sensitizer for photo-oxidation to occur. Therefore, it is important to store the oil away from light.

Carotenoids in avocado fruit have long attracted attention for their potential anti-carcinogenic effect; these same carotenoids are subsequently extracted into the oil. The most significant carotenoid present in the oil is lutein (0.5-3.3 mg/kg oil). Lutein is beneficial for eye health by reducing the progression of age-related macular degeneration. The cold-pressed avocado oil also contains high levels of phytosterols (b-sitosterol being the main sterol present), at 2.23-4.48 mg/g oil. Based on its fatty acid makeup and the presence of these phytochemicals, extra virgin cold-pressed avocado oil is considered to be a healthful oil.

STANDARDS FOR AVOCADO OIL

The impacts of postharvest procedures, preprocessing treatments, extraction, and storage on the composition, quality, and sensory characteristics of avocado oil have been investigated over the last 10 years in NZ in collaboration with Australian and Californian research groups. Standards have been proposed for avocado oil, including extra virgin, virgin, and pure grades of oil (Table 1). These standards have been recommended to ensure that avocado oil sold is of good quality in terms of standard quality indices, composition, and sensory properties. The standards are unique to avocado oil, where cold-pressed avocado oil is recovered by mechanical extraction at temperatures less than 50°C, without solvents; water and enzymes can be used. These standards are important, as the production and culinary consumption of cold-pressed avocado oil, with its light, distinctive flavor, is increasing worldwide.

Marie Wong is senior lecturer at the Institute of Food, Nutrition & Human Health, Massey University (Auckland, New Zealand). She can be contacted via email at [email protected] . Allan Woolf and Cecilia Requejo-Jackman are with the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Auckland, New Zealand).

information

For further reading:

Eyres, L., L. Sherpa, and G. Hendriks, Avocado oil: A new edible oil from Australasia, Lipid Technology 13:84-88 (2001).

Woolf, A., M. Wong, L. Eyres, T. McGhie, C. Lund, S. Olsson, Y. Wang, C. Bulley, M. Wang, E. Friel, and C. Requejo-Jackman, Avocado oil. From cosmetic to culinary oil, in Gourmet and Health-Promoting Specialty Oils, R. Moreau and A. Kamal-Eldin, eds., AOCS Press, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 2009, pp. 73-125.