Avocado oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the pulp of American persea and obtained by cold pressing of its fruits.
A quality virgin avocado oil can be recognized, except for sophisticated solutions with chlorophyll, a dark green color and a rich and viscous appearance; the refined one is light yellow and contains few nutrients.
The uses of avocado oil
This lipid is widely used in natural cosmetics for its excellent nourishing and regenerating properties, which make it particularly suitable for dry and mature skin, devitalized, rough, dehydrated or "dull". On the most fragile skin it performs a softening and protective action against atmospheric agents, giving elasticity and softness. Moreover, the remarkable normalizing capacities of the skin's hydrolipid mantle make avocado oil a precious ingredient for all cosmetics intended for restoring physiological softness and hydration of the skin.
The other use of avocado oil is food : avocado oil has a chemical composition very similar to that of olive oil. For this reason it is used as a frying oil thanks to its high smoke point (255 ° C), which corresponds to the maximum temperature that an oil can reach before it starts to burn and decompose, giving rise to toxic substances.
Properties and benefits of avocado oil
Food use: avocado oil is highly energetic and revitalizing thanks to the high percentage of essential fatty acids (oleic acid 55-75%; linoleic 9-14% palmitoleic acid 3-7%; and alpha-linolenic acid 0.5%) avocado oil a useful aid in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, provided it is consumed with due moderation and raw because it also contains saturated fatty acids (palmitic acid 9-20%).
Face: its unsaponifiable fraction is very rich in tocopherols (vitamin E), carotenoids (vitamin A precursors) and phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol, citrostadienol, etc.), terpene alcohols, avocatins and volatile acids. For this reason it has an excellent ability to penetrate through the skin, at the same time facilitating the absorption of any other associated active ingredients. Furthermore, these components also stimulate the activity of dermal fibroblasts, promoting collagen synthesis and exerting a restructuring and anti-aging action .
Its application counteracts the formation of wrinkles, the loss of freshness, gives the skin softness and elasticity, promoting cell renewal. For this reason it is very suitable for dry, mature and devitalized skins. The ideal would be to apply it associated with jojoba oil in the morning and pure in the evening; also around the eyes, on the clean skin of the face, neck and décolleté in small quantities.
Body: when combined with sweet almond oil, the properties of avocado oil are enhanced, especially the elasticizing action, useful in case of sagging skin, stretch marks or skin that flakes off. For a better result, better if the skin is still moist and warm when leaving a bath or shower, when the pores of the skin are more open and highly receptive to cosmetic treatments and the oil therefore penetrates better.
Hair: if combined with coconut oil or shea butter you will get a restructuring wrap for the treatment and care of very dry, fragile and brittle hair.
Description of the plant
Persea americana - Lauraceae
Medium-sized tree (10 meters high) has a broad and leafy crown and the trunk is covered with a greyish skin. The persistent leaves are 12-25 cm long, simple, oval and green. The flowers measure 5-10 mm.
The avocado fruit is a pear-shaped berry with a large central seed 3-5 cm in diameter. The pulp is yellow green or pale yellow, the epicarp (or peel) can be green or aubergine, smooth or wrinkled.
Avocado is native to a vast geographical area that extends from the central and western mountains of Mexico, through Guatemala to the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in Central America.