The avocado fruit is a green, creamy superfood with a seed/pit at the center. It is known for its versatile uses. With high amounts of healthy, monounsaturated fatty acids, avocados can add value to different dishes. They are also rich in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and potassium. (1)
Apart from their culinary uses, avocados can also work wonders for your skin. They may help strengthen and thicken nails and hair.
Consuming avocados every day can improve your skin health by providing nourishment, hydration, and a natural glow. This fruit contains biotin, which is highly beneficial for the skin, preventing dryness and rashes.
You can use avocados in the form of homemade facial masks that are devoid of chemicals to help improve roughness, dryness, and dark spots on the skin.
Beauty Benefits of Avocado
Here are the benefits of avocado on your face, skin, and hair.
1. Acne management
Avocado has a high content of lauric acid, which acts as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent (2) that helps control acne. Moreover, the moisturizing properties of avocado may prevent dryness, which is a common contributing factor to acne and aging.
Oats and lemon go well with avocado for acne management. Oats help lower inflammation and remove bacterial cells. Lemon is a great bleaching agent.
How to use:
- Mix the pulp of one avocado, 2 tbsp of ground oats, and a few drops of lemon. Apply this paste to your face. Wash it off with cold water after 30 minutes. Repeat this remedy 4 times a week.
- Mix ½ cup of avocado pulp and 2 tbsp of cucumber juice. Apply this paste to a clean face, and wash it off with lukewarm water after 10–15 minutes.
2. Antiaging
Avocados contain anti-inflammatory oleic acid that fights inflammation, prevents wrinkles, and improves skin redness. Additionally, vitamins C and E in avocados are highly beneficial to your skin health.
Avocados also contain a good amount of antioxidants, such as zeaxanthin and lutein, that curb the effects of free radicals responsible for premature aging.
How to use:
- Mash the pulp of a slice of avocado and mix in 1 tsp of coconut oil.
- Apply the paste to your skin.
- Wash it off after 30 minutes.
- Repeat this remedy daily for soft, youthful skin.
3. Skin moisturization
Abundant in vitamins A, D, and E, avocado oil is shown to provide deep hydration and moisturization to your skin. (3) In addition, using avocado oil on your skin can prevent sun damage, soothe the skin, and boost skin healing.
The linoleic and oleic acid in avocados also help in repairing and healing the skin.
How to use:
- Mash an avocado slice and apply a thin layer of it over your skin. Wash it off with lukewarm water after 10–15 minutes.
- Mix half an avocado with an egg yolk and ½ cup of yogurt. Add a few drops of lavender or rose essential oil to the mixture if desired. Apply the paste to your skin, avoiding your eyes. After 5 minutes, apply another layer of the paste. Rinse it off after 10 minutes.
4. Skin exfoliation
Avocados can gently exfoliate your skin, owing to their antioxidant and mineral content. Applying avocado to your skin can unclog skin pores, remove dead skin cells, and remove excess oil. Moreover, avocados provide skin nourishment, boosting skin repair and rejuvenation.
How to use:
- Add 2 tbsp of coconut or almond oil to a slice of avocado and mix properly. To this paste, add 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Use this mixture to gently massage your skin, focusing on rough areas such as the knees and elbows. Wash it off with warm water.
- Use seeds or pits of avocado to exfoliate your skin. Simply remove the skin of the seeds and grind them into powder. Mix 1 tbsp of this powder with 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of olive oil. Massage this mixture over your skin, and wash it off after 15 minutes. Use this scrub weekly to soften your skin.
5. Sunburn treatment
Excessive exposure to sunlight can damage your skin, sometimes leading to sunburn. Applying avocado to your sunburnt skin can reduce redness and inflammation and provide a soothing feeling to the skin.
The sunburn-healing property of avocado is majorly contributed by the protein, lecithin, beta carotene, and vitamin D and E found in the fruit. (4) Moreover, avocados hydrate your skin from the within and boost skin healing.
How to use:
Mix half an avocado with ½ tsp of lime juice and 1 tsp of yogurt. Apply this paste over the affected areas, and wash it off after 15 minutes.
Use avocado oil for sunburn treatment as it has a high SPF. (4) For this remedy, dilute 5 drops of avocado oil with 3 tbsp of aloe vera gel, and apply the mixture to the affected skin. The aloe vera gel also helps to cool and soothe the sunburnt skin.
6. Treatment for scars and dark spots
Spots and scars on the skin commonly develop as a result of pimples, acne, minor burns, eczema, scraps, or cuts. These are rarely a problem, but you can fade these spots using avocado for an even skin tone.
Avocados are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which help in skin repair (5) and thus in reducing scars. When the skin heals properly, scars are prevented from forming in the first place.
How to use:
- Mix half of an avocado with 2 vitamin E capsules and the juice of half a lemon.
- Blend the mixture to obtain a smooth paste. Wash the affected skin with warm water and pat it dry. Apply the paste to the clean skin, massaging it gently.
- Once dry, wash it off using normal water.
- Repeat this remedy three to four times a week.
7. Cracked heels treatment
The skin on your heels is prone to dryness and cracking, often becoming a source of problems and causing itching and pain. Avocados, being creamy and rich in oleic acid, can hydrate and nourish this area of dry skin.
You can also use bananas with avocado, as their potassium content can contribute to the treatment of dry skin.
How to use:
Mash one whole banana with half an avocado into a smooth paste. Mix in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Apply the mixture to your feet, layering it on the heels. Rinse your feet with lukewarm water after 20 minutes.
Mix 1 tsp of avocado seed powder and the pulp of one avocado. Add in 2 tbsp coarse salt and some lemon juice or vinegar. Soak your feet in water for 20 minutes, and then apply this mixture to your heels and toes. Leave it on for 30 minutes and wash.
8. Moisturizer for dry hands
Avocado is rich in nourishing oils that can provide deep moisturization to your hands. Applying avocado oils to your skin seals in the moisture, making your skin supple, soft, and rejuvenated.
How to use:
Mix a slice of avocado with 1 tbsp of honey, and apply the paste to your hands. Rinse it off with cold water after 20–30 minutes. Repeat this remedy a few times a week. Massage your hands with avocado oil before bedtime daily.
9. Improvement of hair health
The palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids in avocado are natural conditioners that can make your hair smooth, soft, and elastic, also enabling easy detangling of hair. In addition, the amino acids in avocado help strengthen and thicken hair.
Moreover, avocados possess antioxidant qualities that help prevent hair damage, breakage, and thinning.
How to use:
- Mix 2 tbsp of avocado oil with 2–3 drops of rosemary essential oil. Apply this oil mixture to your scalp and massage it for 5–10 minutes using your fingertips. Wash your hair after 30 minutes as usual. Repeat this remedy up to three times a week to boost hair growth.
- Mix once avocado with 1 tbsp of yogurt, 1 tbsp of jojoba oil, and an egg to make a hair mask. Apply it to damp hair and cover your head with a shower cap. Wash your hair using cold water after an hour. You can use this mask 1–2 times a week.
10. Dandruff control
Dandruff is a common scalp problem characterized by the flaking of dead skin cells, which generally occurs due to excessive dryness, increased oil production, or microbial infections.
Rich in vitamins, amino acids, and proteins, avocado can soothe your scalp, moisturize it, control oil production, and even curb microbial growth to manage dandruff.
Adding argan oil to your avocado mask can make your hair soft, silky, and shiny, owing to its rich vitamin and fatty acid content. You can also use tea tree oil for its antibiotic, antifungal, and antiseptic properties that help control and prevent dandruff and other scalp infections.
How to use:
Combine 1–2 slices of an avocado pulp with 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of argan oil, and 1–2 drops of tea tree oil. Mix well to form a smooth paste.
Apply the paste to your scalp and massage it using your fingertips. Spread the mask through the length of your hair. Rinse and shampoo as usual after 10–20 minutes.
Final Word
Avocados, while commonly used for internal consumption, can also be applied topically to benefit the skin.
The abundance of monounsaturated fats, fiber, water, antioxidants, carotenoids, and other nutrients in avocado contributes to improved skin health. These nutrients help by boosting collagen formation, (6) controlling skin inflammation, improving wound healing, and strengthening the skin barrier.
While further research is required to establish the efficacy of avocados for skin health, they are generally safe to be consumed in moderation, imparting a natural glow to your skin.
- Was this article helpful?
- YES, THANKS!NOT REALLY
