Avocado Oil
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Throughout history, avocado oil (persea americana/persea gratissima) has been used for its extraordinary health benefits and healing properties. It has been a popular ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry and has resurfaced in the cosmetic industry, becoming increasingly recognized for its therapeutic impact on skin health and skin restoration.
Why your skin is important
Covering an area around two square meters, the skin is the largest organ of the body and, usually, the most neglected! The skin has many important functions, including:
- Protection from microbes and elements.
- Helps to regulate body temperature
- Permits the sensation of heat, cold, and touch
Avocado oil can penetrate through the outer layer of the skin (epidermis), deep into the second layer called the dermis, making it the ideal skin remedy for this important organ.
How is this remarkable fruit turned into golden oil?
The secret of the fruit’s success is the oil. Avocado oil is extracted from the pulp, pips, and skin of the fruit and is highly resistant to oxidation. In other words, it is a stable oil which does not easily lose its beneficial properties. The unrefined, cold-pressed, extra virgin oil is best because it retains the nutrients.
What the latest scientific reviews say about the topical benefits of avocado oil. The benefits of avocado oil in skin health are numerous, and include the following top 10:
- Reduces chances of scarring through accelerated cell regeneration and wound healing
- Helps eliminate and repel microbial infections from facial and general body skin
- Reduces inflammation
- Combats UV damage and improves skin health through its antioxidant properties
- Forms a protective skin barrier
- Skin health is enhanced through chlorophyll, a natural source of super healthy magnesium that helps remove heavy metals from the body
- Boosts your skin’s ability to generate more and stronger cells
- The dermis easily absorbs the primary skin-feeding nutrients vitamin E, potassium, and lecithin providing energy for growing healthy new skin and fortifying existing cells
- It nourishes hair
- Increases collagen production in the skin
What it can do for your skin:
Used as a moisturizer, it will enrich dry, damaged, or chapped skin.
Avocado oil’s high concentration of anti-inflammatory oleic acid means it can be applied topically to ease
discomfort caused by many skin conditions including, but not limited to, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, skin
rashes, skin infections, dandruff, cracked heels, keratosis pilaris, insect bites and stings, sunburn, and wounds.
The proof is in the pudding or, shall we say, in the fruit
This amazing natural therapy has been extensively researched. The International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018, reviewed the anti-Inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils, including avocado oil, and concluded the following: “It is an excellent source of enrichment for dry, damaged, or chapped skin. Research has been conducted on the effect of topical administration of avocado fruit extract on wound models in rats, revealing faster wound healing. The topical application of avocado oil in rats has also been shown to increase collagen production and decrease the numbers of inflammatory cells.” 2 Numerous other published scientific studies agree. 2, 3, 4, 5 . A tip before applying the oil Not everyone reacts similarly to plant oils or any new topical treatment for that matter. Always test a drop or two on a small area of skin before applying to larger areas of the body. The science of combining 8 Avocado oil is often combined with other therapeutic remedies. The idea is that multiple ingredients, working by means of different pathways of action, can lead to even greater therapeutic outcome. For example, with great expertise and scientific knowledge, Silverlab Healthcare has incorporated a very high percentage of avocado oil in its Healing Cream (18%) and Sport Chafing Repair cream (12%). The excellent results have produced a wide spectrum of skin health benefits.