العربيةAvocado Oil
Why should I use avocado oil?
Avocado oil is a great tool for cooking flavourful and healthy meals. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. But have you ever considered using this delicious fruit to soothe and heal your skin?
Are there benefits to using avocado oil on my skin?
The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in avocado oil help your skin stay smooth, strong, and elastic. You can buy avocado oil in any health or grocery store and use it to:
calm itchy skin
heal chapped skin
replenish dry skin
hydrate and moisturize skin
shield skin from ultraviolet radiation
protect against skin damage
Some people may refer to avocado oil as an essential oil, but that’s not entirely accurate. Thick and green-colored, avocado oil is actually considered a carrier oil.
Essential oils are highly concentrated lubricants distilled from the aromatic parts of a plant such as the root or leaves. Carrier oils are pressed from the seeds, nuts, or other fatty parts of the fruit, and are used to help dilute essential oils. Essential oils evaporate and have strong scents, whereas carrier oils do not.
The main benefits of avocado oil are to soothe and add moisture, so it won’t work as well if you have oily skin. Using avocado oil won’t leave a lot of grease behind.
Eight benefits for the skin
Avocado oil is rich in fatty acids and is excellent for moisturizing the skin.
Avocado oil is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, D, and E. Below are some of the ways it can benefit the skin:
- Moisturizes and nourishes
In addition to vitamin E, avocado oil contains potassium, lecithin, and many other nutrients that can nourish and moisturize the skin.
The outermost layer of skin, known as the epidermis, easily absorbs these nutrients, which also help to form new skin.
- Relieves inflammation from psoriasis and eczema
The antioxidants and vitamins in avocado oil may help to heal the dry, irritated, and flaky skin associated with eczema and psoriasis.
A person with a skin condition may wish to test a patch of skin first, to ensure that the oil does not trigger or aggravate their symptoms.
- Prevents and treats acne
When left on for short periods of time and rinsed off with warm water, avocado oil can keep skin hydrated without leaving an oily residue. This may reduce the risk of acne.
Avocado oil also has anti-inflammatory effects, which can help to reduce the redness and inflammation associated with acne.
- Accelerates wound healing
Avocado oil may help wounds to heal more quickly.
The essential fatty acids in avocado oil were also found to help reduce inflammation during the healing process.
More studies are needed in humans, however, to determine whether avocado oil can be used to treat wounds.
- Treats sunburned skin
The antioxidants in avocado oil may help to ease the symptoms of a sunburn. According, the vitamin E, beta carotene, vitamin D, protein, lecithin, and essential fatty acids in the oil can support healing and soothe the skin.
Other small studies have shown that consuming avocados may help to protect the skin from harmful UV radiation.
- Reduces signs of aging
The first signs of aging usually appear on the skin. Some studies have shown that consuming healthful fats, such as those found in avocados, can help the skin to retain its elasticity.
However, researchers have yet to address whether applying avocado oil to the skin has the same effect.
- Improves nail health
While some people use avocado oil to heal dry, brittle nails, little scientific evidence confirms this benefit.
However, using natural oils to keep the nails and surrounding skin soft may help to reduce breakage.
- Improves scalp health
Applying avocado oil to the scalp as a hot oil mask can help to reduce dandruff and other problems caused by a dry, flaky scalp.