Ahhh, New Zealand with its snow-capped mountains and pristine countryside.
It should be no surprise that the country produces oil with the nickname liquid gold.
Sustainably sourced and grown in the fertile, pollution-free orchards in the Southern hemisphere.
The emerald green Avocado bursts at the seams with nutrient-dense, skin-loving benefits.
We appreciate that applying it on your face may not seem as appealing as smearing it on your sourdough, but the results are undeniable.
Topically applied, it’s the antioxidant-rich superfood boost your skin has been waiting for.
We think you’d agree that anything that satisfies our taste buds and pores in equal measure is pretty much perfect in our book.
Avocado Oil Benefits
What Exactly is Avocado Oil
The liquid gold pulp is derived from –you guessed it– an Avocado.
We must admit; that the avocado pear has a bit of an identity crisis. Although it is known as an Avocado pear, it is not a pear at all; only pear-shaped.
If that is not confusing enough, it is not a vegetable but a fruit. Blimey Avocado, sort it out!
The oil is extracted from the Avocado’s flesh by pressing or centrifuge extraction; this yields a lovely, golden-green oil due to the Avocado’s rich chlorophyll content.
A quick summary of its fatty acid profile shows us it contains around 80% oleic acid, 10% linoleic, 5% stearic and 10% palmitic – this unique mix of fatty acids in avocado oil is ideal for deep skin moisturisation.
It is rich in oleic acid, making it highly nourishing and regenerating. Additionally, oleic acid offers anti-inflammatory benefits, making it a derm-approved pick for those dealing with severe skin conditions like eczema and rosacea. T
The oil tends to be absorbed well by the skin, making the skin soft and supple.
As Avocado is such a valuable ingredient for your skin, it was essential for us here at NC to harness some of the golden goodness into our formulas – including Ceramide barrier repair balm and Miracle cleanse healing, nourishing oil to water cleanser that is designed for even the most sensitive, delicate of skin types.
How Avocado can Improve Your Skin
- moisturising
- anti ageing
- hydrating
- natural steroid
- antioxidant
- anti-inflammatory
- repairs sun-damaged skin
- improves burns and wounds
- effective in relieving skin conditions such as eczema
Benefits Read Like the Holy Grail of Skincare
These are some of the incredible benefits of avocado oil, but look, there’s more:
Anti-Inflammatory:: Avocado oil is lovely if you have sensitive, irritated skin because it contains potent Phytosterols that will help you take the fire out of the itch.
Interestingly, it is also rich in Polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols, reducing sun-damaged skin inflammation.
Antioxidant: Avocado oil contains 130 to 200 mg per kg of tocopherols – Vitamin E and Vitamin C, both antioxidants capable of reversing ongoing daily DNA damage to your skin.
In layman’s terms, this means that the oil protects your skin from the effects of damaging free radicals; molecules produced by environmental pollutants can lead to inflammation and premature ageing.
Adding a product containing Avocado oil into your skincare routine can help ward off damaging free radicals and photo-ageing.
Natural Sunscreen Properties: The beta carotene, lecithin, fatty acids, and vitamins in Avocado oil nourish and protect your skin from UV rays. Lutein, a component in avocado oil, is known to absorb and filter UV light, offering a small amount of protection from the damaging sun’s rays.
Combined with other natural sunscreen ingredients and your SPF, this will give your skin additional protection against damaging UV rays.
High Nutritive Value: Avocado oil is rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, C, D, E, and K, which means your skin gets all the topical benefits.
Barrier Repairing: This oil contains many components similar to the composition of your skin, such as lecithin, squalane, and skin-loving fatty acids, which is why it is such an essential oil for barrier function.
Moisturising: The oil is extremely rich in Oleic Acid, an excellent moisturising and regenerating fatty acid naturally found in human sebum (oil).
Age delay: Avocado oil is an anti-ageing powerhouse. Vitamin C found in Avocado oil plays an active role in increasing and mobilising collagen in our connective tissue, helping to keep our skin soft and supple; that, coupled with Folate, a type of vitamin B which also increases collagen production, will help to improve muscle tone and texture., restoring your skin to its glowing youthfulness.
A Natural Steroid: Avocado oil also contains a substance called Sterolin, which behaves like a natural steroid, triggering collagen production. As discussed above, this internal scaffolding protects your skin from premature ageing.
Rejuvenating: Thanks to the high levels of botanical compounds known as phytosterols, avocado oil plays a massive role in rejuvenating stressed and tired skin.
Balancing: Because avocado oil helps balance and regulate your skin’s natural sebum production, it’s a lovely balancing oil, perfect if you have oily or combination skin.
Eczema relief: A 2003 study found that when added to a formula containing vitamin B-12, avocado oil may ease eczema/psoriasis symptoms for more extended periods than the traditional vitamin D-3 therapy.
Hydrating: Research has found that repeated massage with avocado oil brings significant hydration to the epidermis, significantly improving the skin’s elasticity. This is an exciting oil for health and regeneration.
Eczema: It’s a beautiful oil for every skin type, from thin and fragile skin to dry, mature, and combination skin.
Fatty Acid Profile
C16:0 st Palmitic Acid 7-32%
C16:1 mo Palmitoleic Acid 2.13%
C18:0 st Stearic Acid 0.5 -1.5%
C18:1 mo Oleic Acid 50-80%
C18:2 pu Linoleic Acid 6-18%
C18:3 pu Alpha Linoleic Acid 0-5%
To conclude. The naked truth
The composition of avocados can vary tremendously, depending on the variety, the fresh pulp from avocados is bright green, but this quickly degrades to a pale brown.
If you have purchased Avocado oil and found it a bright green, this may be because it has been adulterated.
Unscrupulous manufacturers will often add a green colouring agent to the oil to make it look more natural and prevent it from turning brown.
To harness all the Avocado pulp’s green goodness, you want to source the cold-pressed variety, which we include in our skincare formulas.
Hi
Please can I mix avocado and grapeseed oil for my skin beauty routine
Hi, Deb absolutely you can, great for mature combination skin. Samantha
I have read so much of your advice and it’s great to have someone to come to that will tell you the truth. I wanted to ask you if I can make my own cream for my body, I have been using olive oil for ever but I am 57 and wanted to step it up so I got some Organic shea butter and 100/% pure Avocado oil cold pressed and I got a bag of Allantoin powder. Can I add all together to make one jar of body cream, and if I can how much of each do I add .
Thanks
Hi Catherine. Thank you so much for your feedback. I do make a body cream, but it is not yet sold on my site please email me at samanthamiller70@hotmail.com for more information.
Hi Catherine please email me.
Hi,
I’m 21 years old and have no freckles, but in the last year 3 dark sun spots have appeared on my cheeks. They are brown and slightly raised and I think they are probably due to UV exposure (I live in Sydney). Can you recommend anything to reduce the appearance of these marks? I am currently using an avocado-rosehip combo but it makes me break out if I use it every day. I can only imagine that more will crop up as I get older and I’m hoping to prevent it!
HI laser nothing topically will really permanently light dark spots and avoid hydroquinone! Samantha
Hello,
I am 25, I have been smoking since the age of 14.I recently quit though. In the passed few years I smoked over a pack a day. I’m otherwise healthy (I eat VERY clean) I’ve had circles around my eyes for as long as I can remember, nasty acne, flakey skin on my nose.laughing lines but that would go away after laughing a lot. Even makeup estheticians had a tough time finding something that suits my skin.
BUT in the passed few months filled with stress, non stop smoking, ect. I noticed this long, deeper line from my nose to the corner of my mouth (only on the left side) And it wasn’t just a ”nasolabial fold” It was a straight up wrinkle, or at least a very visible ”fine line” It literally happened overnight. Also, I had dark areas around the mouth. I became really distressed and wouldn’t even look in the mirror anymore.
I’ve always loved trying oils on and at that point I had tried coconut oil (DRIED OUT MY SKIN AND MADE IT WORSE), olive oil (DID NOTHING), grapeseed oil (NOT BAD BUT DIDN’T HELP MY SKIN) I tried them all for about 2 months when I realized my skin was not getting any better, if not, worse,
At that point the ONLY thing that helped my skin was SHEA BUTTER (AWESOME STUFF)
But then, I randomly decided to try avocado oil because it’s the only oil I had left in the kitchen. with whisked Shea butter in it.
Without expectations, I put the mix all over my face and decided to massage my skin by doing gentle circling motions.
The next morning I was SHOCKED!!!!My skin complexion was brighter, everywhere that I had darker skin was lighter, my nasolabial wrinkle was very much diminished. Been using this for about 3 nights and I haven’t had a single pimple (I always have at least 1 zit) Oh and a bonus: I put some on my lashes and I swear they grew
I never usually write reviews (except for Shea butter companies.
But I am so damn GLAD I FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING that is giving me OBVIOUS RESULTS, I feel like I have to tell all the world..not only women but men also, to try out quality oils that you’d use in the kitchen and to STOP BUYING CREAMS FROM THE PHARMACY. It is filled with crap, agents that dehydrate. And women spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars, desperately trying to preserve their youthful appearances. Makes me sick.
CONCLUSION: that combo is definitely a skin whitening (more the avocado than the shea) and it’s definitely worth the try, especially if like me, you’ve been trying everything yet nothing works.
PS.: Shea butter and avocado oil gave me amazing results. However, PLEASE try a little bit on your skin and wait a few hours. I learned that the hard way, when I put sesame oil (had read somewhere it’s supposed to be good) and I woke up with my skin filled with bumps, rashes ect.
I know this review is a bit enthusiastic but I swear I do not work for this website, I’m just so god damn happy to have finally found something for my skin.
GOOD LUCK!!
By the way, I see that you are stating that avocado oil does NOT lighten skin. As you read in my post, I mix it with shea butter and no word of a lie, my skin looks much much whiter, especially under my eyes and around my mouth
madelaine this is very interesting to know thank you I will look into this more. Samantha
Madeleine
Thank you so much for your informative article. I feel like I now want to put together this combination and slather it all over my face. Shea has been used for it’s sun protecting properties for years look up my article, but was not aware of the skin lightening properties so extremely interesting read thankyou, I am sure my readers will be interested in this.
And I vouch for that you don;t work for this site-but my readers i am sure will really appreciate this interesting feedback. Kind regards Samantha
Good Day, I’m male 75 and just acquired Edema on my right calf and foot, due partly to varicose veins, I know you’re not an MD but maybe your input will help. Do you think avocado oil massages on the area may help.
Hi Jim sorry to here this and i know how painful this can be.
No its not my field of expertise but I do know that it is due to an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the region just under the skin and that Weak blood vessels such as in the case of varicose veins can cause it. So from a purely holistic point of view look for herbs that will reduce swelling and essential oils that are highly concentrated liquid plant extracts, help edema by acting as powerful diuretic substances. Diuretics alleviate edema by helping reduce fluid retention and draining excess fluids out of the body by pushing them to the sites of elimination, that is, the lymph nodes try this blend: 10 drops juniper berry, 10 drops grapefruit, 10 drops rosemary mixed with 3 tbs avocado oil, avocado oil alone will not treat your condition. this articles will help you with herbal selection http://www.naturalremedies.org/edema/ Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha
I’m 56yrs old and I have dry,itchy, ezema skin. will Macadamia oil be safe for my sensitive skin type? Thanks
Yes perfect it’s a gorgeous oil
Hey I have found many benefits of using avocado oil as a skin moisterizer but am scared that it might lighten my skin and I want that to happen.is it possible that avocado oil can lighten skin?
Hi Kaylee
No it will not lighten your skin. Hope that helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Sadly, I have a few, small pimples, which eventually comes and goes, thus leaving dark spots/scars on my face. I have just started using Avocado oil by mixing it with aloe-vera gel. Could you please tell me how to use avocado oil in a manner that I can keep my face moisturized as well as lighten the acne scars and also add glow to my skin.
A quick response will be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tanny
Hi Tanny
There is no quick answer to this, please read my articles on pigmentation.https://thenakedchemist.com/category/pigmentation/?v=8e3eb2c69a18 What i want to say is that if you pick the skin, melanin rushes to the site of the area and will cause your skin to go dark permanently. Avocado is not enough to permanently lighten your skin, but use nest as often as you want.These are ingredients you could look out for…https://thenakedchemist.com/naturally-treating-sunspots-on-skin/?v=8e3eb2c69a18 hope this helps Samantha
HELLO,
Is it safe to use avocado oil for cooking?
GOD BLESS U.
Yes of course as long as it has not been adulterated.
Hi, am dark complexion and want to remain dark but like to glow and want a healthy skin, can I use avocado oil mix with olive oil as a daily moisturizer? Hope it will not lighten my skin? Pls what proportion. Thanks for the information.
Hi Ray
No none of these oils will lighten your skin, any natural oil will help to give you a lovely healthy glow, and by this I mean internally and topically https://thenakedchemist.com/linoleic-acid-essential-beauty-nutrient/ don;t you love what nature has to offer 🙂 Enjoy samanthahttps://thenakedchemist.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php#comments-form
I have sensitive, oil intolerant and uneven dry skin.My face is oil with few acne.Which cream and oil will be best for me.Low skin confidence
What about using avocado oil to help with Achilles tendon regeneration? I have tendinosis and am looking for something that might help with collagen production.
Hi Jill, unfortunately I could not advise that i have no idea, maybe a physio would know but interesting idea
Hi Samantha,
I use avocado oil on my face after shaving.
Is it safe to do so? I used to use virgin olive oil before, can i mix the the two?
Regards
Reza
Hi Reza, this is something I have never been asked or thought about to be honest, but my thought is why not, if your getting a nice shave from avocado, its surely got to be a better option then the chemically laden commercially bought products and I am sure mixing it with olive oil will be fine, not only that but because olive oil is so rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid it is extremely moisturising and softening and also works as an anti inflammatory, sounds like you may have yourself a really nice shave, enjoy!
Hi Mary,
Thank you for taking your time to give such good information. Can you recommend a good product if I don’t want to mess with a fresh avocado? I just don’t trust the labels anymore.
Thank you,
Bonnie
My mother, 95 years old, suffers from arthritis. She is on warfarin and also takes tablets for high blood pressure. Will it be safe for to take avocado oil?
Hi Louis
I personally can not see a problem with her taking avocado oil, in saying that I do not have a medical background, so it maybe something you want to check with the doctor first.
Thank you Samantha.
Regards,
Louis
give her turmeric tea
My facial moisturizer works great during the warm months but once it turns cold my skin gets flaky. Would it be too much if I mixed my moisturizer with a few drops of avocado oil or should the oil be used alone?
Adrianne
I think it would be an excellent idea to include Avocado with all of its wonderful properties, it makes perfect sense that you should use it on a dry skin.
Kind regards
Samantha
I like the idea of using a more scientific viewpoint when looking at natural skin care. The question I have is one of proportions. If I use both avocado oil and macadamia nut oil for my facial oil, what proportions would be best? I’m a 62 year old woman.
Thanks for any feedback!
Hi mary thanks for reaching out, I have put together an email in answer to your questions
Hi I am from china and many thanks to your input. The question I have is one of proportions. I also want to use avocado oil combined with Macadamia oil, what proportions would be best?
Hi thank you for your inquiry, it all depends on your skin type or condition you are trying to treat.
Avocado is a thick oil rich in oleic acid, perfect for dry skin, macadamia is also rich in oleic and palmitoleic acid making it great for dry, mature skin. It also contains Phytosterols so it is great for sensitivity. Maybe use 2 parts avocado to macadamia, for a nice combination. All the best Samantha
I just found your site and it’s so informative. I too have the same question about combination avocado and macadamia oils and what the ratio should be. I am 60. Could you please email me also with a suggestion? Thank you, Brenda.
Hi Brenda there is no hard and fast rule, both are really lovely for a mature skin type, avocado is a thicker oil than macadamia but you can get as creative as you want. Samantha
I just had avocado oil given to me,it did really work for softening fine lines of wrinkle just disappeared after few weeks of using it
You have posted the most complete information on the net regarding the avocado oil thanks so much.
Thank you for the info! What do you think about infusing comfrey in avacado oil?
Hi Angie
If you have a dry sensitive or irritated skin type then yes it will be a nice combination.
Samantha
I am a naturopath and chiropractic doctor and I just wanted to thank you for your contribution.
The very reason I love writing the blog is so I can express myself and share my knowledge, which may in some small way be valuable to someone such as yourself, so glad you appreciated it.
Hi I am farmer, my skin is burnt by harmful skin lights, can I use avocado oil to recover my burn skin, …will avocado oil help?
Hi Harpinder
I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it is really difficult to reverse this type of long term exposure to UV light. Avocado oil is not going to give you the results you are looking for. Instead look for products that contain skin lightening ingredients, that will help to lighten some of the pigmentation, the article https://thenakedchemist.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=16859&action=edit gives insights into some of the ingredients. Please avoid hydroquinone which can have adverse effects. Some laser treatment may help to also repair a little of the damage done. I hope this advice helps.
use black African with shea-butter black soap.