Avocado Oil: The Ultimate Carrier Oil for Skin and Hair Care

SUMMARY POINTS:

• Since the time of the Aztecs, avocados have been celebrated as a source of "vegetable butter" and "butter pear" for their substantial oil content, paving the way for the production of organic avocado oil.

• Avocado oil, particularly expeller pressed avocado oil, is highly prized in the making of soaps due to its moisturizing attributes, combined with its foaming and cleansing advantages.

• In the cosmetic realm, organic avocado oil is sought after for its swift absorption and penetration into the skin, its wealth of vitamins, its subtle fragrance that blends easily, and its enhanced shelf-life, making it an ideal carrier oil for essential oils mixing unscented.

• Utilized in moisturizing formulations, avocado oil provides a less greasy sensation relative to other oils and boosts the texture of mixtures through its emulsifying properties, similar to the benefits seen with organic cold pressed grapeseed oil.

HISTORY OF AVOCADO OIL

• The Persea americana plant, with historical ties to Persea gratissima and known as the Avocado tree, has been cultivated across Mexico, Central, and South America since circa 5000 B.C. The Aztecs referred to Avocados as “ahuacatl,” symbolizing "testicle" for their shape and believed fertility-enhancing and aphrodisiac qualities, a notion that extends to natural avocado oil's perceived benefits today.

• Beyond their food use, Avocado pulp was applied to the skin by the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans for cosmetic purposes, such as face masks, paralleling the modern use of avocado oil for hair and skin.

• Avocado's significant role in various Mexican cultures, its introduction to new regions by European explorers during the Columbian Exchange, and its cultivation history in the U.S., including the trademark ‘Calavo’ for Californian avocados, underscore the enduring value of avocado oil, including forms like kraft avocado oil mayonnaise and now avocado oil.

The extraction of avocado oil from fruits not meeting sale standards highlights its value beyond fresh consumption, incorporating avocado oil into mayonnaise, like kraft avocado oil mayonnaise, or as an avocado oil spray, represents the innovative use of this resource.

• Avocado Carrier Oil's composition, including Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, and Linoleic Acid, offers diverse benefits, from moisturizing and anti-aging to enhancing hair and skin health, similar to the properties found in products like cliganic organic jojoba oil and majestic pure argan oil.

• Avocado oil, recognized for its rejuvenating and moisturizing effects, aligns with the benefits of other oils for skin care, such as shea nut oil organic, organic jojoba oil cold pressed unrefined, and organic cold pressed grapeseed oil.

BENEFITS OF USING AVOCADO OIL

The primary constituents of Avocado Carrier Oil are Palmitic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Alpha-linolenic Acid, Arachidic Acid, and Gadoleic Acid, each offering unique benefits.

PALMITIC ACID contributes to:

• The softening of hair and skin without leaving a greasy residue

• Being the most prevalent saturated fatty acid with moisturizing qualities

PALMITOLEIC ACID aids in:

• Slowing down signs of premature aging

• Hydrating and firming skin, promoting shiny hair, and improving nail health

• Enhancing skin elasticity to prevent early signs of aging like wrinkles

STEARIC ACID is beneficial for:

• Its cleansing ability to remove dirt, sweat, and excess oil from hair and skin

• Acting as a superb emulsifier for combining water and oil, thereby maintaining product efficacy over time

• Conditioning hair to prevent damage and softening the skin

OLEIC ACID (OMEGA 9) is noted for:

• Enhancing the softness and radiance of skin and hair

• Encouraging healthier, thicker hair growth and reducing signs of aging

• Offering antioxidant properties and alleviating joint discomfort

LINOLEIC ACID (OMEGA 6) provides:

• Moisture to hair, supporting its growth, and assisting in wound healing

• Anti-inflammatory benefits and moisture retention in skin and hair, ideal for acne-prone skin

ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID (OMEGA-3) features:

• Anti-inflammatory effects, improving joint flexibility and managing skin clotting

ARACHIDIC ACID supports:

• Muscle growth, immune function, and mood enhancement

• Relief from arthritis discomfort and weight management

GADOLEIC ACID (EICOSENOIC ACID) offers:

• Moisturizing benefits without clogging pores, being easily absorbed by the skin

• Regulation of skin's oil production

Topically, Avocado Carrier Oil rejuvenates and hydrates skin, reduces wrinkles, and minimizes scars and blemishes. It's effective on dry, aged, or irritated skin and in massage, it alleviates insomnia, inflammation, and improves circulation.

For hair, it smooths, strengthens, and protects against environmental damage, stimulating growth and clearing hair follicles.

Medicinally, it provides anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing benefits, particularly for skin conditions and arthritis, thanks to its rich Vitamin E content which also protects against UV damage.

In Ayurvedic practice, Avocado has been used for various health issues, including cholesterol, constipation, and skin damage, with its oil continuing to offer similar benefits today.

Thus, Avocado Carrier Oil is known for a wide range of therapeutic effects, including anti-aging, antioxidant, moisturizing, detoxifying, and regenerative properties for cosmetic uses, and anti-inflammatory, pain relief, detoxifying, and healing benefits medicinally.

CULTIVATION AND EXTRACTION OF HIGH-QUALITY AVOCADO OIL

Avocado trees flourish in mild, subtropical climates without frost, making subtropical regions worldwide ideal for their cultivation. High winds can be detrimental, dehydrating flowers and affecting pollination. While mild frost may cause some varieties to prematurely drop fruit, certain cold-hardy types can withstand temperatures as low as −6.5°C (20°F) with minimal leaf damage. These trees thrive in porous, well-aerated soils that allow for proper root oxygenation and water access. Salinity and water scarcity can diminish fruit production, and waterlogged conditions are unfavorable. The optimal soil pH is between 5.0 and 7.0.

Some Avocado trees bear fruit biennially, influenced by environmental conditions like cold weather, leading to alternating years of high and low yields. Varietal differences also affect flowering phases and may produce "cukes," small seedless fruits often discarded.

Avocado's unique flowering mechanism, "dichogamy," includes both male and female phases on different days to reduce self-pollination chances. Type A flowers function as female in the morning, becoming male the next afternoon, whereas Type B flowers open as female in the afternoon, turning male the next morning.

Propagation is mainly through grafting onto seedling rootstocks or layering to ensure fruit quality and quantity, as seedlings may take a decade to fruit and seed-propagated trees may not match the parent's fruit quality. Avocados mature on the tree over 10 months, increasing in size and oil content, but only ripen once harvested or fallen, remaining on the tree for over 18 months without ripening.

For oil extraction, mature avocados with maximum oil content are ideal. Immature fruits, despite lower oil levels, can still ripen. Post-harvest, the softening of Avocado tissue aids in oil release. Controlled ripening involves Ethylene treatment to coordinate this process.

Quality oil production requires avoiding overripe or damaged fruits. Early season harvests yield about 75% of the potential oil, with late-season fruits offering up to 90%. The seed and skin provide minimal oil.

Harvesting techniques include hydraulic ladders or picking poles, with careful clipping to retain the stem button, reducing rot risk. Handled gently to avoid damage, fruits are collected in bags, then bins, and kept shaded to prevent overheating and treated with fungicide for preservation.

At the production facility, fruits undergo hydro cooling to remove field heat, followed by cleaning with rotating brushes. Inspection, whether manual or mechanical, ensures the fruits are free from damage and contamination, setting the stage for high-quality Avocado oil production.

EXTRACTION PROCESS OF AVOCADO OIL

Avocado Oil is primarily obtained from the fruit's flesh. Initially, the avocados are washed to eliminate any dirt or impurities. They are then processed through a destoning machine, which extracts the seed and removes about 90% of the skin. Subsequent to destoning, the flesh is dried to minimize water content before being ground into a paste.

The paste undergoes Malaxation, a critical process where it is gently stirred in a heated tank for up to an hour at temperatures between 45-50°C (113°F - 122°F). Despite the warmth, this process is still considered cold-pressing and does not degrade the oil’s quality. It aids in coalescing the oil droplets into larger drops for easier extraction. A high-speed decanting centrifuge then separates the oil from water and solids. The remaining solid by-products, including flesh, skin, and seeds, are repurposed as animal feed or used to enrich the soil in the orchards.

For cosmetic applications, crude Avocado Oil is refined through bleaching and deodorizing, resulting in a nearly scentless yellow oil. Conversely, extra virgin cold-pressed Avocado Oil is left unrefined, preserving a fuller fatty scent and a color that ranges from yellowish and greenish to brownish, reflective of the fruit's flesh and chlorophyll content. The inclusion of any Avocado skin during Malaxation can intensify the oil’s green hue. The presence of chlorophyll, while contributing to color, also prompts photo-oxidation, necessitating storage away from direct light to preserve the oil's integrity.

An alternative extraction method involves using solvents. Here, the Avocado flesh is air-dried and pressed before organic solvents, like Hexane, are applied to extract the oil, resulting in a brown-colored oil. This oil is refined through Deacidification to remove free fatty acids, Bleaching to eliminate chlorophylls, pheophytins, and carotenoids, and Deodorization to strip away any remaining aroma, ensuring a pure final product suitable for various uses.

AVOCADO OIL APPLICATIONS

• Avocado oil's broad utility, from therapeutic applications to enhancing beauty products, showcases its integration into various products, including soaps, lotions, and hair care formulations, similar to the use of grapeseed oil for hair and coconut oil for lip gloss.

• Its efficacy in skin care, acting as a potent moisturizer and in promoting skin renewal, parallels the benefits of organic fractionated coconut oil for skin and organic carrier oil for essential oils mixing.

• In hair care, avocado oil stimulates growth and moisturizes the scalp, akin to the advantages offered by pure coconut oil for hair growth and grapeseed pil.

• As a massage oil, avocado oil alleviates muscle tension and boosts circulation, complementing the effects of other therapeutic oils like organic fractionated coconut oil and eco sonya glory oil.

A GUIDE TO AVOCADO OIL VARIETIES & THEIR ADVANTAGES

The delineation between cosmetic-grade refined avocado carrier oil and extra virgin avocado oil highlights the diverse applications and benefits of avocado oil in skincare and manufacturing, akin to the distinction among other carrier oils like organic avacado oil and argan oil cold pressed.

AVOCADO CARRIER OIL - COSMETIC GRADE – REFINED

• Botanical Name: Persea gratissima

• Origin: Mexico

• Characteristics:

  • Rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E, and Beta-Carotene.

  • A monounsaturated oil, making it highly effective for treating dry skin through topical application.

  • Exhibits a pale yellow to golden yellow color.

  • Possesses minimal scent, typical of most refined carrier oils.

  • Enhances protein and vitamin content when mixed with other carrier oils.

  • Widely used by manufacturers in the production of soaps, lotions, and creams, as well as by massage therapists.

  • May leave a sticky, waxy sensation if applied in large amounts to the skin.

  
  

AVOCADO CARRIER OIL - EXTRA VIRGIN

• Botanical Name: Persea gratissima

• Origin: Mexico

• Characteristics:

  • Packed with Vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E, and Beta-carotene.

  • Classified as a monounsaturated oil, beneficial for skin application.

  • Presents a green to brown coloration.

  • Features a medium to heavy natural scent.

  • Absorbs more slowly into the skin and may leave a slight sheen.

  • Often used to boost the nutritional profile of other carrier oils.

  • Primarily incorporated by manufacturers into soaps, lotions, and creams due to its rich texture and nutrient content.

  
  

Both varieties of Avocado Oil serve distinct purposes and offer a range of benefits for both cosmetic formulations and direct skin application, enhancing skincare routines with their rich nutrient profiles.

CAUTIONS FOR USING AVOCADO OIL

As with all products from New Directions Aromatics, carrier oils including Avocado Carrier Oil are strictly for external application and should not be consumed. It's especially important to keep Avocado Oil out of reach of children to avoid accidental ingestion. Prior to widespread use, it's advisable to perform a patch test by applying a small amount of Avocado Oil to a less sensitive area of the skin, such as the inner arm, to monitor for any adverse reactions. No allergic reaction within 48 hours typically means the oil can be safely used.

Those with known allergies to avocados or latex might be at an increased risk for an allergic reaction to Avocado Carrier Oil and are advised to steer clear of its use. Severe allergic reactions to Avocado Carrier Oil could manifest as hives, abdominal pain, and vomiting. Should you experience any of these symptoms, cease using the oil immediately and seek medical advice from a doctor, pharmacist, or allergist for evaluation and treatment.

Additionally, individuals on blood thinning medications should be aware of potential interactions with Avocado Oil that could affect blood clotting. Consulting with a healthcare provider before using Avocado Oil is recommended to avoid adverse effects.

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