Good news avocado lovers! Did you know that you can smear your guacamole leftovers all over your face for a boost of glowing hydration? Yup, avocados can be used not only as a nutritional snack, but also as a homemade beauty ingredient. Today we’re dishing the deets on one of our favorite foods and how they can be utilized beyond just ordinary consumption.
Before we dive into the various ways that you can incorporate avocado into your beauty routine, let’s break down the nutritional benefits of avocado first, shall we? Avocado is prized for it’s amount of vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, fiber content and more.
Nutritional Benefits of Avocado
- Excellent moisturizing and hydrating properties from its fatty acid content and vitamin E content. Eating avocado can literally help you moisturize from the inside out and prevent wrinkles down the road.
- Slow the aging process because of the amount of antioxidants found in this fruit. Eating avocado can help you naturally produce more collagen which is the protein found in our bodies that helps our skin stay elastic and supple.
- Helps balance fluid levels in your body (especially if you’re hungover) because of its potassium content. Did you know that avocado has more potassium than a banana?
- Helps you absorb fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, E and K (avocados also contain these vitamins)
- The monounsaturated fat in avocado helps protect your heart. Studies show that eating avocados can improve many heart disease risk factors – including cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood triglyceride levels.
- Helps support metabolism and healthy digestion when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight because of its high fiber content.
Now that we know a little bit more about this constantly talked-about fruit, check out the list below for all the health benefits avocados can be used for in your new health and wellness routine!
Hair Benefits of Avocado
Ever thought about an avocado hair mask? Seriously, you need to try this. Because of the fruit’s high source of proteins, amino acids, and vitamins, avocado oil can help rejuvenate and moisturize the scalp. In fact, the fatty acid content in avocado oil is actually higher than extra virgin olive oil. When applied to the hair, those fatty acids can nourish and strengthen the hair strands. The best part? An avocado hair mask promotes healthy hair growth, which will give you the luscious, long locks you’ve always dreamed of. Nutritional deficiency is one of the most common reasons for lack of or slow hair growth, but thanks to this fruit high in the right vitamins, there’s no need to worry. Avocado oil won’t damage your hair, so it’s time to ditch the expensive hair masks that are often too brutal to be using on your hair and scalp routinely. If you want to experiment with using avocado oil – apply about 2 tbsp of avocado oil starting at the ends of your hair and work your way up. Twist your hair into a bun and secure with bobby pins. Let the oil sit for between 30 minutes to an hour, and then shampoo + condition as you normally would.
Glowing Skin Benefits of Avocado
Avocados can also be used as your next facial treatment! Since avocados have nourishing and revitalizing properties like vitamin B, vitamin E and amino acids, it can help supply the facial area with essential nutrients for a natural glow. So instead of running to the store to spend money on expensive face masks, slather on a 100% natural concoction using avocado instead. This way you’ll be leaving out all of the chemicals and synthetic ingredients. An avocado face mask can also promote anti-aging by sourcing antioxidants (alpha-carotene, beta carotene, zeaxanthin, etc.) directly to the skin. These compounds can protect your face from damaging factors that lead to wrinkles, dark spots, and other aging symptoms.
For a simple avocado face mask – peel and mash 1 avocado, and mix it with 1 tbsp of raw/organic honey. Apply and massage onto your face and let it sit for between 20-30 minutes to get an extra infusion of hydration.
For Under the Eyes
Last but not least, try using avocado slices or avocado oil for your next undereye treatment to get rid of puffiness and those dark circles. The skin under our eyes is extremely sensitive, so it’s very important to take care of this area when necessary. The nutritional fatty acids of the fruit not only bring back elasticity to the skin, but also stimulate blood circulation around the eye to reduce the intensity of dark circles and puffiness. Especially since dark circles are often caused by dehydration, this is a simple cure.
Don’t get us wrong – participating in these home avocado remedies can have their benefits, but remember that even consuming this fruit can lead to healthier and glowing hair and skin too! If you haven’t had enough, try one of these well-known beauty products listed below that contain avocado as an ingredient.
So that’s that! Do you have any favorite at home avocado beauty remedies that you swear by? We would love to hear your thoughts!
Contributing Author: Lauren Cumbo
My name is Lauren Cumbo and I am a senior undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago, studying marketing. I am excited to be staying at Loyola one more year to complete my master’s degree in business. Although I am from the suburb of Barrington, I have been a city girl since a very young age. I love going on all the adventures Chicago has to offer, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. I found Sarah through a friend in Chicago this past January, and immediately fell in love with Balanced Babe. Since then, I have been working alongside her on her journey and couldn’t be more excited to have this experience!
