Everything You Need to Know About Avocado Fruit: Benefits, Uses, and DIYs

You’d be lying if you said you have never seen avocados being advertised as the key ingredient in beauty products. From skincare to hair care to physical health – avocado fruit hold a special place in all paradigms! All thanks to their versatile uses. Famously known as “super fruits” they seem to have superhero, even magician-like qualities in their adorable little pear-shaped build. After all, why else would there be such a buzz over them around the city? Flying in their green-colored capes in the sky, they have something good for us all. Whether you want to put them in your soap, your lotions, your anti-aging creams, your shampoo, your conditioner, or well, your breakfast - they are likely to work wonders!

What is it about avocados that give them this special place in skincare and hair care? Why is it such a popular ingredient in some of the best DIY treatments out there? Hold your questions right there and buckle up - because this blog will break it all down for you.

 

What Is an Avocado?

Let us start with the basics - what exactly is an avocado? If you are someone from India, there is a lower chance that you have come across avocados. This is because the Avocado tree (which produces our beloved nutrient-dense food) does not naturally grow on our land. These trees are believed to originate from the southern Americas, more specifically, Mexico and nearby regions. The avocado tree produces a green-colored berry fruit that we call avocado.

The pear-shaped avocado fruit consists of a hard, dark outer shell, inside of which there exists most of the edible content of the fruit. As it is illustrated famously in pictures, inside an avocado fruit is one big seed. The fruit content of avocados is often what is used in healthy breakfasts, skincare and hair care DIYs, and some professional products. A special characteristic of this fruit that makes it so desirable is the high content of calories and fats it carries. Fats, when applied topically, are good for our skin (if your skin is not already too oily) as they provide a protective barrier to the delicate inner layers of one’s skin surface. Similarly, its protein-rich nutrient composition comes in handy to nourish and strengthen your locks too. In the next section, we discuss specific details regarding avocado fruit uses on skin and hair.

 

Avocado Benefits for The Skin

Avocado fruits are abundant in all kinds of nutrients whether we consider Vitamins, fats, minerals, or sugars. Whether you choose to eat avocado toast for breakfast or topically apply avocados to your skin, they are likely to nourish your skin deeply. The healthy fats in avocados are essential for your heart health while Vitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E act as excellent anti-oxidants for the body. Let us discuss the main benefits avocados provide your skin: -

 

Avocados Are Healing

An uneven skin tone, as well as unhealed acne scars, can be very distressing when you are looking for a perfect glow on your face. Add to the list bumpy skin, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines. Guess what? Avocados can help with all of these problems and help you get a clear, and even skin tone!

Avocados are naturally anti-inflammatory along with being incredibly moisturizing. Their anti-inflammatory quality makes sure that when you apply it on an irritated area of your skin such as a red acne scar, it soothes your skin, reducing inflammation. This reduces pain and discomfort. Further, the healthy fats and minerals present in an avocado fruit come to play in helps gaining back natural texture of skin.

 

Avocados Prevent Skin Damage

Have you ever wondered what makes plants so beautifully green? And why avocados are so green? There is a simple answer to this: plants contain an abundant amount of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is an enzyme that allows plants to make food directly from sunlight and water. Chlorophyll is known to be a great anti-oxidant, which lately has proven to be great for your skin!

Because of the abundance of chlorophyll in our favourite green fruit, upon the application of avocado fruit on your skin you are provided with maximum protection from skin damage. Not only does it fight cancer-causing cells called free radicals but it also has excellent antimicrobial properties that ensure the minimum number of breakouts and infections.

 

Avocado Fruit Slow Signs of Aging

Sun damage is one of the key reasons known to speed aging on the skin. Recent research has shown that certain chemical compounds present in avocados (thanks to their rich nutritional composition) can help fight UV rays damage on your skin. The omega-3 fatty acids present in avocados help this process by giving your skin a good natural barrier against the skin made of fats. This helps you maintain youthful skin free of wrinkles and fine lines.

There’s more! As mentioned before, avocados are rich in Vitamin E and Vitamin C - both of which are incredibly moisturizing and hence improve the elasticity of your skin. Further, some research has shown that avocados can boost the production of collagen in your skin. Both of these qualities present in avocados can help prevent loose skin caused by aging.

 

Consuming Avocado Fruit May Also Help

Avocados are rich in nutrients that are good for your gut, your heart, your metabolism, and your overall health. This means that you do not even have to scoop an avocado fruit directly on your skin to get to the glow it can give you! The fats present in avocados get released in the sebum of your skin and add to the natural barrier of your skin against external damage.

Avocados are abundant in multivitamins, proteins, and minerals that make up for the health of your skin from within your physiological system. The anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties may combine to make up for a diet that prevents future breakouts on your skin. Keep in mind that though avocados are healthy, they should not be overconsumed. They have a lot of fat content. At the end of the day, this may not be good for your cardiovascular system. Minimize your consumption of an avocado fruit to thrice a week.

 

Simple Avocado Fruit DIYs For Healthy Skin

Now that we have discussed the great benefits of avocado fruit on the skin, it is time to understand how to use these superfruits on your skin.

Generally, avocado fruit DIYs require you to cut a ripe avocado that is just juicy enough (ripe) and scoop out the fruit content. This fruit content is mushy and is either mashed on its own or combined with oil or water for easier application. The most basic way to use avocados would be to simply scoop out the essence of the fruit, mash it well, apply it to your face, and then wash it off after a while. However, if you wish to get more creative - here are some easy Do-It-Yourself’s which can optimize the goodness of avocados.

 

Multani Mitti and Avocado Face Mask

Multani mitti is a beloved ingredient used to clean skin and deal with unwanted breakouts. If you have oily skin or know someone who has oily skin, you are all too familiar with its great cleansing qualities. However, Multani mitti might be too drying for some. Adding avocado fruits to a Multani mitti face mask ensures clean skin combined with good hydration. This face mask works best for combination skin.

What You Need: -

• Multani Mitti
• Half of a ripe medium-sized Avocado
• Honey
• Rosewater (optional)

Directions To Use: -

• Put a couple of tablespoons of Multani mitti into a bowl.
• Take a half-cut avocado and scoop out the fruit pulp.
• Mash the fruit pulp before putting it into the Multani mitti bowl. Mix well.
• Add a tablespoon of honey to the mixture.
• If the consistency is too thick, you can add rosewater to soften the mixture. The amount of rose water can be determined according to your preference.
• Apply the paste on your face and neck. Put extra attention to your T-zones.
• Leave it on for about 15 minutes.
• After that, wipe away the paste with a warm wet towel. Then, rinse your face with cold water.

 

Avocados For Under-Eye Treatment

Avocado fruits are natural humectants that add to the water content of your skin. Hydration is key to keeping your skin youthful and radiant. Often, sleep deprivation and dryness around the eyes is what causes dark circles and deep eye bags. Therefore, combining avocados with some lemon juice and honey gets you an excellent remedy for eye bags!

What You’ll Need: -

• ¼ of a lemon (optional if you do not have dark circles)
• 2 teaspoons of Avocado Oil (can substitute with ¼ of a ripe avocado)
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Directions To Use: -

• If you are using avocado fruit directly, mash ¼ of the contents of a medium-sized avocado. If you use avocado oil, pour 2 teaspoons of it into a small bowl.
• Add a tablespoon of honey to the oil/mashed avocado.
• Cut a lemon into 4 pieces, and squeeze out the juice of one piece into the bowl.
• Mix well and apply directly under your eye. If you have added lemon juice into the mix, be extra careful to not let the mixture enter your eyes.
• Leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse your eyes with cold water.
• For best results, use this before sleeping or right after you wake up.

 

Avocado Fruit and Yogurt Body Mask

The sun does not alone hit your face but can target the back of your neck, arms, and other exposed areas. This all-in-one body mask may come in handy to restore the health of your skin while being extremely hydrating and healing. Avocado fruits are known to be healing and soothing, which makes them excellent for treating sunburns. Yogurt is high in zinc and fats that can protect your skin from sun damage.

What You Need: -

• 1 ripe Avocado
• 4 tablespoons of Yogurt.

How To Use: -

• Scoop out the fruit content of a ripe avocado. Mash and mix it well.
• Add 4 tablespoons of yogurt and the mashed avocado to a bowl.
• Mix the ingredients well.
• Apply the paste liberally to your arms, neck, and face.
• Leave it on for 10 minutes.
• Follow-up with your regular showering or bathing regime. It is recommended that you use lukewarm or cold water.

 

Avocado Benefits for Hair

There are several reasons why avocado is the favourite superfruit of the haircare community. The benefits of avocados range from improving the overall health of hair to preventing infections on the scalp. If you have curly hair especially, avocado fruit can help you a great deal in achieving the frizz-less and soft hair you crave. Read on!

 

Abundant In Biotin

Biotin (which might be known to you as Vitamin B7) refers to an important nutrient needed by the body for the growth of nails and hair. A biotin deficiency can lead to adverse effects on your hair. It becomes weaker, thinner, loses shine, and is prone to breakage. While biotin deficiencies are rare, an increase in the supply of biotin in your body still proves to help your hair.

Applying avocado-containing hair masks can therefore prove to improve the overall health, shine, and strength of your hair. Adding a biotin source (which in this case is avocado) to your diet may also help you gain similar benefits.

 

Prevents Dandruff

Dandruff can have several causes ranging from dry scalp, oily scalp, to fungal infections on the scalp. Luckily, no matter what the cause behind your dandruff is, it is likely that an avocado hair mask can help. Avocado fruits have plenty of fats, which combined with nutrients such as Vitamin E and C ensure that your scalp is appropriately hydrated and moisturized. This keeps dry flakes away.

As for fungal infections, avocados help by being anti-inflammatory. They can help heal fungal infections as well as prevent the growth of them on your scalp. Further, they soothe possible inflammations on your scalp and calm your roots, avoiding irritation caused by dermatitis.

 

Deep Conditioning

Avocado fruits are incredibly hydrating and abundant in oils. These oils settle on your hair strands and scalp, giving them radiance and resilience. Using an avocado hair mask will likely make you feel the difference in the texture of your hair. Because of the deep conditioning qualities of avocado, hair gets silkier, softer, and smells amazing! You may also notice more volume.

 

Prevents Hair fall

A flaky, irritated, and weak scalp is often the cause of hair damage, hair thinning, and loss of volume. Avocado fruits are abundant in fat-soluble Vitamins which essentially help your organs absorb fats and nutrients better. Therefore, the application of avocado hair masks or avocado oil on your scalp provides it with essential nutrients and proteins that help your hair build itself from the roots with optimized nourishment. This can help prevent hair loss and hair breakage.

 

Simple Avocado Fruit DIYs For Healthy Hair

Similar to skincare DIYs, the easiest way to use avocados for your hair is to scoop out the fruit of 1 ripe avocado, mash it, and apply it directly to your hair from root to tips. This simple hair mask itself can be hydrating, nourishing, and volumizing for your beautiful hair. Avocado fruit naturally act as a great conditioner thanks to their fat and vitamin content. Here are some more creative hair DIYs using avocados: -

 

Avocado and Egg Mask

Eggs may smell pretty unpleasant but we promise you their benefits are worth it! Eggs are the cheapest yet richest source of proteins out there, along with a respectable fat content. This makes them an amazing source of nutrition nourishment for the hair. Avocados, as we have already discussed have deep conditioning benefits. Both these ingredients combined guarantee you more strengthened, thickened, and frizz-free hair after using this hair mask.

What You’ll Need

Keep in mind that you might need to add or reduce the quantity of these ingredients according to the thickness and length of your hair.

• 1 ripe Avocado
• Egg whites from 1 egg
• Olive Oil (optional)

Directions To Use

• Mash the fruit content of one avocado.
• Add egg whites from a single egg into the mashed avocado. Whip the mixture well to create a nice creamy texture.
• Add some olive oil if your hair is thicker. The oil can be also used to make the paste softer.
• Mix well and apply directly to your scalp. After your entire scalp is covered, smooth out the paste from root to tip on your hair. Pay extra attention to the tips.
• Leave this mixture on for about 15 minutes.
• Follow your regular hair wash routine.

 

Aloe Vera and Avocado

This DIY can do wonders if dryness and dandruff are a constant problem for you. Aloe vera is abundant in vitamins just like our friend avocado and is effective in removing dead skin cells from the scalp. Further, aloe vera can soothe irritated scalp. Of course, avocados themselves are incredibly nourishing and hydrating. Together they make a great scalp treatment effective in treating dry, itchy, or irritated scalp.

What You’ll Need

• Aloe Vera Gel
• ½ ripe medium-sized avocado
• Lime juice

Directions To Use: -

• Cut a medium-sized avocado in half and scoop out its fruit content. Mash this in a bowl.
• Add aloe vera gel in the mixture such that the amount of avocado and the gel are equal.
• Cut a lemon in half and squeeze its juice from one half.
• Mix well.
• Apply the resulting paste liberally to your scalp. Make sure to not miss any areas.
• Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Follow with a regular hair wash routine.

 

The Bottom Line

Avocado fruits prove to be the superheroes skincare products and brands claim them to be. They are rich in good fats, vitamins, and minerals that can help both your skin and your hair. They make up for great natural hair conditioners and incredible skin healers. However, they need to be consumed in limits as food articles because they are high in calories.

Avocado fruits are easy to add in DIYs and simple home remedies. They pose multiple benefits and cover a wide array of skin and hair issues. Therefore, they are a definite asset to invest in. We hope that we have kept our promise and helped you learn everything you wanted to learn about avocados!