Avocado Oil for Skin: 13 Reasons Why You Need to Try It
Hailing from south-central Mexico, the humble avocado has become a firm favourite amongst millennial brunch options. But, it’s not just amazing when paired with a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of sea salt - it can also work wonders for your skin! Packed with nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants, it’s no wonder so many people count it as an essential ingredient in their daily skincare routines. Let’s take a closer look at using avocado oil for skin and how it can benefit you.
What are the benefits of avocado oil for skin?
Avocado oil is packed with a wide range of nutrients, making it kind of a big deal. Think of it as a superfood for your skin! This seriously impressive plant extract can help manage a vast array of skin concerns and conditions.
1. Intense hydration
One of the biggest benefits of using avocado for skin is the hydration factor. Keeping the skin hydrated is an absolute must for achieving and maintaining healthy, glowing skin.
The outermost layer of the skin is known as the natural moisture barrier. Essentially, it’s the body’s first defence against potentially harmful germs, UV rays, etc. But, to keep this barrier healthy and functioning properly, you need to keep it hydrated.
When the skin becomes dry, it’s more likely to crack and break. This gives bacteria the opportunity to get into the skin and cause infections and breakouts.
When the skin becomes dehydrated, it also sheds the outermost layer less often. This can lead to a build-up of dead skin cells - leaving our skin looking lacklustre and dull. Quite the opposite of the glowing complexion that we’re dreaming of!
Using avocado oil for skin is an easy way to deliver intense hydration directly to your skin. Avocado oil acts as an emollient, softening the skin and working with humectants to lock in moisture. That’s why avocado oil pairs perfectly with other hydrating plant extracts.
2. Helps prevent acne breakouts
We all suffer from acne at some point in our lives, unfortunately, some more than others. It can be a balancing act when it comes to managing acne and it can be super frustrating. That’s where avocado oil comes in.
Acne breakouts can be caused by a number of things but the most common trigger is a build-up of bacteria, dead skin cells, and sebum. Sebum is an oil that our skin naturally produces to sustain a certain level of hydration.
However, sometimes our sebaceous glands get a little carried away with themselves, and they produce too much. This leaves us with oily, acne-prone skin.
You might be wondering how you can use avocado oil for skin that’s prone to breakouts? There’s method to our madness, trust us.
Oily skin can be a sign of dehydrated skin. To make sure that there’s enough moisture, the sebaceous glands tend to kick oil production up a notch. Therefore, by making sure the skin is properly hydrated, you can curb sebum production.
3. Antimicrobial properties
As we mentioned before, acne breakouts are often caused by bacteria mixing with dead skin cells and excess sebum (sorry for that mental image).
Another way of preventing future breakouts is by reducing the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the surface of the skin. You can do this by using ingredients that have antimicrobial properties. And you guessed it, avocado oil can help you here too.
One of the benefits of using avocado oil for skin is that it can help cut down the number of bacteria on the skin. This makes breakouts less likely. It also helps the skin repair during and after a breakout.
During a breakout, the skin can become irritated and vulnerable to infection. When you pick or pop your pimples, you're increasing this risk - you’re essentially creating a tiny open wound on your face. This provides the perfect opportunity for bacteria to get in there and make things worse.
Therefore, we recommend using antimicrobial plant extracts and keeping your hands away from your face!
4. Super gentle - ideal for sensitive skin
Hydration isn’t just important when managing acne though, it’s also vital for those of us who suffer from inflammatory skin conditions. Eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis are extremely common skin conditions that can cause itchiness, redness, flaking skin, and discomfort.
If you suffer from an inflammatory skin condition, you will have noticed flare-ups are most common when the skin is dry. This is because the skin is more likely to crack and break, triggering a flare-up. Unfortunately, this can happen in both warm and cold weather and it can be frustrating.
There’s where using avocado oil for skin may help. By using avocado oil-infused skin care products, you can keep the skin hydrated. This can help prevent future flare-ups regardless of the weather!
5. Calms irritated and red skin
Studies have shown that some plant oils, like avocado oil, have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. This means it’s ideal when it comes to soothing irritated skin.
Acne-prone skin can become red, swollen and sore, especially during a breakout. Adding avocado oil-infused products to your skincare routine can help prevent breakouts, but it can also help relieve symptoms of current breakouts.
Because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, avocado oil is super gentle on the skin. This means it can help soothe irritated skin during eczema or psoriasis flare-ups and it’s also unlikely to cause further irritation, breakouts, or flare-ups.
Although it’s gentle on the skin and unlikely to cause adverse reactions if you have particularly sensitive skin you should always do a patch test before using a new product.
You can do this by popping a pea-sized amount of product on your upper arm. Monitor how your skin reacts over the next 24 hours and if you can’t see any irritation, you’re good to go!
6. Can help with repair and recovery
As if antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties weren’t enough, there are more avocado oil benefits for your skin.
During a 2013 study, experts discovered that avocado oil may aid in the recovery process of damaged skin. Researchers found that using avocado oil on the skin led to increased levels of collagen, a connective tissue necessary for repairing damaged skin.
This means using avocado oil for skin can help speed up recovery following breakouts and flare-ups!
7. Perfect for ageing skin
Collagen isn’t just a vital ingredient in the repair process, it’s also important when it comes to tackling premature signs of ageing. As we age, collagen production slows down which reduces the elasticity of the skin. This can lead to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Whilst we need more studies to fully understand how avocado oil impacts collagen production, there are a couple of theories. Some experts believe that the fatty acids in avocado oil can help boost collagen production.
On the other hand, other researchers believe avocado oil can help prevent the body from breaking down collagen in the first place. Either way, it sounds good to us!
Boosting collagen production can help the skin maintain elasticity. This means that the skin appears plump, firm, and glowing. It also lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Hydration is also something to consider when talking about ageing skin. When the skin becomes dehydrated, fine lines and wrinkles can be exaggerated. Luckily, we know that avocado oil offers intense hydration so it can help us here too!
8. Can using avocado oil for skin help protect against free radicals?
Whether you’re new to the world of skincare or you’re a budding skinfluencer, you’re sure to have heard of free radicals - but what are they?
Free radicals are molecules that can damage the structure of our cells. Often this means that the skin can appear dull and tired, but it may also mean increased congestion, breakouts, hyperpigmentation, and premature signs of ageing. However, it can also mean long-term damage to the skin too.
Some of the most common free radical molecules come from pollution, tobacco smoke, alcohol, UV rays, and certain chemicals. Luckily, plant extracts that have antioxidant qualities can help! Using avocado oil for skin can help to protect against free radicals and reduce their effects.
We also recommend pairing avocado oil-infused skincare products with an effective SPF for maximum protection!
9. Brightening and evening skin tone
As avocado oil acts as an antioxidant, it can also help brighten the skin and even the skin tone. This is because antioxidants are known to help boost cell turnover. This means that the body starts making shiny new skin cells more often.
Therefore, when you exfoliate regularly, you can remove the dull or damaged skin cells on the surface, revealing brand-new skin cells underneath.
This is a brilliant way of tackling superficial scarring or hyperpigmentation. Over time, damaged cells are replaced by new ones, meaning blemishes fade. Whilst this happens naturally over time, using antioxidants, like avocado oil, in your skincare routine can help speed up the process!
When used in conjunction with effective chemical exfoliants, antioxidants can help to even overall skin tone and texture by reducing the appearance of congestion and blemishes.
This makes using avocado oil for skin ideal if you want to tackle anything from age spots to acne scars!
10. Packed with vitamin E
When shopping for an eye cream, you may have noticed that many of them contain vitamin E. That’s because it has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The skin around the eyes is super sensitive and delicate. Therefore, we need to be careful with the ingredients that we use. On top of that, the area around the eye is also what will give us away if we’ve not had a full night’s sleep.
So, we need a powerful, yet gentle, product that can take care of the eyes without irritating the delicate skin… sound familiar? It has to be avocado oil, of course!
Using avocado oil for skin is beneficial because it’s packed with vitamin E, particularly when it comes to sensitive skin around the eyes. Vitamin E can help reduce puffiness, leaving us feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed regardless of how little sleep we’ve gotten.
In addition, vitamin E can help alleviate the appearance of stubborn dark circles. As we know, antioxidants help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation - the cause of those dark circles.
As if that wasn’t enough, vitamin E is known for its intensely hydrating properties too. This helps to keep the skin hydrated and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that we might have around the eyes.
11. Great source of potassium
Many fruits and vegetables are packed with potassium and avocados aren’t any different! Although we can’t absorb potassium through our skin, it can help improve the texture of your skin by providing hydration.
As we know hydration is king when it comes to healthy, happy skin. It’s an essential part of maintaining a healthy moisture barrier and balancing sebum production. Therefore, using potassium-rich avocado oil for skin hydration can help to manage acne, minimising breakouts and irritation.
Similarly, opting for potassium-rich avocado oil for skin care can help minimise flare-ups if you’re prone to inflammatory skin conditions that are triggered by dehydrated skin.
In addition, potassium supports cell growth! This means it works in a similar way to other antioxidants to help reduce the appearance of blemishes, pigmentation, and scarring. It can help to give skin that hydrated, plump, juicy texture that we all know and love.
12. Using avocado oil for skin is a great way of getting vitamin A
Speaking of antioxidants, avocado oil is also an amazing source of vitamin A. This vitamin is a key player when it comes to caring for ageing skin. That’s because it influences how skin cells behave.
Experts believe that vitamin A can help to normalise cell function, meaning they behave in a much healthier way. This leaves skin feeling fresh and glowing!
Vitamin A can also help balance sebum production, eliminating acne breakouts and congestion. It’s also useful for those of us who have oily or combination skin and want to achieve a better balance.
Vitamin A is also known to promote the growth of collagen and new skin cells - it really is an all-around great ingredient to have in your skincare routine.
As we know, this can help us keep our skin looking and feeling firm and radiant. This also means it can aid healing which is particularly important if you suffer from acne or other inflammatory skin conditions.
13. It works really well with other plant extracts
Last but certainly not least, the main reason why we love using avocado oil for skincare - it works really well with other plant extracts. That’s why we’ve included it in our Correcting Eye Cream!
As we know, avocado oil is packed with antioxidants, avocado oil can help even out skin tone by reducing the appearance of blemishes, scarring, and congestion. Because they help boost cell production, they can also help you get that juicy, radiant glow that you deserve.
The easiest way to tell if your skin is dehydrated is by looking at your eyes. Dehydration can accentuate fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes as well as puffiness and dark circles. But don’t worry, our Correcting Eye Cream is here to help.
By combining powerhouse plant extracts, like avocado oil, with humectants you can deliver intense hydration directly to where your skin needs it the most.
That’s why we’ve added aloe vera juice, olive oil, and apricot kernel oil to our Correcting Eye Cream. Avocado oil works to soften the skin whilst the other plant extracts restore moisture and lock it in for longer.
Our Correcting Eye Cream also includes oat silk, a plant extract with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. This works in unison with avocado oil to alleviate puffiness or redness around the eyes. This is ideal for those of us who would rather not rock the panda eye look but cannot manage to get a full 8 hours sleep every night.
It’s also ideal for anyone who suffers from inflammation-prone or sensitive skin around the eyes. When the skin is irritated it may become dry and itchy. Scratching or rubbing could potentially damage the delicate skin around the eyes, making matters worse.
Therefore, including some soothing plant extracts in your skincare routine is recommended.
Summing things up the benefits of avocado for skin
We’re big fans of natural plant extracts when it comes to skincare. That’s why we love finding gentle but effective natural ingredients that can help us achieve healthy, glowing skin.
Avocado oil is one of our absolute favourite plant extracts to include in our skincare routines. This is because it’s a great all-around ingredient that works for many different skin types and helps with many skin concerns too.
Some of the main benefits of using avocado for skin are down to its hydrating and soothing properties. This is because it can offer intense hydration whilst reducing redness, swelling, and irritation.
We also love using avocado oil for skin care because it is packed with antioxidants. These help to protect the skin against free radicals whilst boosting cell production, leaving skin looking and feeling healthy and radiant.
Avocado oil is great for the skin because everyone can use it - it’s suitable for all skin types and it’s gentle so it won’t irritate acne-prone or sensitive skin.
Are you also a big fan of using plant extracts in your skincare routine? All of your products are made from natural ingredients - you can browse our collection here. They’re also vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, so everyone can enjoy them!