avOHcado!

At the moment I'm using the Moroccan Oil range on Emma's hair. As excellent as the product is, it's a little pricey for a toddler.

Last week I saw a mommy with a little boy, sporting the softest black hair I've ever seen. Still struggling with Emma's, I asked what she uses, expecting a salon product that I either couldn't afford or get.  I was a little surprised that it was avocado oil but relieved that I'd be able but it anywhere AND make my own treatments at home, for hair and skin. After some googling I found a few ways to use avocado oil for hair and skin

Hot Oil Treatment

Blend three to five tablespoons of avocado oil (depending on length of your hair) with three to five tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil and heat them in a saucepan on a very low heat until warmed to a comfortable temperature.

If you have it, you can add a few drops of rosemary essential oil and mix it in. Other essential oils like lavender or sandalwood can also be used, but rosemary oil is known to be especially good for the hair and scalp.

Apply the oil to freshly washed hair and gently massage it in. Cover with a shower cap (or a plastic bag if you don’t have one and no one else is around to laugh) and then ideally wrap it in a very warm towel and leave for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Wash out well as normal, but you won’t need any conditioner after this hot oil treatment. Many people online say they’ve never felt their hair as soft or seen it so shining.

Homemade Avocado Oil Conditioner

Whisk up two tablespoons of avocado oil, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of honey and 3 tablespoons of natural yogurt (the real yogurt, not the sugary ‘fruit’ stuff).
Smooth all over damp hair, cover with a shower cap and leave for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash out thoroughly, preferably with a chemical free shampoo, but as with the hot oil treatment, you’re unlikely to need any store bought conditioner after this treatment has done its work.

 Conditioner Enhancement

The easiest of all avocado oil hair treatments is to simply buy a basic, natural conditioner, with as little chemicals in it is possible, and add some of the oil to it while it’s in your palm. Mix it together in your hands before rubbing it in. You might need to do this a couple of times for longer hair. Not having hair long enough to really warrant the other treatments above that often, this is what I usually do myself.

Keep one bottle of extra virgin avocado oil in the bathroom for hair and as a  face moisturizer and  one in the kitchen for healthy cooking and salad dressings. Regardless of where you keep it, avocado oil is best stored in a dark cupboard, away from the light for the longest shelf life.

One final important tip for your hair. As good as these treatments are at bringing some quick strength and shine, really healthy hair comes from great nutrition over time.

For the Face

What if there was a natural oil moisturizer that many people are having more far more effective results with than the chemical-laden, brand name moisturizers? What if this very same moisturizer was also about the best cooking oil you could use in your kitchen, made an extremely healthy salad dressing and even an exceptional hair treatment?

Sounds too good to be true, but cold pressed avocado oil is all of these things. Not only is it extremely good at hydrating and softening our skin, many people are reporting that it is an effective treatment for acne and blackheads, psoriasis and eczema, and even useful for diminishing age spots and mild facial scaring.

Of course it’s important to remember that individual results usually vary greatly depending on your skin type and other factors like nutrition. That said, if your skin is at all sensitive or problematic, it’s got to be beneficial to have one simple, natural oil to use as a face moisturizer, rather than trying to work out which of two dozen different additives might be causing your skin problems.

In the worse case, if your results aren’t as good as many other people’s, you’ve still got avocado oil as a salad dressing.
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Applying Avocado Oil to Your Face

You can apply avocado oil to your face in the same way you would any other moisturizer – with a cotton wool pad or very clean fingers. Make sure your face is washed well and preferably still damp to spread the avocado oil easily.

Use it straight after showering in the evening. You don’t need that much, perhaps a small dab per cheek, forehead, etc. Avocado oil is concentrated monounsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, vitamin E and other antioxidants. A little goes a long way.
While it is not absorbed as quickly as some moisturizers, it is usually barely noticeable in ten to fifteen minutes. If this bothers you, give it a few minutes to be absorbed, then gently wipe your face with a damp washcloth.

You could use it as a day moisturizer but because it’s so rich, it seems better as a nightly moisturizer applied before bed.

Some people recommend mixing half cold pressed avocado oil and half sweet almond oil, which is also very beneficial for the skin. Almond oil takes longer to absorb though, so you may want to keep this as an evening moisturizer and use a damp washcloth on your face before your head hits the pillow.

It is important to look for cold pressed avocado oil, and not the cheaper refined oils, if you’re interested in the potential skin restorative properties, rather than just the moisturizing effects. The minimal refinement of cold pressed avocado oil preserves more of the important plant sterols, vitamin E and other antioxidants.

Avocado oil may also be a useful treatment for skin problems like acne and blackheads and even more serious conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.


So there you go. Avocados not only taste good, they're good for skin and hair too!