Much has been made of avocado oil’s ample nutritional benefits; however, its healing properties for skin and hair are too often overlooked. Sure, it’s hard to compete with improving lipid profiles and combating systemic inflammation, but this clean eating elixir offers advantages beyond interior health. While Mark has mentioned using avocado oil as a regular skin moisturizer, in truth there are many applications to nurture both skin and hair. Whether you’re interested in natural cosmetic ideas or simply basic skin and hair health, avocado oil offers a nutritive, non-toxic tool for your care routine.
Long before seas of commercial (and chemical-ridden) moisturizers lined supermarket shelves, humans created their own holistic recipes for skin care. Avocado oil’s story began with the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans, who harnessed the healing properties of avocado oil for thousands of years. These ancient tribes spread the fruit’s pulp on their faces for cosmetic applications and even created avocado pulp face masks.
Fast forward to modern times, and research affirms the benefits of natural oils (including avocado oil) for skin health, regardless of whether they’re applied directly or within a skin cream formulation. Researchers have found that avocado oil’s particular vitamin, nutrient, and fatty acid-rich properties are the keys to its ability to moisturize skin and protect it from harmful UV rays. Even more, a 2013 study found that the acids in avocado oil can impact cell health enough to speed up wound healing—which suggests they may play a role in promoting collagen synthesis and stimulating the creation of new connective tissue. While these findings need more exploring, previous studies have also demonstrated how it can help treat skin conditions like eczema and plaque psoriasis.
Thanks to avocado oil’s generous supply of essential monounsaturated fatty acids (like lecithin and oleic acid), antioxidants, minerals, and nutrient-rich properties (including A, B-5, and E), it can revive cells while it improves overall skin integrity and appearance. If you’re looking for a chemical-free way to heal, replenish, and calm your itchy, dry, or chapped skin, avocado oil is a fully Primal solution. As the key ingredient in a homemade revitalizing face mask, hand lotion, or skin-smoothing cream, avocado oil can help skin stay strong, supple and elastic. And that’s just the beginning.
#1: Homemade Face Mask: Grab a ripe avocado and cut it into small pieces. Add a few drops of avocado oil. Massage it into a smooth, even paste using a mortar and pestle (spoons or forks work too!). Gently apply this paste across your face and let absorb for 8-15 minutes. Once that time has elapsed, wash your mask off with warm water, baking soda paste, or (if preferred) a small amount of gentle facial cleanser.
#2: Scented Moisturizer: Pour an ounce of avocado oil into a jar or bottle. Pour another half ounce of your preferred holistic oil (emu or tamanu are solid options), along with a few drops of your favorite essential oil like frankincense or lavender. Because avocado oil is considered a safe ‘carrier oil,’ it’s a great way to dilute essential oils and get the most out of them. From there, shake/mix your facial moisturizing formula and apply as needed!
#3: Natural Sunscreen: Although research defining avocado oil’s SPF factor is scant, it can definitely serve as a stable carrier oil for homemade sunscreens that utilize more study-affirmed, essential oils with SPF value along with non-nano formulations of zinc oxide.
#4: After-Sun Emollient: Avocado oil’s moisturizing and healing properties can help soothe and fortify skin post-exposure.
#5: Chapped Skin Lotion: This one’s simple. Either massage extra virgin avocado oil straight into your skin (preferably after bathing) or blend several drops of it into your daily skin lotions. Adding avocado oil will provide a deeper, soothing moisture—and help you extend more expensive personal lotions.
Because avocado oil is one of the most skin-penetrative natural oils, it doesn’t leave a greasy film when applied. This allows it to serve as a soothing, softening aid for dry, painful sunburns. In other words, if you’re struggling with skin inflammation or irritation of any kind, chances are avocado oil can help.
#1: Face Wash: Mix together a teaspoon of extra virgin avocado oil with a teaspoon of coconut oil in a bowl. If you have especially oily skin, consider using more coconut oil than avocado oil. The opposite goes for if you have drier skin. Gently massage mixture into your skin before covering your face with a warm cloth for 3-5 minutes. This will help open your pores, making it easier for the oil to penetrate deeply into your skin. After the time has elapsed, dampen the cloth with warm water, and wipe away any excess oil still on your face.
#2: Freshening Spritz: Simply put avocado oil in a misting bottle for use (or try the Primal Kitchen® Avocado Spray Oil). Other ingredients you could add include aloe, witch hazel, tea tree oil or preferred essential oils, and green tea. (A spritz mixture should be made in smaller batches and remade more frequently, whereas straight avocado oil can keep for a few months if stored in an air tight bottle.) Keep in the fridge to enjoy a cooling effect.
Whether chemical-laden conditioners and treatments, heat styling techniques, thick, stiffening gel, or any other type of hair common hair-taming product, most are loaded with additives that, over time, can dry out and weaken your hair shaft. If you’re struggling with dry, brittle, or weak hair (or have scalp issues like severe dandruff), consider avocado oil a new tool in your hair care routine.
#1: Scalp Massage: Place a tablespoon of warm avocado oil in a bowl. Carefully separate your hair to expose your scalp and gently apply the oil using a cotton ball or your fingertips. Use small, soft, circulation motions while massaging to ensure the oil penetrates your scalp and hair follicles. Leave the oil in for 5-10 minutes before washing it out with warm (but not hot) water.
#2: Hair Mask: Place an avocado and banana in a blender/food processor. After mixing these two ingredients, mix in 1.5 tablespoons of avocado oil, a tablespoon of raw honey, and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Gently apply the mask to your hair. Depending on your level of need (and how much time you have), leave this mask in for somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour. Wash the hair mask off with a baking soda and warm water paste or a chemical-free shampoo.
Ancestral health emphasizes the collective impact of our choices. It offers us more than a dietary guide but a holistic lens for how to live well in the modern world. Natural self-care is one piece of that whole life picture.
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