I’ve been searching high and low for America’s beauty secret so I can present it to the international beauty blogger group in London next week. Fellow beauty blogger, Tyna from We Heart This, and I went on a shopping excursion to find the ultimate American beauty product. We figured it out – avocados! They are native to Mexico and were brought to California in the 19th century. Now they are everywhere in Cali – from guacamole to breakfast burritos to sushi, and they are perfect for moisturizing hair and skin.
We went to Whole Foods to have a look around and found ripe avocados, avocado oil and even hair and skin products made with avocado oil. Avocado oil is not the cheapest oil out there (around $10 or so for the Aura Cacia oil show above), but the oil was originally, and still is, valued for its very high skin penetration and rapid absorption. The natural oils and proteins are great for dry or frizzy hair, or for dry or irritated skin.
Here are a few DIY options:
The Ultimate Moisture Hair Mask – mix 2-3 tablespoons of avocado oil, coconut oil and olive oil. Apply to freshly shampooed hair and leave on for 15 – 30 minutes (over overnight if you have very dry or thick hair). Rinse (and you may need to shampoo again) and then style as usual.
Moisturizing Avocado Face Mask – mash up one avocado (or use 2 tablespoons of avocado oil) and apply to your freshly washed face. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse. You can also add a tablespoon of Manuka honey for extra moisturizing and antibacterial action.
Moisturizing Avocado Body Scrub – mix avocado oil and salt or sugar (brown, white, organic – it doesn’t really matter). More oil means less grit, so add as much as you need to get the right level of friction. Scrub into wet skin (or dry skin for a much more serious exfoliation), and rinse. Be careful in the tub as the oils will make the floor very slippery! Afterward, your skin will be SO soft and smooth!
Avocado oil also makes a great facial pre-cleanse and makeup remover, cuticle oil, foot moisturizer and massage oil. The possibilities are endless! What avocado beauty recipes have you tried? Got any good ones to share?
What a perfect choice!! I love avacados to eat, and in skin care! SO excited for you!! 🙂
I LOVE avocados! Good job!
I could eat avocados every meal of every day – and here in California that’s an option!
I also really love them for DIY hair masks – I use the left over avocados from cooking and mash it up with a teeny tiny bit of olive oil for a quick, cheap treatment. It rinses out well and leaves my hair frizz and flyaway free without weighing down my fine and thin hair.