Avocados, also called avocado pears, are a fruit with a soft, creamy flesh. They are praised for their nutritional benefits, since they contain high levels of unsaturated fats, and they are also useful for maintaining the beauty of your skin. Regular use of avocado facials can help treat a number of skin disorders and help reveal smooth, glowing skin.
Vitamins to Fight Aging
Avocados contain vitamins, specifically vitamins A and C, that can help slow the signs of aging. Dr. Kafi of the University of Michigan Medical School published a study called "Improvement of Naturally Aged Skin With Vitamin A (Retinol)". He found that application of a vitamin A cream to naturally aged skin reduced the appearance of fine wrinkles and changed the molecular composition of the skin to make it appear more youthful.
Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid is an antioxidant, which helps fight the signs of aging. In a 2005 study published in Journal of the Society of Biology entitled "Human skin reconstructed in vitro as a model to study the keratinocyte, the fibroblast and their interactions: photodamage and repair processes", Dr. Bernerd of L'Oreal reported that treatment of skin cells with vitamin C reduced the appearance of sun damage on the skin.
Regular avocado facials using pureed avocado fruit may help decrease or slow the signs of aging and protect against visible sun damage.
Anti-Microbial Properties
Avocado is known to contain anti-microbial chemicals, which may help in the treatment and prevention of skin diseases such as acne. In a 1970 study published in Applied Microbiology entitled "New Antibacterial Agent Isolated from the Avocado Pear", Dr. Neeman tested eight compounds isolated from avocado for their ability to kill bacteria. He found that certain chemicals in avocado were able to kill gram-positive bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria are a large group of bacteria which include the species of bacteria that causes acne. Therefore, regular pureed avocado fruit facials on acne prone skin may help kill acne bacteria to prevent or treat breakouts.
Oils to Moisturize
Avocado is rich in fatty acids, which can be used to moisturize the skin. Avocado or avocado oils are found in a number of commercially available skincare products. Avocado contains humectants, which are chemicals that attract and hold water. Treatment of avocado on your skin will attract and add moisture to your skin and the avocado oil will form a barrier to help seal in moisture and protect your skin from the elements.
Get the humectant benefits of avocado by cutting a piece of avocado skin and rubbing the inside of the skin over your face. Allow the avocado to set for 15 minutes to seal in moisture, the rinse your face with water.
References
- Archives of Dermatology: Improvement of Naturally Aged Skin With Vitamin A (Retinol)
- National Institutes of Health: Human skin reconstructed in vitro as a model to study the keratinocyte, the fibroblast and their interactions: photodamage and repair processes
- PubMed Central: New Antibacterial Agent Isolated from the Avocado Pear
- Pioneer Thinking: SPA Avocat
- Acne-Stop: Avocado Oil For Acne
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