Avocado--which is technically a fruit, not a vegetable--is also called alligator pear, a reference to the leather-like appearance of its skin. Although its outer appearance may be unpromising, the creamy green interior of the avocado is a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that can nourish, beautify and condition your hair and skin. Before trying the treatments, apply a small amount to the inside of your wrist 24 hours before using to make sure you're not allergic.
Deluxe Avocado Skin-Nourishing Mask
Step 1
Mash a pitted, peeled avocado together with a beaten egg, blending well. Add a cooked, mashed carrot, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and 3 tbsp. honey, blending until the mixture is smooth.
Step 2
Apply the mixture evenly to your thoroughly cleaned face and neck, and allow it to remain there for 20 minutes. According to the website All Natural Beauty, this treatment can help rebuild skin collagen and improve skin tone and texture. Whole Foods notes that avocados contain the antioxidant vitamin C, as well as significant amounts of Vitamin E and pantothenic acid. In addition, phytonutrients in avocado may help to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. There is some scientific research to support the belief in avocado's skin-healing benefits. In a clinical study conducted at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and published in 2001 in "Dermatology," researchers stated that a cream containing Vitamin B-12 and avocado oil had considerable potential as a long-term therapy for psoriasis.
Step 3
Use a clean face cloth and cool or tepid--never hot--water to remove the avocado mask. Pat skin dry, then apply a good-quality commercial moisturizer. Your skin should feel softer, smoother and moister.
Avocado Shiny Hair Treatment
Step 1
Pit and peel a ripe avocado, then mash it and combine it with a beaten egg yolk and 1/2 tsp. of olive oil.
Step 2
Apply to hair and work through well, from the roots of the hair to the tips. The mixture can be messy; you may want to wear an old shirt or smock for this treatment.
Step 3
Leave the mixture in your hair for 30 minutes, then shampoo out and condition as usual. According to the website Leon's Beauty Tips and Secrets, this treatment will leave your hair not only shinier but silkier and softer.
Tips and Warnings
- Buy extra avocados to nourish your body, skin and hair. Use avocado in salads not only for the fruit's healthful properties, but for the way it potentiates the benefits of other foods. Whole Foods states that avocados increase your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids of vegetables.
Things You'll Need
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 egg
- 1 cooked carrot
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp. honey
- Good-quality commercial moisturizer
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp. olive oil
- Old shirt or smock (optional)
References
- Whole Foods: The World's Healthiest Foods--Avocado
- Pioneer Thinking: Homemade Avocado Beauty Recipes
- Leon's Beauty Tips and Secrets: Magical Fruit Avocado
- National Center for Biotechnological Information: Vitamin B-12 Cream Containing Avocado Oil In The Therapy of Plaque Psoriasis
- All Natural Beauty: Homemade Beauty Recipes
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