Does anyone recognize the name Persea Gratissima? It’s something we all have seen in skin care products these days, and for many great reasons! Persea Gratissima is the scientific name for Avocado Oil. So many people love to use natural products these days and it’s so interesting to find out all the benefits of all these different things that grow right here in some of our own backyards!
Avocados are a fruit that have been around for centuries and are known for their many health benefits and antioxidant properties. In our current century, researchers are discovering how beneficial the fruit really is! Avocados contain vitamins A, B, C, K, and E, lecithin, and potassium. They are also high in sterolins and rich in beta-carotene, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids. The oils extracted from fruits are very similar to that of our skins naturally producing oil, sebum. These oils have the ability to penetrate deep into the layers of the skin, delivering abundant results! This is an amazing ingredient to use on dry to severe dry skin, mature/aging skin, and also blemished skin. Avocado has shown significant improvement in the amount of collagen produced in the skin due to the fact that it actually slows down the aging process of the cells.
Plant sterols are referred to as a plant fat and the plant sterolins are glucosides formed in conjunction with the sterol; which are present in all plants. Certain plants have a higher level of these sterols and sterolins, avocado being one of them. Sterolins are extremely moisturizing, softening the skin and leaving it well hydrated; also supporting in healing extreme dry skin, eczema, or even psoriasis. Sterolins are well known for rejuvenating, healing, reducing signs of aging, and treating sun damaged skin; lightening the areas of hyperpigmentation. This also aids in healing blemishes on a person’s skin.
Vitamin B and the antioxidant properties of the fruit (vitamins A, C, E) also aid the properties given by sterolins, significantly. Vitamins A, B, C, and E fight off free radicals from the environment and improve skins overall health by decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smoothing and lifting by giving added hydration, and leaving your skin with a more natural and radiant glow. Many people, who lack oxygen in their skin, such as smokers or someone exposed to higher pollution content, will notice a vast improvement just from the level of antioxidants in avocado. When a person lacks oxygen in their skin it looks much more dull and sallow than someone who is not. “Feeding” your skin the proper nutrients in turn is going to give you these visible results you are looking for!
Avocado also contains vitamin K. Vitamin K, alone, has many benefits for the skin. It is used in many skin care products these days for improving skin pigment and discolorations, whether it be from a scar, acne scarring, sun damage, and even under eye dark circles. It also has shown improvements in spider veins and other vascular problems of the skin.
Lecithin is yet another nutrient in Avocado that is going to show benefits to your skin. Lecithin is very emollient and is very beneficial in healing dry skin. This includes flaking, itching, dehydrated skin, eczema and psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin condition that to this day doesn’t really have a “cure”. There are certain things that might aid in relieving the effects of it but no real cure for the condition. Because of the lecithin in avocado, simply just applying the actual fruit to your skin has been shown to relieve the symptoms.
One more thing avocado has, proving its’ amazing benefits to skin health, is potassium. Many people would never imagine this would have the benefits to skin that it does. Basically, potassium, aids in the growth of new cells. That meaning, new skin cells are being produced. With new cells, comes healthy skin. Potassium also helps to regulate the body and skins water balance, leaving your skin well hydrated.
Written By: Shannon Vail
November 2, 2012
Skin.Deep 