Carrier Oil Profile: Avocado Oil

Wednesday, August 01, 2018

Carrier Oil Profile: Avocado Oil
Image Source: Craftology Essentials

INCI Name: Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil
Source: Flesh of the fruit
Types: Refined / Unrefined
Color: Deep olive green
Aroma: Sweet, fatty and nutty in aroma
Viscosity: Thick
Absorption: Slow
Comedogenic Rating: 2
Shelf Life: 1 year (if stored in cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight)
SAP Value (for soap making): 177 - 198 (mg KOH), NaOH = 0.134 (g, oz or lb), KOH = 0.188 (g, oz or lb)
Ideal for which skin type: dry and mature
Fatty Acid Profile (in %):

Oleic Acid
55
Linoleic Acid
12
Palmitic Acid
18
Palmitoleic Acid
9
Others
6

Avocado oil is extracted from the flesh of the avocado fruit (Persea gratissima). The fruit itself contains about 30% oil that can be produced by mechanical pressing, followed by centrifugal extraction to separate the oils. There are two types of avocado oil: refined and unrefined. Unrefined avocado oil is dark green in color, thanks to its high chlorophyll content. It also has a strong fatty and nutty aroma similar to the scent of the avocado fruit. Meanwhile, refined avocado oil is light yellow in color and has little to no scent at all. Between the two types, refined avocado oil is less expensive and has longer shelf life but has less nutrients.

Avocado oil is high in oleic acid (omega-9 fatty acid) which contributes to its thicker and heavier consistency. These properties make avocado oil extra occlusive which helps seal in moisture into the skin. Due to this, we can say that avocado oil is ideal for people with dry, dehydrated skin as the oil can penetrate deeply into the skin to soften and moisturize it. It is also recommended for people with mature (aging) skin. Avocado oil is an effective anti-aging ingredient due to its rich content of vitamins A, D and E. Vitamins A and E are both antioxidant which can protect the skin from free-radical damages. These vitamins also help reduce the appearance of scars, fine lines and wrinkles by promoting skin cell regeneration. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory properties of avocado oil make it suitable for treating skin inflammations like rashes and eczema. Avocado oil also has a comedogenic rating of 2 (moderately low) which means that it has a low chance of clogging your pores.

Aside from moisturizing the skin, avocado oil is also equally great in treating dry, damaged hair. It can penetrate into the hair strands and scalp to nourish them from within.

Because of the strong aroma and thick consistency of the avocado oil, it is typically blended with other carrier oils at 5 – 10% of the total formulation. Also, if you don’t want your cosmetic product to look green, then you need to use the refined version of avocado oil.

References:



Saponification Chart. Retrieved from https://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/resources/sapon.asp



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