Avocados are amazing. They’re not only delicious and nutritious, but they also make for an incredible skin care ingredient. Avocado oil for skin is currently one of the biggest trends in the skin care world because there are so many benefits.
And since avocado oil is an all-natural product, it’s safe for both you and your baby.
In this article, the experts at Mustela will explain everything you need to know about avocado oil for skin. We’ll discuss the science behind avocado oil, 10 of the health benefits it provides, and several simple ways to use avocado oil for skin.
The Science Behind Avocado Oil For Skin
There are many myths about various skin care ingredients. The health benefits of some ingredients are exaggerated to the point that they begin to sound like magic elixirs.
Avocado oil is one ingredient that is actually backed by an enormous body of research to prove the health claims surrounding it. For starters, here is a list of all the nutrients in avocados:
- Dietary Fiber
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Vitamins A, B-6, C, E, and K
- Folate
- Niacin
- Pantothenic Acid
- Riboflavin
- Choline (Lecithin)
- Carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin
- Phytosterols
- Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Each and every one of these nutrients improves your health in various ways. Research has shown these health benefits to be wide-ranging.
Studies on laboratory rats have proven that avocado oil can kill potentially harmful bacteria, help wounds to heal faster, improve metabolic health and liver functioning, reduce inflammation, and help treat Type 2 diabetes. That’s quite an impressive list!
On top of all that, there are also a number of scientifically supported reasons to use avocado oil for skin.
For instance, research demonstrates that avocado oil can stimulate collagen production in skin cells. Another study found that a vitamin B-12 cream containing avocado oil helped treat plaque psoriasis. Yet another scientific paper noted that avocado’s “lutein and zeaxanthin may help to protect the skin from damage from both UV and visible radiation.”
So how does avocado oil provide all of these incredible benefits for your skin? Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, including one called oleic acid.
Oleic acid allows avocado oil to penetrate deep into your dermis, the second layer of your skin, sending the avocado’s nutrients directly to your skin cells. Oleic acid also has a number of healing properties itself, including lowered cholesterol and protection against heart disease.
With all of this remarkable research proving the health effects of avocados, it’s not hard to understand why so many families use avocado oil for skin care.
10 Benefits Of Using Avocado Oil For Skin
Now that we’ve covered all of the research, we can explain 10 wonderful avocado benefits for skin. Here are some of the amazing things avocado oil can do for you and your baby.
1) Provides Natural Care
The fact that it’s 100% pure and natural is one of the ways avocado oil benefits skin. What do we mean? It’s a natural ingredient with no questionable additives. After all, nature knows best.
However, even if you choose to use a product that is made with avocado oil, still check to be sure that you’re not slathering any harmful chemical ingredients onto your skin.
For example, here at Mustela, all of our products favor ingredients that are either natural or of natural origin and are all free of parabens, phenoxyethanol, phthalates, and, in the case of sunscreen, chemical UV filters.
What’s so bad about these ingredients? Parabens and phenoxyethanol are preservatives while phthalates are plasticizers and are used in cosmetics to help enhance the fragrance.
All three ingredients are irritating and can be harmful to the body. And we think they are simply not worth the risk.
2) Hydrates Your Skin
Many people think of oily skin as a bad thing, but the truth is that you need a layer of oil on your skin for it to remain healthy.
Your skin barrier is meant to keep your skin moisturized and protected from dryness and outside irritants and allergens. But sometimes that natural barrier that your skin creates is compromised. This can happen for a variety of reasons.
The bottom line is that when your skin barrier is not in tip-top shape, it allows much-needed hydration to leave the skin and is not as effective at warding off outside invaders. This can leave you with dry, flaky skin that is easily irritated.
These are the times that your skin needs a little outside help. Natural moisturizers to the rescue!
Avocado oil can help to keep your skin hydrated while also nourishing your skin cells with vitamins and minerals. This will keep your skin (and your little one’s delicate skin) healthy and hydrated.
3) Relieves The Symptoms Of Eczema
Eczema is a skin condition characterized by extreme dryness, redness, itchiness, and discomfort. If you or your baby has eczema-prone skin, avocado oil is your best friend. It will help to hydrate while also relieving the symptoms of eczema, like itchiness.
Eczema is a complicated condition, and caring for your or your baby’s eczema-prone skin involves not only using the right moisturizer (like emollients) but also avoiding irritants that can cause flare-ups.
If you have a little one with eczema, you’ll want to monitor their environment, consider the sunscreen you use, and take care in how you dress them.
4) Reduces Inflammation
Studies have shown that avocado oil for skin is an effective way to reduce inflammation. Regardless of what’s causing the inflammation — psoriasis, hives, or just an ordinary rash — avocado oil can help.
For example, avocado oil can be part of the treatment of your baby’s diaper rash with Mustela’s Diaper Rash Cream 1 2 3. In addition to other natural ingredients, this soothing cream contains avocado perseose, a patented ingredient specifically designed to help protect a baby’s delicate skin.
Avocado perseose not only provides avocado oil benefits for skin, but it also offers unique protection for a baby’s kissable skin.
Through research on what makes baby skin so unique as well as a discovery in the Andean valleys of Peru, Mustela has extracted this natural biomimetic active ingredient from avocado, which works in perfect affinity with the skin, for optimum efficacy and tolerance.
Learn more about this special ingredient and Mustela’s research on baby skin here.
Diaper Rash Cream 1 2 3 is composed of 98% plant-based ingredients and is clinically proven to soothe the diaper area and relieve irritation. Plus, it continues to work in-between diaper changes to prevent future rash occurrences.
5) Improves The Appearance Of Acne
Some people mistakenly believe that oily skin causes acne. This isn’t the case. Acne is the result of clogged pores, not oil.
In fact, a healthy level of oil on your skin can keep your skin from becoming irritated, which may prevent breakouts.
And remember that acne isn’t only a problem for teenagers and adults. It’s not uncommon for babies to develop acne too, so keep your avocado oil close by.
6) Helps You Care For Peeling Skin
There are times when your skin becomes so dry and damaged that it begins to peel. Infants are also susceptible to newborn peeling skin.
Avocado oil for skin can help to provide the hydration your skin needs to heal itself, while also providing a protective layer to help prevent more damage from occurring.
7) Soothes Sunburn
Sunburn is never fun. It can be especially worrying if your baby gets a sunburn. Sunburn typically leads to redness, dryness, discomfort, and possible peeling skin.
Avocado oil is the perfect match for sunburn since it can help relieve all of the symptoms.
That said, don’t forget that the best way to treat sunburn is to avoid it in the first place! For safe sun protection for the whole family, we recommend a mineral sunscreen made with non-nano zinc oxide, like our SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion.
It’s free of chemical UV filters, which can be irritating to your skin and harmful to your body, but it’s not only about what this sunscreen doesn’t have.
It’s also about the hydrating natural oils used in this formula that work to moisturize your skin while the sunscreen wards off the sun’s harmful rays.
8) Helps Your Body Heal Itself
Packed with vitamins and minerals, avocado oil has the nutrients your skin cells need to repair themselves. This means that avocado oil for skin can help small wounds heal faster.
Whether it’s a scratch, a paper cut, or a small bug bite, avocado oil can provide the nutrients your body needs to regenerate.
9) Improves The Health Of Your Scalp
Avocado oil is effective for improving the health of you and your little one’s scalps. Perhaps you have dandruff, or maybe your little one has developed a case of cradle cap. Avocado oil for skin can help to fight both of these conditions by improving scalp health.
If you’re trying to decipher whether your baby has dry scalp or cradle cap, click here to learn about some of the differences between the two.
10) Fights The Signs Of Aging
Believe it or not, avocado oil can also help fight the signs of aging. Research has demonstrated that “xanthophylls, similar to those found in avocados, may have antioxidant and DNA protective effects with possible healthy aging protective effects.”
So use avocado oil to keep your skin as smooth as your baby’s bottom!
9 Easy Ways To Experience Avocado Benefits For Skin
Now that you’re excited to get started with avocado oil for skin, let’s have a look at nine easy ways to apply it and make use of this fantastic skincare ingredient.
1) Apply A Little Avocado Oil Directly To Your Skin
The first (and easiest) way to apply avocado oil is to simply dab a little bit directly onto your skin. It will take 10 to 20 minutes for your skin to completely absorb all of the oil, so it’s best to apply it when you have a little time to relax.
2) Moisturize Your Skin Using Lotion With Avocado
While you can apply avocado oil directly to your skin, another great option is to go with a lotion that contains avocado. Combine the benefits of avocado oil for your skin with the wonders of other natural ingredients, and you’ve got one great lotion on your hands.
For your little ones, opt for a moisturizer like Hydra Bebe Facial Cream, Hydra Bebe Body Lotion, or, for babies with eczema-prone skin, Stelatopia Emollient Cream and Stelatopia Emollient Face Cream. All four of these lotions are made with avocado perseose.
In addition, Hydra Bebe Body Lotion is the perfect all-over, non-greasy lotion that provides immediate and long-lasting moisture. It contains jojoba oil, sunflower oil, and vitamins E and F as well as avocado perseose.
For an EWG Verified formula, opt for our Multi-purpose Balm with 3 Avocado Extracts. Safe for every member of the family — from newborns to adults — this balm is designed to nourish, repair, and protect your skin from head to toe.
Meanwhile, Stelatopia Emollient Cream is ideal for extremely dry or eczema-prone skin since it works to reinforce the skin’s moisture barrier and soothe skin discomfort, helping keep skin healthy and itch-free.
We created this emollient cream for newborns, babies, and toddlers. However, while it’s gentle enough for the littlest of babies, it’s also perfect for adult skin that needs some extra TLC. So go ahead — use this one wonderful lotion for the whole family!
Speaking of which, avocado oil is ideal for pregnant moms, too. We use avocado oil in Mustela’s Stretch Marks Oil, which is formulated with 100% naturally derived ingredients. It’s EWG Verified, hypoallergenic, and safe for both you and your baby.
This fast-absorbing and nourishing oil is designed to limit the appearance of stretch marks and leave your skin restored, refreshed, and smoother. Natural oils for the win!
3) Dress Your Baby In Soothing Pajamas
Since avocado oil helps both hydrate and relieve symptoms of eczema (like itchiness), we used avocado oil in our Stelatopia Skin Soothing Pajamas. (Avocado oil in pajamas? Yes, you read correctly!)
These 100% cotton pajamas use microcapsule technology to deliver skin-soothing moisture to your little one’s skin throughout the night.
Each microcapsule contains five natural ingredients: avocado oil, sunflower oil distillate, squalane, ceramides, and vitamin E. Avocado oil works to maintain the skin's moisture barrier, while sunflower oil distillate, known for its soothing properties, replenishes the skin with much-needed lipids.
These ingredients are activated when they come in contact with the skin and help keep it soothed, comfortable, and moisturized all night long, making these pajamas perfect for babies or toddlers with eczema-prone skin.
Plus, you can rest assured that they are made with OEKO-TEK® certified cotton, which is free of any allergens or potentially harmful substances.
Expert Tip: Give your baby a massage before bed to help them relax and drift off to sleep! Our Melting Massage Balm, made with avocado oil, is designed to moisturize and nourish your baby’s skin, leaving it supple and soft.
4) Mix Avocado Oil Into Your Shampoo And Body Wash
If you’d like to get the health benefits of avocado oil without having to think about it, simply add avocado oil to your or your baby’s shampoo and body wash. It’s an easy, no-hassle way to use avocado oil for skin.
5) Make A Homemade Face Mask With Avocado Oil
If you’re feeling crafty, you can make a homemade face mask to use avocado oil for skin. There are a number of household ingredients you can use to make the mask — yogurt, honey, or even ripe avocados.
Add a few drops of avocado oil to the mixture to give the mask extra nourishing powers.
6) Dab A Few Drops Of Avocado Oil On Your Scalp
If you’d like to improve the health of your scalp, simply dab a few drops of avocado oil directly onto your head.
If your full head of hair prevents you from getting to your skin, try parting your hair, applying a small amount of oil to the exposed skin, and then repeating the process on another area of your scalp.
Next, gently massage the oil into your scalp using your fingertips (not your nails). Ahhh. Take a deep breath and enjoy this self-care moment!
Using avocado on the scalp can also help your baby. If they have a dry scalp or a case of cradle cap, just put a few drops of avocado oil on their head and gently rub it in.
7) Use A Shampoo With Avocado
Another way to take advantage of avocado benefits for your skin and scalp is to suds up with a shampoo that is made with avocado.
Since bath time can be drying to a baby’s delicate skin, we created a shampoo that is specially designed to gently clean the hair and scalp of little ones with eczema-prone skin. Say hello to Mustela Stelatopia Foam Shampoo.
It doesn’t just clean your baby’s hair and scalp; it moisturizes at the same time. The pH-balanced formula is enriched with natural ingredients (like avocado perseose) to soothe, moisturize, protect, and strengthen your little one’s skin.
In addition, this product is recognized by the National Eczema Association and clinically tested on eczema-prone skin under pediatric and dermatological control.
And, like all Mustela products, it’s free of parabens, phthalates, and phenoxyethanol.
8) Add Avocado Oil To Your Bath
How can you work avocado oil into your grown-up bathtime routine?
Before easing into a nice, hot bath, add a few drops of avocado oil to the water. Hot water can sometimes dry out your skin, so the avocado oil will prevent this negative side effect from occurring.
At the same time, your skin will absorb the vitamins and minerals in the avocado oil, thus receiving an extra boost of nutrients.
You can also add a few drops of avocado oil to the water during your baby’s bath time to give your little one’s skin extra nourishing benefits.
9) Allow Avocado To Heal Your Skin
With all the nutrients it contains, avocado oil can help your skin regenerate and repair itself. One way to put avocado oil to work in this way is by applying Cicastela Moisture Recovery Cream to burns, small scrapes, rashes, and dry spots.
A safe and effective multi-purpose ointment, this is a diaper bag and medicine cabinet must-have!
It’s created with a blend of restorative ingredients including plant-derived hyaluronic acid to hydrate and promote skin recovery as well as avocado perseose to help nourish the skin.
Count on it to deliver cooling, hydrating, and soothing relief from head to toe. Simply apply the ointment twice daily to clean, dry skin. You’ll notice that it’s light in texture, never sticky, and provides a breathable barrier.
Avocado Benefits For Skin: Hydration For The Whole Family
With a large body of scientific research to verify the health benefits, avocado oil is one of the few skin care ingredients that live up to the hype. Better still, avocado oil is completely safe and effective for both you and your baby.
The experts at Mustela understand the health benefits of avocado oil. That’s why we use Avocado Perseose in the majority of our products. This ingredient not only has the benefits of avocado oil but is also specially formulated to preserve and protect your baby’s delicate skin.
From Diaper Rash Cream 1 2 3 and Hydra Bebe Body Lotion for your little one to Stretch Marks Prevention Oil and Stelatopia Emollient Cream for you, Mustela offers a wide selection of skin care products that harness the power of avocado oil for skin.
You can also apply pure avocado oil to your skin or scalp or use a few drops in your bathtub or conditioner to continue to reap the benefits of this incredible oil Mother Nature has given us.
Or, grab our Multi-purpose Balm with 3 Avocado Extracts to repair your face, feet, and everywhere in-between!
With what you’ve learned in this article, you’re just one step away from so many avocado benefits for skin!