There must be something about avocado that the world cannot seem to stop gushing about it. It is easily one of the healthiest fruits you can add to your diet for a healthy heart, weight loss, eye health and bones, despite being a fruit with super high ‘fat' content. Yes you heard us, avocado is a ‘fatty fruit', but that does not mar its reputation in the world of health and nutrition one bit. This is because it contains high amount of ‘good fats', which among other things is also known to do wonders for your skin. Our fast-paced lives, pollution, poor dietary and lifestyle choices have taken a major toll on our skin. If studies are to be believed, heavy use of chemical-based beauty products is also proving detrimental in a big way. In such a catch 22 situation, the safest bet is to go back to natural remedies. Including avocados in your skin and beauty regime could be of immense help.
Avocado For Skin | Why Is Avocado Perfect To Boost Skin Health
1. Glowing Skin: Avocado is replete with several essential antioxidants and vitamins that could help nourish your skin from within and impart a natural glow.
(Also Read: 10 Foods for Glowing Skin)
2. For smooth and supple skin: Including avocado in your diet or applying it topically on to your skin as part of a face mask, will help your skin procure some essential fatty acids, which helps keep your skin supple and soft.
3. Prevents aging and wrinkles: Avocados are also enriched with vitamin C (amounting to 17 percent recommended daily intake) and vitamin E (again fulfilling about 17 percent recommended daily intake). Both vitamin C and Vitamin E are vital to support healthy skin and prevent it from free radical activity. Free radical activity makes your skin age sooner. Avocados also contain antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin that fight free radical formation and keep your skin taut and young.
(Also Read: Benefits Of Avocado: 11 More Reasons To Love The Fruit)
4. Moisturise skin: Pollutants, unhealthy diet and lack of fluids can leave your skin dehydrated and flaky. Avocado pulp is a treasure trove of antioxidants like B-carotene, lecithin, and linoleic acid that helps moisturise your skin from within. The vitamin E present in avocado could help remedy chapped lips too.
5. May help manage acne: Avocado is packed with lauric acid which is rich in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which in turn is very useful in managing acne.
(Also Read: Ayurveda For Acne: 5 Easy Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Acne)
6. Natural exfoliation: The antioxidants and minerals present in avocado are known to remove dead skin cells, unclog pores and exfoliate the skin from within.
Avocado For Skin | How to have avocados for skin
1. Through your diet
This delicious and buttery fruit can be tossed up in salads, with other nourishing fruits, nuts and seeds. You can also blend them in delicious smoothies or make sumptuous dips like guacamole. Here's the recipe of the same. Avocados are rich in heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids and potassium, which is known to prevent blood pressure spikes. The fatty acids are also effective in lubricating joints and lower the risk of arthritis.
(Also Read: 10 Best Avocado Recipes | Easy Avocado Recipes)
Avocado for skin: Eating avocado could help boost skin health
2. Avocado face mask
You can use the pulp of avocado to make nourishing face masks. Here are 3 of them that you can try for your skin:
• For smooth skin and acne removal: A nourishing avocado and honey mask could help moisturise your skin from within and induce life in your dull skin. It could even prevent acne formation. Scoop out an avocado, and mash it into a paste using a spoon. Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with the paste. Apply the paste on to your skin and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse it off with cold water and pat dry. For best results, apply the mask at least thrice a week.
• For exfoliation: Dead skin can deprive you of your natural sheen, making your skin look much dull and old than usual. Fortunately, there are many natural ways to get rid of the dead skin cells. For instance, this avocado and oatmeal mask can come to great help. Mash one half of avocado in a bowl, and add 1 tablespoon of oatmeal in the paste. Apply this mask on to your face and let it stay for 15 minutes. Next, rinse it off with cold water and pat dry. Oatmeal is a natural exfoliator, which helps clear off dead skin cell and de-clogs pores.
(Also Read: This Two-Ingredient Face Mask Will Help You Get Soft And Supple Skin)
• For Dry Skin: Fed up of your dull, dehydrated and lifeless skin? Fret not. We have a simple nourishing face mask that could help induce life in your skin. Avocado's fatty acids when combined with moisturising abilities of yogurt could help bring about a moisturised glow in your skin. Yogurt is enriched with zinc, lactic acid and vitamin B, all of which are essential in infusing your skin with the vitality it needs. Take a ripe avocado, and cut it into half. Mash it into smooth paste. Add a tablespoon of yogurt and half a tablespoon of honey to the paste. Mix it well. With the help of your hand, apply the paste evenly onto your face. Let it rest for 15 minutes; rinse it off with cold water. Doing this 2-3 times a week may help you achieve the desired results very quickly.
Follow these tips and tricks on how to use avocado for skin and see the results yourself.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
About Sushmita SenguptaSharing a strong penchant for food, Sushmita loves all things good, cheesy and greasy. Her other favourite pastime activities other than discussing food includes, reading, watching movies and binge-watching TV shows.