I love love love avocados! But I love them, not only as my favourite food but also as a key ingredient in my homemade beauty regimes. As a teenager I enjoyed making my own beauty products and over the last couple of years I’ve started making them again with the belief that if it’s good enough to put into my body, it should be good enough to put onto my body.
One of the best foods that can do this is avocado. When you use avo topically, you get the benefits of it’s healthy ingredients like skin saving vitamins A and K, as well as C, E, B5 and B6 along with skin friendly minerals calcium and potassium and folic acid, oleic acid and biotin which is known as the hair growth vitamin.
When used in combination with a couple of other easily available ingredients, you can create a multitude of avocado beauty products. Here are a few of my regular avocado treatments.
1.Face Masks
Soothing Face Mask :
A perfect recipe for using avocado beauty products to achieve a glowing skin.
Fatty acids, found naturally in avo’s are perfect for moisturizing and soothing damaged skin. The oatmeal gently removes the dead layer of skin whilst the honey provides added moisture and brightens the skin.
- ½ avocado, pitted and peeled
- 2 Tbsp rolled oats
- 1 Tbsp honey
In a bowl, mash the avocado until smooth. Add the oatmeal, then the honey and mix together to form a paste. Cleanse your skin first and then using your fingers apply the paste to your face using a circular motion. Avoid your eye area. Massage gently for a few minutes and then leave on your face for another 15 minutes. To remove, use warm water and wash it off. Then do a final rinse with some cold water to close the pores. Gently pat dry with a soft, clean towel.
Oil Reduction and Tightening Mask :
Egg whites are great at tightening pores and they also help to smooth and soften your skin. The addition of lemon juice removes excess oil whilst the vitamins in the avocado prevent free radical damage.
- ½ avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 egg whites
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
In a bowl, mash the avocado until smooth. Add the egg whites and lemon juice and stir together until well combined.
On a pre-cleansed face, gently rub the mask into your skin, using small circular motions. Avoid the eye area but cover your entire face. Leave the mask on for about 15 minutes. Remove the mask with warm water and finally rinse with cold water. Pat your face dry with a soft, clean towel.
2.Hair Treatment
Biotin, which is found in avocados is known to be one of the best vitamins for hair growth. So it makes sense to use avocado as the main ingredient in a hair treatment. I combine it with olive oil which is a great moisturizer. If you suffer from dandruff you can add some lemon juice as it helps treat flaky skin.
- ½ avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
In a bowl, mash the avocado until smooth. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix together.
If you have greasy hair, only apply the treatment to your length and ends, avoiding your scalp area. However if you’re using the lemon juice you can massage the treatment into your scalp and cover all your hair. Put a shower cap on to avoid any mess and leave the treatment on for 20 minutes. I like to gently apply a low heat on my hair with a hairdryer as this speeds up the treatment process. Once complete, shampoo and dry as normal.
3.Exfoliator Scrub
This avocado beauty product is a body scrub which will exfoliate, balance and moisturize your skin, leaving you feeling soft, smooth and silky.
- ½ avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
In a bowl, mash the avocado until smooth. Add in the balance of the ingredients and blend well.
I like to use this scrub in the shower, after my usual washing regime. Take a small handful at a time and on damp skin, gently massage the scrub over your body, removing all unwanted dry skin. Then using a facecloth, remove the scrub and do a quick rinse off. Finally gently dry your skin with a soft, clean towel.
There you have it…… super easy homemade beauty treatments for your entire body. The toughest part is trying not to eat them! So give these a try and how about sharing some of your own avocado beauty products that have worked for you?
