Have you ever looked at the back of your favorite makeup and wondered, "what is that ingredient and how does it affect my skin?" In our Ingredient Education series, we explore the skincare benefits of some of our most interesting ingredients. Let's talk about the beauty and skin benefits of Avocado Oil! A few years ago, the avocado "trend" began, and it has only picked up speed. It is labeled by many as a superfruit - yes, avocados are a fruit - and there's a good reason why. Simply put, avocados have serious skincare and health benefits.
This green delight consists of about 75% "good fat" or unsaturated fat; there for it is lauded by the America Heart Association for its ability to "help improve bad cholesterol levels in overweight and obese individuals." It also contains a variety of vitamins and minerals including Potassium, Folate and vitamins A, B6, C, E and K.
The Skincare Benefits of Avocado Oil
In beauty products, you will often see avocado oil or Persea Gratissima oil, listed as one of the key ingredients. It is high in fat and vitamins A and C, helping to nourish, moisturize and provide antioxidant protection. We infuse the skincare benefits of avocado oil into our concealers, lip products and face moisturizer.
Concealers with Avocado Oil
- Circle\Delete
- Active Light Under-Eye Concealer
- Zap & Hide
- Enlighten Concealer
- Corrective Colors Kit
Lip Products with Avocado Oil
- Sugar & Butter Lip Exfoliator/Plumper
- LipDrink
- PureMoist
- Just Kissed Lip Plumper
- Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain
- PureGloss Lip Gloss
- Lip Fixation
Skincare with Avocado Oil
- BeautyPrep Face Moisturizer
Healthy Eating: 3 Unusual Avocado Recipes
As we mentioned, one of the primary health benefits of eating avocados is a reduced risk of heart disease.; however, the fruit and the nutrients it provides have also had positive effects on other health issues, including: diabetes, some cancers and cataracts, to name a few. Here's your chance to jump on the avocado bandwagon, if you haven't already. Below are three of our favorite unusual avocado recipes.
Avocado, Lime & Coconut Popsicles
| PREP TIME | FREEZE TIME | SERVINGS |
| 10 minutes | 7 hours | 10 servings |
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large avocados, peeled & diced
- 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1½ cups coconut water (or just plain water)
DIRECTIONS
- In small bowl, mash together the avocado and honey. Then, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor.
- Next, add in lime juice, zest, and coconut water. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Finally, transfer the blend to popsicle molds and freeze.
Image and recipe courtesy of Port and Fin.
Avocado Pizza
| PREP TIME | FREEZE TIME | SERVINGS |
| 40 minutes | 10 minutes | 4 servings |
INGREDIENTS
Pizza Toppings
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed out overnight in refrigerator
- 1½ firm-ripe avocados, cubed ½ inch
- 2 med. tomatoes, seeded, cored and diced ½ inch
- ½ med. red onion, thinly sliced
- 1⅓ cups shredded Italian Five Cheese blend
Pizza Pesto
- 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup chopped cashews
- ¼ teaspoon honey
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 green onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ cup olive oil
Avocado Sauce
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ green onion, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- ½ avocado
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
Pizza Pesto & Avocado Sauce
- Create the sauce and pesto separately using a food processor. For each, combine the listed ingredients in the food processor until thoroughly mixed.
Assembling Pizza
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface ¼" thick (it does not have to be perfectly round).
- Pierce the puff pasty with a fork to prevent bubbling and transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet or pizza stone.
- Spread the pizza pesto evenly over the puff pasty and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden crisp around the edges.
- Remove the puff pasty from the oven and place the prepared tomatoes, red onions, and avocado on top.
- Drizzle with Avocado Sauce as much or as little as you like and enjoy!
Image and recipe courtesy of Little Broken.
Caprese Stuffed Avocados
| PREP TIME | FREEZE TIME | SERVINGS |
| 10 minutes | 0 minutes | servings |
INGREDIENTS
- 2 avocados, cut in half, stone and skin removed
- 1 cup salad greens
- 1 cup tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, diced
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction
DIRECTIONS
- In a small bowl, mix tomato, mozzarella and pesto until the mozzarella and tomato are evenly coated with pesto.
- Plate the avocado on the salad greens and top with the mixture of the tomato, mozzarella and pesto followed by a drizzle of the balsamic reduction.
Image and recipe courtesy of Closet Cooking.
We Want to Know
What's your favorite healthy avocado recipe? Let us know in a comment below.
