Have you tried using Avocado oil (Laurus persea) in your aromatherapy and massage blends? If not, I highly recommend this natural, fresh oil! While you and your clients enjoy the scent and texture of this carrier oil, it goes to work behind the scenes restoring and rejuvenating the skin naturally.

Avocado oil is highly penetrating, deeply nourishing and softens dryskin. It’s known to help the upper layers of the skin retain moisture. Repeated applications of moisturizing butters, oils or lotions made with Avocado oil reveal an increase of hydration of the upper layers of the skin, and an improvement of the skins elastic properties. Whether you’re looking for an oil to use as a carrier with essential oils or to blend with other moisturizing oils in a product, Avocado oil plays well with others.

How is the oil derived from the fruit we commonly know as a salad topping or the main ingredient in guacamole? Avocado oil is expressed from dried avocado fruit flesh. The fruit is peeled, the pit removed, and the fruit is sliced and dried to remove any water. The dried slices are cold-pressed to remove the oil. The process is time-consuming and complex—and true, organic, high quality, cold-pressed, unrefined oil is a real gem. Avocado oil has at least a one year shelf life, and it is recommended not to be kept in the refrigerator as it may forms deposits and congeal when chilled. As Avocado oil gets older, the color will turn from olive green to brown.

Refined Avocado oil is pale yellow, so it’s easy to distinguish between the refined and unrefined product. True, organic, high quality, cold pressed, unrefined oil is a dark olive green in color, somewhat thick, and very rich in texture. The aroma is similar to the ripe fruit, fresh and somewhat spicy/nutty.

Avocado oil is also high in sterolins, which are reputed to be beneficial in healing scars and helping the upper layers of the skin retain moisture. Oils with the highest levels of sterolins are Shea Butter, Avocado oil, Sesame oil, Soybean oil and Olive oil.

Here are some of the wonderful properties of Avocado Oil:

• Prevents chapping, cracks and stretch marks
• Ideal oil to offer light UV protection for the skin
• Excellent skin moisturizer
• High degree of penetration into the epidermis
• Promotes cell regeneration
• Used for skin inflammation
• Used to clean the skin
• High in Vitamin D, useful for people living in low-sunshine areas
• Used for post-menopausal women who have aging skin

Remember to always consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before embarking on any treatment, it’s your health and it’s IMPORTANT. www.naturalcures.com/disclaimer

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Andrea Butje (8 Posts)

Aromahead Institute, owned by Andrea Butje, is a premier resource for aromatherapy information and instruction. The Institute offers exclusive online and in-person educational resources including a 200-hour Aromatherapy Certification Program and the Scholars Program, a 400-hour Certification Program. www.aromahead.com Social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, YouTube, Aromahead blog, Aromahead newsletters, Flickr, Purchase Essential Living: Aromatherapy Recipes for Health and Home. Alternatively, you can visit the Aromahead website or email Andrea