In case you haven’t ventured on the internet in the past few years, coconut oil is all the rage. You can find a person saying “coconut oil cured my (insert anything you could think of here)!” It’s the miracle of oils, healthy to eat and amazing for your skin. I’ve seen all kinds of claims about it.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some coconut oil. I use it all the time! In food, in skincare recipes, and for my hair as well. There is reason for the hype. But I’ve been sensing a trend lately… a new miracle oil is emerging. Avocado oil!
And it makes sense. Avocados are not only incredibly delicious, but they are packed with nutrients. Like coconut oil, the oil is made from the flesh of the fruit and not the seeds, so it is very nutrient rich. It’s the new oil to look out for, and here are some reasons why:
1. subtle flavor
If you’re going to be cooking with an oil, avocado oil has a much more subtle flavor than coconut oil. It doesn’t overwhelm or change the flavor of your recipes.
2. high smoke point
Have you ever been cooking with oil and noticed it starts emitting lots and lots of smoke? That means the oil has reached its smoke point. Oils with a high smoke point can withstand higher temperatures before they start spewing smoke. Avocado oil has a smoke point of about 500°F whereas coconut oil has a smoke point of about 350°F.
3. doesn’t cause acne
According to lots of people, coconut oil will help get rid of your acne. But that isn’t quite accurate. Coconut oil is highly comedogenic, which means it has a high likelihood of clogging your pores. I learned this the hard way. It has the highest comedogenicity rating possible, a 5.
Avocado oil is much less comedogenic, so it’s suitable to use on your face if you are more acne prone. It has a rating of 2. That being said, comedogenic ratings aren’t perfect, so your skin may react differently. Personally, my skin loves avocado oil.
4. rich in beta-sitosterol
Beta-sitosterol is a plant ester that we have found to be highly beneficial. It is used to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Some even claim that helps prevent cancer, though I’m always more cautious to parrot those claims. It is also said to boost the immune system.
5. liquid at room temperature
I’m probably not the only one who has experienced some frustration with coconut oil’s reactiveness to temperature. It is solid at room temperature, but if it goes slightly above (76°F), it becomes liquid. In the summer my coconut oil changes form frequently, leaving me with difficulty controlling the texture of some of my homemade beauty products. But avocado oil is liquid at room temperature, so it wont change the texture of your products if it gets a little hot in the room.
6. monounsaturated fats
There’s a lot of debate right now about whether or not saturated fats are bad for you. For years we were told to eat less saturated fats because they increase your blood cholesterol level, but some people are now saying that’s inaccurate. It’s always a fun balance trying to figure out what nutrition guidelines to stick to.
That being said, coconut oil is very high in saturated fats. Avocado oil is low in saturated fats, but high in monounsaturated fats where are supposed to be the “healthy” good fats because they don’t raise cholesterol levels. Interpret this however you like- but if you avoid saturated fats, coconut oil isn’t your friend.
7. skin penetration
Coconut oil, while great for your skin and highly moisturizing, leaves your skin feeling quite greasy for a while. Avocado oil is absorbed more quickly by the skin, so you are left with less of a greasy feeling.
8. enhances absorption of other nutrients
A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that consuming avocados and avocado oil helps your body absorb carotenoids. Carotenoids are a nutrient humans can’t produce themselves, so they have to get it from fruit and vegetable sources. So if you eat a little avocado oil at the same time as your carrots and sweet potatoes, you reap more of the benefits of those foods.
9. vitamin E
Avocado oil is high in Vitamin E, which is great for your skin. It is supposed to reduce aging and be highly moisturizing. I frequently add vitamin E oil to my beauty recipes, but the ones that have avocado oil are getting even more!
so what do you think?
Now I’m not saying I’m going to throw coconut oil out of my repertoire, because I do still love it. But avocado oil is quickly making its way up my favorite ingredients list. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go!
Ronda says
Love your blog, it’s fun to read and very informative. I love eating avocado :) and to apply it in my hair, this is really interesting. I will definitely try this and hope to see good result. Thank you very much for sharing.
Carrie says
I love avocado oil! I am severely allergic to tree nuts (so that rules out shea, cocoa butter, almond oil, etc) and coconut. I was so frustrated because EVERY BLESSED cosmetic/hygiene product, natural cleaner, etc has coconut in it so I started making my own almost everything using avocado oil as a base. It is the only carrier oil I use. I make homemade chapstick that gets rave reviews by anyone who tries it. You can also get avocado butter, which is solid, to use as a lotion. Recently, though, I’ve just been mixing a few EOs into some avocado oil and using that instead of lotion. I’ve also used avocado oil with EOs and soy wax to make massage candles. Hello, bliss! Additionally, I use avocado oil almost exclusively in cooking and even in baking. It can be pretty expensive elsewhere, but Costco sells a large bottle for $11 or $12.