5 Ways Avocado Oil Benefits Your Hair: Curly, Straight, Natural or Permed

There’s a reason millennials love avocados so much. That’s because it’s delicious, quite versatile and super healthy when eaten or applied topically. Coconut oil rose to fame as the be-all-end-all for everything from weight loss to beauty treatments but today I’m sharing with you why avocado is actually the it girl we should all be praising. Pull up a chair and let me share with you how avocado oil benefits hair, nails, skin, waistline and just blesses your whole entire life honey.

It’s no secret by now that avocados are pure fat. Pure, delicious, creamy but more importantly, quite healthy fat. And we’re waking up to the realization that healthy fat is good for us! All that low fat mumbo jumbo we once believed? Garbage. Go ‘head and get your fat in dahlin. And just like avocados, the delicious creamy fruit, is good for you when eaten, when applied to your skin and hair it truly works wonders. Why is this so?

Well let’s look a little at the properties of avocado oil. Cold-pressed avocado oil that has not been processed by heat or any chemicals is a powerhouse.

What is Avocado Oil?

Avocado oil is extracted from the pulp of the avocado itself at a temperature low enough to not tamper with the natural composition of the oil. The resulting oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, specifically oleic and palmitoleic acids, and quite similar in profile to extra-virgin olive oil with one outstanding difference, its smoke point.

Avocado oil has a smoke point of around 500°F making it the perfect choice for frying, broiling and grilling whereas we all know extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) should really be used in light stir-fries and more so as salad dressings and in your dips. This is because EVOO has quite a low smoke point and will break down and become rancid really quickly if you attempt to cook with it at high temperatures.

Avocado oil is also very light in nature and one of the few oils that can actually penetrate your hair follicles, making it an excellent choice for moisturizing your skin and hair. It is less comedogenic than coconut oil meaning it may not clog your pores and lead to breakouts as surely as coconut oil does for me. This is why I prefer to use it in my beauty treatments to gain all its benefits.

Benefits of Avocado Oil for Hair

When avocado is pressed for its oil, we do lose some nutrients like Vitamin B and C however the resulting oil is still quite rich on other vitamins and minerals highly beneficial to your hair. It maintains the fatty acids that can help to seal your hair follicle, resulting in your hair being stronger, more elastic and resistant to split ends.

Avocado oil is also rich in biotin, Vitamins A, D and E, potassium and lecithin. It is also antioxidant in nature, which means that avocado oil can help your hair by adding moisture and strength to your hair while healing to repair any breakage and damage to your strands and scalp. Let’s look closely at these benefits.

Using Avocado Oil to Moisturize Hair

The essential fatty acids, particularly the oleic acid content of avocado oil allows it to penetrate your hair strands instead of just sitting on top of your hair like other oils. Hair that is well moisturized is less susceptible to breakage and is shiny and easier to maintain. Avocado oil is a great option for you if you use the LOC method to moisturize your natural hair.

Strengthen Hair

One study showed that the minerals found in avocado oil help to seal the cuticle which helps to prevent shedding and breakage. If your hair is breaking a lot and is in need of repair, give avocado oil the chance to repair your damaged hair.

Scalp Health

If you suffer from an itchy, flaky scalp, avocado oil’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may help to keep your scalp clear of the bacteria that cause these conditions. The fatty acids in the oil are also able to penetrate your scalp quickly, keeping it moisturized so you won’t suffer from dry scalp. Massage avocado oil into your scalp if you suffer from these conditions.

Hair Growth

Avocado oil will stimulate hair growth by helping to keep your hair healthy and moisturized. It’s rich in biotin and Vitamin D which are both beneficial to hair growth. Because it’s able to penetrate your hair cuticle and scalp, it’s also a great carrier oil for essential oils that stimulate hair growth, such as peppermint and lavender.

To use avocado oil for hair growth, mix one ounce of pure avocado oil with 4 drops peppermint essential oil and 4 drops lavender essential oil. Massage this oil into your scalp and through your hair twice per week to help stimulate hair growth.

UV Protection

Avocado oil is rich in Vitamin E which makes it helpful against harmful UV rays which can dry out and damage your hair. This makes it an ideal oil for everyday use especially in the summertime.

4 Ways to Use Avocado Oil in Your Hair

The four ways I suggest you use avocado oil in your hair for maximum benefit are:

• as a pre-poo to wash day
• as a hot oil treatment
• as a deep conditioner
• as a moisturizer in your wash day routine

Avocado Oil Pre-Poo Treatment

A pre-poo is an oil based treatment used to help safeguard your hair from the surfactants in your shampoo plus all the agitation your hair will endure on wash day. It’s meant to provide extra protection to it will come out soft and moisturized after your wash day by helping to coat your strands in moisture making it easier to detangle.

To use avocado oil as a pre-poo, simple apply enough oil to your strands to coat it all and wrap it up in a plastic cap. You can leave avocado oil on your hair overnight or at least for an hour before you plan to wash. This is also a good step to add in any essential oils to your avocado oil to boost growth or other benefits.

Avocado Hot Oil Treatment

Applying a hot oil treatment works similarly to a pre-poo but it works if you only have 15 minutes to spare. Warm enough avocado oil in a saucepan or in the microwave to cover all strands. Go as warm as you can manage without burning your hands or scalp. Apply it to your hair then cover with a steam cap and either cover with a warm towel, sit under a hooded dryer, or use a cordless steam cap such as this. You only need about 15 minutes. The heat will help the oil to penetrate your hair and scalp much quicker.

Avocado Oil Deep Conditioner

If you like to make your own deep conditioning treatments like I do then you can use avocado oil in my aloe vera mask or my whipped shea butter deep conditioner. You can also purchase store-bought avocado deep conditioners like this one.

Avocado Oil Moisturizer

Finally, you can simply keep the pure oil on hand to use in your wash day routine after your leave-in conditioner and either before or after your cream-based moisturizer and sealant. It’s a great oil to keep handy as it’s the best oil to use in frying and broiling and any other cooking method that requires a high smoke point.

Avocado oil truly is a great oil to incorporate in your beauty regimen for both your skin and your hair. It’s quite healthy internally too and I love an oil that’s multi-purpose. Remember that healthy hair always starts from the inside so to get the most benefits of avocado for hair, your best bet is to eat fresh avocados more. It’s delicious and makes your green smoothie and salads quite creamy and filling!

Do you currently use avocado oil in your hair?