People hail avocados as a superfood, and it is no surprise why. Like olive oil, avocado oil is very common in our diets due to its many incredible benefits. Avocados are filled with anti-inflammatory nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fats, and antioxidants. These compounds work together to boost your health and strengthen your hair. As a result, it's appearing more and more in hair care and skin care (hence the rising popularity of the avocado hair mask).

Avocados contain a unique lineup of nutrients, and there are numerous ways to tap into their benefits. To hone in on the benefits specific to hair, we need to become familiar with these nutrients and their effects. That will grant us the keys to understanding how avocado oil(derived from oil) protects hair.

Ready to try it? Avocado oil is one of the key ingredients in our Restoring Conditioner!

What is a Carotenoid? Why Is It Important?

Carotenoids are brightly colored pigments found in fruits and vegetables. They are often bright shades of red, yellow, and orange. Carotenoids are essential to consume because they are fat-soluble and act as antioxidants in the body.

Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lutein are three carotenoids found in avocados that help reduce cell damage. They fight cancer and combat cardiovascular diseases. The problem is that our bodies don't always absorb these antioxidants as well as they should.

Research shows that even a little avocado oil helps your body absorb up to 15 times more carotenoids! Most foods high in carotenoids are low in fat, but avocados are a stunning exception. They are one of the highest fat-content fruits globally, making them uniquely effective against cancer and aging.

Carotenoids protect against UV damage in the skin (such as aging or wrinkles), and the oil makes these antioxidants more bioavailable. Practically, it means the fat content in avocados is the real key to many of the protective benefits we want for our health and our hair.

How Fat Boosts Your Hair Health 

Avocado oil is an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. The type of monounsaturated fat in avocado oil is called oleic acid. Many studies show oleic acid can reduce inflammation and help fight cancer. These same fatty acids also protect hair and skin, feeding them extra moisture and nutrients.

Inside the fat of an avocado is a high concentration of vitamin E. The polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols in vitamin E reduce skin damage, lessen wrinkles, and tighten skin. That means that while we primarily eat avocados to reap their protective benefits, another route to get their benefits is through topical application.

The oil has great moisturizing properties, penetrating the hair shaft to moisturize, which is a saving grace, especially for our friends with curly hair or anyone who experiences dandruff. Avocado is also an uncommon allergen, so it's safely used in many beauty products.

It is the vitamin E delivered by avocado oil that is responsible for soothing and reducing scalp damage. Vitamin B works in tandem by promoting natural hair growth. Together the vitamins and fatty acids restore and protect the hair, stop hair loss and breakage, add hydration, fight hair thinning, and promote thickness!

Real Causes of Hair Loss 

Stress has a stronger connection to hair than we realize. Most of us are familiar with mental and emotional stress, but physical stressors also dramatically impact our bodies.

Physical stressors may look different than we think. While we should consider how we physically handle our hair (wearing it up too tight, applying excessive heat, etc.), we must also consider ingredients, especially chemicals. Most hair products contain harmful toxins that cause dryness, irritation, and a general weakening of the hair and scalp.

Identifying Physical Stressors Leading to Hair Loss 

Aerosol sprays are one of the main culprits of damaged hair. They can dry out your hair in as little as ten seconds if any heat is applied.

Since aerosol sprays are often repeatedly used, this causes long-term damage and eventually can lead to hair loss. Years of spraying chemicals onto our scalps contribute to dry, itchy skin. While other causes can play a role, these chemicals are a physical stressor that upsets the balance of our scalp and hair health.

Too many hair care products (including shampoos and conditioners) contain harmful chemicals, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). Sulfates are responsible for dry skin, irritations, and even allergies. They cause a host of inflammatory responses (itchiness, eczema, etc.) and strip the natural oils your body produces to protect your hair and skin. That's why it's important to double-check for ingredients that could be harmful to you. Otherwise, more severe conditions could develop with time.

But there is hope, even after years of frequent use!

Avoiding those toxins and replacing them with natural ingredients can help repair the damage. Rather than stripping the hair with chemicals, the hair and scalp should be fed good nutrients to restore them to their natural glory.

Avocado oil is a nourishing ingredient that helps the body repair itself. Its unique set of nutrients helps hydrate and retain the moisture your hair and scalp need, promotes hair growth, and strengthens your hair. They benefit the body both in consumption and topical application.

Restoring Healthy Hair and Boosting Overall Wellness 

While there are other environmental contributors to mental and emotional stress, having a well-rounded intake of powerful nutrients can help combat stress in your life. In addition to your other regular wellness practices, food should certainly be considered.

Avocado oil is potent with many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty alcohols that most people don't consume enough for a balanced intake of nutrients.

Simply consuming avocado oil can help restore the internal balance of hormones and help reduce inflammation and stress. But applying avocado oil as a hair conditioner is another great way to boost overall hair and skin health. It aids hair and scalp health by:

• Reducing inflammation (through oleic acid)
• Protecting against UV damage (the antioxidants make it like sunscreen for hair)
• Boosting hair growth (through vitamin B)
• Moisturizing dry hair and soothing damage to the scalp
• Fighting frizz and restoring brittle hair (which also helps with styling)

These days, nearly every grocery store offers multiple options for any ingredient you would want, avocados included! But clean, sustainably sourced avocado oil - whether for your body or your hair - can be hard to find.

So we did the hard work for you!

We source the purest avocado oil we can find to use in our Restoring Conditioner. We skip the toxins, using only the strongest, cleanest superfoods (like shea butter and coconut oil) to revitalize and restore your hair and scalp health. Not only are these ingredients healthier than chemical alternatives, but they're far more effective and safe for the whole family!

So, what do you say? Upgrade your haircare routine and join the Wellnesse family today. You won't regret it!

Resources 

1. Wells, Katie. (2012, May 14). The Importance of Balancing Stress Hormones. Wellness Mama. Retrieved from https://wellnessmama.com/4925/balancing-stress-hormones/

2. Wells, Katie. (2020, January 24). Health Benefits of Avocado Oil: Is It Healthier Than Coconut Oil? Wellness Mama. Retrieved from https://wellnessmama.com/123677/avocado-oil/