Avocado is excellent to enjoy in salads or to prepare delicious sauces, but it can also become a precious cosmetic for the beauty and health of hair, especially in these late summer days when our hair is more weakened, having been subjected to wind, sea and sun. Let's see what science says about the cosmetic properties of avocado and how to use this fruit to create a powerful and beneficial mask for hair and scalp at home in just a few steps.
Avocado for hair, what science says
Avocado is the fruit of the Persea Americana plant. The avocado pulp contains minerals, such as potassium and magnesium, vitamins, among which vitamin E stands out, and fatty acids, especially unsaturated ones, with oleic acid present in a percentage that can reach 50%. Then follows palmitic acid, which is a saturated fatty acid, with a percentage between 20 and 25%, and, to a lesser extent, linoleic acid, which is an unsaturated fatty acid (Flores et al, Molecules, 2019). These substances, when applied topically to the hair and scalp, have demonstrated important benefits. In fact, vitamin E counteracts free radicals, stimulates hair growth and helps reduce inflammation that can affect the scalp, also making it more elastic (Pincemail et al, Antioxidats, 2022 - Ahn et al, Pharmaceutics, 2020). Oleic acid and linoleic acid stimulate hair growth (Zhou et al, Molecules, 2022). In addition, linoleic acid prevents and alleviates, if already present, conditions such as scalp dermatitis and even alopecia (Natarelli et al, J Clin Med, 2023). Finally, avocado nourishes and hydrates (Lin et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2018).
Avocado, the DIY hair mask
Making an avocado mask at home is really very simple. Mash the avocado pulp with a fork and add a little almond milk, to give the right creaminess, and a teaspoon of coconut oil, mix. Almond milk, if applied topically, is an excellent cosmetic for the hair as it improves microcirculation and combats dry and dehydrated hair, while coconut oil is one of the few oils capable of preventing protein loss of the hair, protecting and strengthening the hair (Barral Martinez et al, Foods, 2021 - Rele et al, J Cosmet Sci, 2003). In case of itchy scalp, dandruff and irritation you can add 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel. Moisten your head and hair and apply the mask to the scalp with a massage, then distribute over the lengths up to the ends. Leave on for 15 minutes, then wash with shampoo. If necessary, you can do a second shampoo, then continue with the conditioner. If you have never used avocado topically, the advice is to first carry out a test, applying a little avocado pulp to a small area of skin and checking that there is no irritation or allergic reaction.
