Avocado oil for skin: an ally for skin barrier and antioxidant activity

The rise of avocado oil for skin comes as no surprise at a time when the avocado hype has taken the world by storm. 

Driven by this fruit’s nutrient-packed composition, the reputation of avocado as a superfood has skyrocketed recently, leading to some outstanding figures: while the avocado market size was estimated at USD 22.69 billion in 2024, it is expected to reach USD 35.55 billion by 2029, with growth at a CAGR of 9.40%, according to Mordor Intelligence.

Inscribed within the superfood-to-cosmetic-ingredient trend, avocado oil for skin represents a natural evolution from this product’s already mature presence in the market. As the health benefits of avocado are already incorporated into diets around the world, the introduction of avocado in the cosmetic industry was only a matter of time for health-conscious consumers. 

This trend must however be nuanced by consumers’ preferences for natural ingredients that are sustainably sourced, as shown by the preference for sustainable, plant-based oils. It’s precisely at the intersection of these trends that the rise of avocado oil for skin must be understood.

What is avocado oil for skin?

Avocado oil is a plant-based oil derived from Persea gratissima Gaertn (commonly known as avocado tree). Rich in fatty acids, palmitic acid and a number of vitamins and minerals, this fruit is native to South America (its name derives from the Aztec word ahuacatkl) and its traditional uses include nourishment, but also medicine and cosmetics.

Avocado oil for skin is made by extracting the oil from the fruit’s flesh through various processes, including cold-pressing, so that the oil’s natural nutrients and beneficial properties are preserved. After being refined, it presents a light color, clear appearance and a neutral scent. 

Avocado oil for skin: a beneficial composition

Its nutrient and biochemical composition reveals the outstanding potential of avocado oil for skin and cosmetic purposes:

• Lipids: the major fatty acid of avocado is oleic, followed by palmitic and linoleic acids. Fatty acids present in trace amounts include myristic, stearic, linoleic, and arachidonic (Kadam & Salunkhe, 1995).
• Vitamins: vitamin A, E and D (Batista et al., 1993).
• Minerals: it contains a larger mineral proportion than other fruits, with the minerals in avocado being potassium, manganese, phosphorus and silicon.

Is avocado oil good for the skin? Beneficial skin barrier effects and antioxidant activity

It’s precisely in the lipids and vitamin A, E and D content of avocado oil that its major cosmetic properties are born: its extraordinary transepidermal penetration capacity, its high moisturizing and emollient power and its dominant antioxidant activity:

Skin barrier repairing activity

Because of its chemical composition, avocado oil generates a deep nourishment for the skin, smoothing the epidermis and relieving skin desquamation. 

The lipophilic nature of avocado oil means it is easily absorbed by the skin and efficiently prevents transepidermal water loss, contributing to maintaining the skin’s barrier function. Additionally, the emollient properties of lipids and oils translate into deep moisture, smoothness and flexibility.

In fact, avocado oil for skin can be an invaluable ally for fatty acid deficiency, which produces skin lesions and deterioration resulting in desquamation, dry skin and reduced skin flexibility and smoothness. In this scenario, avocado oil’s rich content in fatty acid (especially oleic) offers unparallelled repairing activity.

The vitamin content in avocado oil for skin further enhanced this repairing activity: on the one hand, Vitamin E offers outstanding moisturizing activity, helping retain water in the skin; on the other hand, vitamin A helps skin remain soft and plump, and improves the skin’s water barrier properties. In fact, there is evidence that this vitamin can also alter or modulate collagen synthesis (Idosn B, 1993).

Antioxidant activity

Avocado oil for skin also acts as a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger, thanks to its high content of vitamin E (α-tocopherol, a very efficient antioxidant agent).

Tocopherols are active principles that protect oils, cell membrane lipids and cell organelles from oxidation; more specifically, α- tocopherol (vitamin E) has the strongest biological activity in the organism, resulting in: 

• The reduction of the formation of lipoperoxides in the skin, which destabilize the cell membrane and produce skin aging.
• Free radical scavenger activity, which protects the cells against free radicals, released by the lipoperoxides, also involved in skin aging.

Avocado oil for skin: the new ally for advanced natural cosmetics

The two formidable advantages we have just described establish avocado oil for skin as a new hero ingredient to formulate cosmetic products that protect skin integrity from oxidative processes; as well as cosmetic products with moisturizing and emollient activities.

In the quest for innovative formulas that meet present consumer demands, sourcing Provital’s sustainable Avocado Oil stands out as a solid bet.