Avocado Oil
Avocados are a valuable fruits which are cultivated in tropical climates for commercial purposes throughout the world. For example, in temperate areas like California, Avocado is very popular. The fruits produced by Avocado trees are green-skinned, pear-shaped and ripens after harvesting. Avocado or alligator pear is a large berry that contains a large seed and the fruit of the tree, is pear-shaped, egg-shaped or spherical. The tree grows to a height of 69 ft, with leaves that are alternately arranged and range from 12 cm to 25 cm in length. The flowers are greenish-yellow and are very inconspicuous. They range from 5 millimeters – 10 millimetres in width. The pear-shaped fruit is 7 cm – 20 cm in length, weighs between 100 to 1,000 gm in weight and has a large seed in the center.
Common Name : Avocado
Latin Name: Persea americana
The Avocado is native to Puebla and Mexico and belongs to the family of Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. Avocado tree grows in the wild and is believed to have originated in Central America. Avocado is mainly cultivated for its high quality fruits. The tree finds major importance in countries such as Spain, Israel and South Africa. The propagation of the avocado tree is carried out using seeds from ripened fruits. To maintain a predictable quality and quantity of fruit sometimes, the trees self-pollinate and propagate through grafting. When the fruits are fully ripe, harvesting of the fruits is done. The leaves of the avocado tree are plucked whenever needed to prepare various commercial and herbal products. Leaves and bark of the plant contains volatile oil like methylchavicol, alpha-pinene, flavonoids, tannins, while the fruit pulp contain unsaturated fats, protein, sesquiterpenes, vitamins A, B1, B2.
Uses: Avocado Oil is well known as a nourishing oil for both skin and hair. Avocado Oil contains essential minerals and trace minerals that are rich in Vitamin A. Its properties along with its unique texture makes it suitable for use in hair care. Due to its aroma and thick, oily consistency, Avocado Oil is typically used at a low ratio, that is , it needs to be highly diluted to make it blend with other formulations. It is used in treating wounds, it is made into herbal poultice for and spread on affected areas of the body. It helps to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease to about 30-40%. The oil is massaged into the scalp of patients, to improve the growth rate of hair on the head.
