Avocado. Can it do no wrong? Adorning sourdough toast across the globe, sitting under poached eggs and such, this green fruit just goes from strength to strength. Its reach knows no bounds. And just when you thought you couldn’t love avocado with any more gusto, it emerges that it has properties which can make you look younger, more radiant and give you the good glow of youth. At this stage, as is necessary with any discussion about avos, a spoiler is necessary. So, we ask you to proceed with caution and conscientiousness. With this, ethical practices and all, in mind, here are 5 IDEAL beautifying uses for avocado.
The Beauty Benefits of Actually Eating The Stuff
Picture this. Your night shift at the hospital has come to an end. You’re feeling worn out, hungry, and the effects of a long shift have taken their toll on your complexion. You shed yourself of your scrubs, and hit the road with breakfast and beauty both at the forefront of your mind. You reach, automatically, for the avocado.
It’s a versatile ingredient, delicious and beautifying in equal measure. We all know what to eat them with (you’ve looked at Instagram recently, right?), but the positive impact on our hair and skin has been less well documented.
Avocados are high in biotin, which stops hair getting dry and keeps skin moisturized. Also, they contain sterolins, which help produces collagen and prevent acne.
Make an Avocado Face Mask
Applying food to your skin in the name of lookin good may seem counter-intuitive, but bear with us, as an avocado can be turned into a moisturizing face mask. All you have to do is mash up half an avocado or whole one, depending on how much skin you want to cover, and mix in:
– One egg
– 1 tbsp. coconut oil
– 1 tsp. baking soda
– 1 tbsp. Greek yogurt
– 1 tsp. honey
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly by hand or in a blender for better results. Once they are all are mixed, apply to dry, clean skin. Leave this mixture on your face for 10 minutes or until you feel that the mask is about to dry. Once you have reached that point, use warm water to remove the mask. Use a soft cloth to gently dry your face, and continue hydrating your skin with your moisturizing cream. This mask solution should be used right after preparing. Unfortunately avocados do not store all that well after they are opened, so make your mask right before you actually want to use it. All the ingredients are natural and good for your skin, so what are you waiting for?
Make an Avocado Foot Scrub from the Stone
We love using everything at IDEAL and hate waste, so why not keep the leftover pit (the stone) and make it into a foot scrub? So, next time you eat an avocado, keep the waste. Save the pit and let it dry out for a couple of days. After which grind it until gritty. Mix in 1 tsp. of sea salt or coarse salt and 1/3 cup of cornmeal. Rub this solution on the area that is dry and leave on for a couple of minutes. Use the peel to rub the calloused area until it is well moisturized. You do not need to rinse the area you rubbed with the peel. Thankfully any leftover residue from the avocados will soak into your skin and work as a moisturizer.
Counter Puffy Eyes with Slices of Avo
Instead of expensive eye cream, a slice of fridge cold avocado placed under each eye can reduce puffy eyes and bags. Simply make two small slices, recline in your favourite seat facing skyward and rest the slices on the offending area. Sit pretty for 15 or so minutes and then carefully remove. Finally, place your face in front of a mirror and admire the radiant, youthful face looking back at you.
Use It to Soothe Sunburn
If you’ve spent a little too long in the sun and have some patches of red and burn, soothe the inflammation with a mixture of mashed up avocado, olive oil and a touch of aloe vera.
