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What is avocado oil?
You may be surprised to know that your beloved avocados are actually a type of berry! Avocado oil is pressed from the pulp of the fruit, and contains a lot of essential nutrients, which makes it excellent for cooking with. In addition, this practically colorless, odorless oil also has a lot of benefits when applied to your skin.
What is it best for?
Avocado oil can be used as an excellent all-natural foundation for makeup. It’s natural moisturizing properties can help with skin dryness or irritation, as well as reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Iit even can offer some protection from UV damage. These properties make avocado oil a great ingredient for anti-aging products.
This versatile oil can be used to treat psoriasis, and its anti-inflammatory effects can help reduce the appearance of skin conditions like rosacea, acne, and eczema.
What is the drawback?
In some people, avocado oil may cause an allergic reaction, which may culminate in itchiness and other symptoms. In addition, it is relatively expensive. Also, this oil’s properties are quite mild, so you may not see the results you’re hoping for. Finally, avocado oil may irritate sensitive skin, so it isn’t suitable for all skin types.
Melasma is a specific example of hyperpigmentation. Melasma looks like whole patches of brown or darker skin across the parts of the face and neck. Melasma is common among women who are pregnant - it’s even referred to as “the mask of pregnancy.” But melasma can occur in both men and women who are not pregnant, too. Melasma can be caused by UV damage, but there are also genetic, hormonal, and medication-induced causes for melasma, too.
There are a variety of topical ingredients that can be used to lighten the skin from melasma or reduce its appearance. Each ingredient works in different ways, and each has their own benefits and drawbacks. hydroquinone, arbutin, vitamin C (ascorbic acid, and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, etc) are some of the most commonly used ingredients for melasma treatment.
Hydroquinone is a skin lightening cream that works by suppressing the production of melanin. There are drawbacks to using hydroquinone, however, including cancer risks demonstrated by recent scientific studies, as well as hydroquinone-induced ochronosis.
Arbutin is a synthesized derivative of hydroquinone. It acts as a powerful skin lightening ointment that works a bit differently than hydroquinone. It blocks the production of melanin instead of “bleaching” the skin.
Vitamin C can be used as a brightening agent to lighten the hyperpigmentation of your sunspots or melasma. It works by inhibiting the enzyme tyrosinase, preventing the formation of melatonin.
Ascorbic Acid is actually the formal scientific name for one form of Vitamin C. It can refer to either a naturally occurring Vitamin C found in foods such as citrus, or a synthetic form of ascorbic acid created to be more shelf-stable for skincare products like discoloration repair lotions and creams.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is another form of Vitamin C. By synthesizing this compound from Vitamin C, dermatologists are able to give us all the benefits of Vitamin C in a more shelf-stable form that can also be soluble in oil to make more effective, deeper penetrating skin products. (Herndon 2016)
Ingredients in the vitamin A family (ie. Retinol, tretinoin, etc) and acids (glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid) help damaged pigmented skin cells shred faster, so they also help with melasma.
Avocado oil may be effective for melasma, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
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