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Culinary

What is Avocado Oil?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated May 17, 2024
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Avocado oil is a plant oil extracted from the fruit of the avocado tree. This oil is often compared to olive oil because the profiles of the two oils are similar, and both are deemed healthy oils for use in cooking. Many grocery stores carry avocado oil and can order it by special request. It is also possible to order it through catalogs which supply oils, cooking supplies, and skin care supplies.

Somewhat unusually, avocado oil is made by pressing the fleshy fruit of the plant, rather than the stone. It has a distinct green color due to high chlorophyll content, and it has a characteristic avocado flavor which can carry other flavor notes, depending on how the oil has been processed and handled and the quality of the avocados it was pressed from. Avocado oil is fairly shelf stable, and will take some time to oxidize.

This oil has a very high smoking point. This makes it highly suitable for cooking, because people do not need to worry about breaking the oil down unless they are baking at extremely high temperature. However, because of the cost and flavor, people do not usually cook with avocado oil, as it would be rather wasteful. Instead, it is used as a flavoring and dressing oil. It also works well as a carrier oil for oil infusions, which is another way in which it can be used.

In addition to being used in cooking, avocado oil is also suitable for skin care. It is high in vitamin E, which can improve the condition of the skin, and it can be used to moisturize, soothe irritated skin, and keep skin smooth. Avocado oil may be blended into skincare products like soaps and lotions in addition to being used on its own, and it can also be used to dress the hair, for people with dry hair who like to apply hair oils.

One thing to be careful about when buying avocado oil is to pay attention to the recommended uses. When it is intended for cosmetic purposes, sometimes ingredients are added to stabilize it. These ingredients may make it unsafe to consume. Food-grade oil, on the other hand, is safe to eat and can also be safely used as an oil for skin and hair treatment. If people are not sure about whether or not an oil is safe to eat, they should ask the manufacturer.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

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Discussion Comments

By bluespirit — On Sep 22, 2011

@geekish - I do not know what professionals may or may not use to keep their hair silky, shiny, and over-all healthy looking, but here are a few things I have learned from other women over the years that have helped my hair look silky, shiny, more healthy.

1. Use only cold water when shampooing and conditioning your hair. Hot water strips hair of its natural oils.

2. Leave shampoo in for at least five minutes. This will help soften and clean your hair more.

3. Leave conditioner in for five to ten minutes.

4. When blow-drying, use the cold-blast after using the heat, to set hair.

5. Use a very small amount of a thick gloss serum. Apply a drop to your palm and spread it on your hair with the palm of your hand. I am sure some nice thick gloss serums use avocado oil, or if not, they should!

By geekish — On Sep 21, 2011

I wanted to thank the writer of this article and the people who posted about the benefits of avocado oil.

I have chapped lips all year-round. It is nice to know that I can discontinue buying chap-stick every month and buy a bottle of avocado oil that will probably work better and last longer!

For the past couple years, I have dyed my hair a few times a year. My hair has lost some of it's shine and moisture probably partially due to this. I am excited that I can use the same bottle of avocado oil on my hair as well! I can not wait to have my beautiful, vibrant hair back!

Does anyone know what is used to make hair models' hair so sleek and shiny? I wonder if the product(s) that they use contains avocado oil...

By honeybees — On Sep 21, 2011

I am not surprised that avocado oil is so beneficial when it comes to skin care products. Avocados are such a healthy food that it just makes sense the oil would be beneficial for cooking as well as beauty products.

Some of the richest, most luxurious moisturizer I have is an avocado oil cream. I really feel like I treating my skin when I apply this to my face every morning and evening.

It almost feels like I am putting butter on my skin, but doesn't leave a greasy residue.

By SarahSon — On Sep 21, 2011

I make some of my own skin care products with beeswax and natural oils and butters. Avocado oil for the skin has a lot of benefits. This oil has natural vitamins and can really penetrate deep into the skin bringing softness and healing.

I will use this in my beeswax lotion bars and it really goes a long way at keeping the skin soft and smooth.

When I make my beeswax lip balm, I will use both almond oil and avocado oil. I haven't found much difference in the quality of the finished product. It usually just depends on which oil I have on hand.

By KaBoom — On Sep 20, 2011

@SZapper - That sounds like a nice, natural way to get healthy hair.

I love avocados, but I didn't know they made avocado oil until recently. I actually had an avocado oil based salad dressing in a restaurant recently, and I loved it! Avocado oil for cooking is pretty expensive though, so I haven't been brave enough to try it at home yet. I don't want to buy that expensive oil and then mess up the dressing!

By SZapper — On Sep 20, 2011

One of my friends has really long, beautiful hair. When I asked her about her hair care regimen awhile back, she told me one of the things she does is an avocado oil treatment!

Instead of buying hot oil from the store, she uses avocado oil. She warms it up, and then coats the ends of her hair with it. She lets it sit for about an hour and then washes the oil out thoroughly.

She told me her hair didn't look nearly as good before she started using the avocado oil! I was so impressed that I ordered some avocado oil off the Internet. It should be arriving any day now!

By serenesurface — On Sep 19, 2011

I've been using avocado oil for skin care for the past couple of years. I heard about it from a friend who said that it's great for chapped lips. We have really cold and snowy winters in Minnesota and the effects on skin take a toll after a while.

I followed my friend's advice and picked up some avocado oil from the organic store then. It really is great for lips. I also apply it on my face once a week before showering to moisturize and it's really made a difference with some fine lines and wrinkles under my eyes.

It's not a very cheap oil, so I don't plan on cooking with it. But it's totally worth it for skin care as it comes out to be cheaper than skin care products and a little goes a long way.

By popcorn — On Sep 19, 2011

@Mae82 - Substituting avocado oil for your regular olive oil is a good start, but remember that olive oil has a ton of benefits as well. If you want to use avocado cooking oil, it is a good idea to find some recipes that specifically call for it.

Some of my favorite recipes that let me reap all of the avocado oil benefits include making avocado oil and garlic mushrooms, with BBQ Avocado and Ginger Prawns. The dishes are delicious together and pretty easy to make overall.

If you go online and search for recipes that take advantage of avocado oil's distinct taste, I am pretty sure you'll be happy with the results.

By Mae82 — On Sep 18, 2011

My local market actually got in some organic avocado oil and I was really curious about it. I do a lot of cooking at home and am always trying to find something new to spend my time on.

Avocado oil has a ton of benefits which include helping your skin and hair look better, as well as doing wonders for your heart health. I have read that avocado oil helps with your cholesterol levels and can keep your circulatory system clean.

Right now I haven't found a lot of specific avocado oil uses, so I am just replacing the olive oil I use in some dishes with it. So far the taste isn't noticeably different, but hopefully the health benefits will be.

Mary McMahon

Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

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