Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil

What Is It?

Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil is clear, yellow-green oil obtained from the avocado fruit. In cosmetics and personal care products, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil is used in many different products, including bath products, eye makeup, lipstick, makeup bases, cleansing cream, hair conditioners, sunscreen lotions, as well skin and hair care products.

Why Is It Used?

Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil functions as a skin conditioning agent – occlusive.

Scientific Facts

Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil is obtained by pressing dehydrated, sliced avocados of Persea gratissima. Avocado Oil is rich in triglycerides of oleic acid and contains lesser amounts of palmitic, linoleic, and palmitoleic acids. The amount of fat in avocados varies depending on the area in which it is grown and the degree of ripeness of the fruit.

Safety Information

The safety of Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil was safe for use as used in cosmetics and personal care products. In 2001, as part of the scheduled re-evaluation of ingredients, the CIR Expert Panel considered available new data on Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil and reaffirmed the above conclusion.

CIR Safety Review: Products containing Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil were not a skin irritatants and did not result in sensitization or general toxicity. The wide use of avocados as food also supported the safety of this ingredient. The CIR Expert Panel concluded that Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil was safe as used in cosmetic products.

FDA includes avocados among the 20 most frequently consumed raw fruits and suggests that retailers provide nutrition information about the top 20 consumed fruits at the point of purchase.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr…

Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European Union.

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: 
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…

More Scientific Information

Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil functions as a skin conditioning agent – occlusive in cosmetics and personal care products. As an occlusive skin-conditioning agent, Avacado Oil retards the evaporation of water from the skin surface. By blocking the evaporative loss of water, occlusive materials increase the water content of skin. Occlusive agents are generally lipids which tend to remain on the skin surface.