Avocados can be used for a variety of home remedies — you just need a little imagination. An avocado can be eaten, sure, but it also has health- and beauty-related uses that many people don’t realize. Here are several ways to turn a piece of fruit into green gold, from having glowing skin and hair to revamping your wardrobe.

Treating a sunburn

Packed with healthy fats, antioxidants and minerals that help nourish and hydrate the body, the avocado is an amazing ingredient to use against sunburns. Since the inside of an avocado is creamy, it’s easy to mix it up and spread on a burn. For extra strength you can add aloe vera. Not only does this help the damaged skin, but it also helps to prevent chafing.

Face mask

Similar to the sunburn remedy, all you need to do to make a face mask is smash the creamy inside of the avocado into a paste. You can just use this, or you can mix it up with some extra add-ins like yogurt or honey.

Once you have the paste, apply it all over your face, then wash it off after a while with some warm water. The avocado’s natural oils will seep into your face, helping to moisturize and penetrate deep into the skin to help rehydrate and remove dry patches. The mask can also help get rid of dark bags under the eyes.

Deep-conditioning hair mask

Dry and frizzy hair can be a common enemy for many. The cold weather attacks and dries out your scalp as much as hot summer weather does. To avoid a messed-up hairdo, some people turn to expensive oils and conditioners, but there is a simple solution. An avocado deep-conditioning hair mask will help you achieve a healthy scalp and hair and can be made from ingredients you might already have handy: an avocado, an egg and some essential oils.

Fabric dye

The most surprising use for an avocado that I found was as a dye for clothes. The rind and the pit of an avocado give off two different colors. Skins tend to give colors that are redder, while pits give more apricot-like colors. The process of making the dye is a little complex because you have to cook it and then let it sit. Avocados make a great dye for yarn, wool and silk plant fibers.

Who knew that a trendy ingredient like the avocado could be used in such a variety of ways? From being spread on toast to making dyes, avocados seem to be a solution for any problem.

Taylor Lucero is a sophomore information management and technology major who is hoping to pursue a career in cybersecurity. His other passions include tasting food, sipping coffee, hugging dogs and taking the occasional power nap. He can be reached at tlucero@syr.edu.

Published on April 3, 2018 at 10:57 pm