Miracle skin care for Mum and Bub

If you thought avocado was simply something tasty to spread on your toast or pop in your cheese sandwich, think again!

Tammy Fenner, Founder of Avado Organics, learnt about the unique skin care properties of the lowly avocado – such as its ability to calm sensitive skin, reverse skin ageing, fight cancer and reduce sun damage – and decided to create a skin care line based on pure certified organic avocado oil.

We chat to Tammy to discover more about Avado Organics and the fascinating properties of avocado…

What prompted you to create Avado Organics?

“The opportunity to start Avado came from Lucy, my second daughter, who had sensitive skin.  My mother, who was involved in avocado orchards and tourism at the time, suggested that I try the avocado oil on Lucy’s skin as she had experienced first hand how healing the oil was. After trying many different products I stopped using everything and instead put avocado oil in Lucy’s bath. It worked like a miracle and from there Avado was born.”

How does avocado oil compare to olive oil in terms of its skin benefits?

“Even though olive oil is high in valuable nutrients, avocado oil exceeds those nutrients in almost all areas. Avocado oil has a much higher concentration of mono-unsaturated fats. Because of this it is able to penetrate deeper into the skin, making it an ideal base for use in skin and massage lotions. Its healing and antibacterial properties are also higher [and in addition it offers] the ability to fight against cancer and other diseases. Avocado oil has the ability to block the harmful rays of the sun better than any other oil available. Most importantly, avocado oil contains the only known natural source of the age-reversing ingredient Avocare PFE (all others are synthetic).”

Is there study to back up the anti-ageing claims?

“Avocado oil was found to protect skin from ageing effects and cancer by a study published in October 2010 “Archives of Dermatological Research.” Certain lipid molecules unique to avocado oil, known as polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols, were tested and found to reduce ultraviolet light damage and inflammation. Use of avocado oil prior to ultraviolet light exposure was protective and application of avocado oil to damaged skin significantly reduced cellular damage.

“Importantly, the research showed avocados have the unique ability to reverse sun damage. The active ingredient, Avocare PFE, is not found in any other plant.
Rubbing avocado regularly on the face is great for moisturising, but it doesn’t provide enough of the active compound to repair UV damage.  Using certified organic avocado oil will provide enough of the active compound which you can’t get from using just the avocado fruit itself. “

Bh member Missteaaddict asks: For someone who is already a convert to using natural skin care products, what is it about Avado that sets your products apart from the hundreds of other natural/organic brands out there?

“I agree, there are many products claiming to be natural or organic.  Our biggest challenge is to help the consumer understand what organic means and then select products that are really organic.

“To be classified as Australian Certified Organic, skin care and other products must contain 95 per cent certified organic ingredients with the remaining five per cent being restricted to natural ingredients which meet stringent requirements. In Australia this includes no synthetic ingredients at all (including no nature identical). The list of what can be used is listed on the Australian Certified Organic website.”

Many Avado Organics products contain calendula and chamomile extract. What are the benefits of both these botanicals?

“Calendula, or pot marigold, is a common plant native to Mediterranean countries. Calendula was carried by soldiers as their first aid kit and is well regarded for treatment of wounds and ulcers with its medicinal features often being the only thing stopping a wound from becoming septic. Modern science has investigated the claims of calendula being for wound healing and found it has significant benefits when used on inflamed skin and has good anti-viral properties.

“Chamomile dates back at least to the time of the Ancient Egyptians, when it was dedicated to their sun god for being a cure for the ‘Ague’ (What we would now probably describe as acute fever). Chamomile is mentioned as an herb during the middle ages and is one of the ‘Nine Sacred Herbs’ of the Anglo Saxons. Chamomile is the one ingredient found in all love potions and mentioned in Greek mythology as used by the gods.

“Chamomile extract contains active flavonoid and essential oil compounds, which have anti-inflammatory properties. This appears to be as it inhibits the release of histamines, has anti-free radical action and is an inhibition of the super oxide radical synthesis.

“In every day terms it is great for the skin and reduces skin irritations.”

What’s your favourite product in the Avado Organics range?

“My favourite product would have to be the Avado avocado oil. It is a fantastic moisturiser and also has so many other uses. The kids love to use it on their skin if they fall over and graze themselves as it takes the sting out of the graze and doesn’t hurt when they put it on. With its antibacterial properties it is also a great healing oil.”

Tammy also whispered to us that there are “quite a few new products in the pipeline for adults and babies,” which she hopes will be on shelves early in the new year. Want to know more about Avado Organics? Check out all the products here…

WIN 1 of 6 Steelcraft Strider Prams valued at $699

Quick, but one or more Avado products between now and October 3rd and be prepared to reveal (in 25 words or less) why the use of organic and natural products in important to you and you could be in the running to win a Steelcraft pram valued at $699.

Visit http://www.avadoorganics.com.au/priceline to enter…