Not only weren’t avocados as popular as they are today; they originally were not called avocados. That changed in the early 1900s, as the popularity of the fruit grew and commercial production began to take off.
However, California farmers realized they had a marketing problem. The original name of the avocado was ahuacate. But the Spanish name with Aztec origins was difficult for Americans to pronounce. Optionally, alligator pear was proposed for the name, but it, too, was unappealing. It was then that the name avocado emerged. Today, California accounts for nearly 90 percent of all avocados grown in the United States.[1]
Popularity today
In 1985, domestic consumption was just 436 million pounds. That number has increased six-fold to over 2.7 billion pounds of the fruit being consumed by Americans in 2020. [2] Avocados are considered a “super food,” packed with vitamins and essential amino acids for good health. Even better, Avocado Oil is good for your skin, too.
Skin benefits
Avocados are an abundant source of critical fatty acids and antioxidants -- the powerful Vitamin E the most notable -- to help prevent wrinkles and skin aging. Owing to its chemical properties and water-retaining qualities, Avocado Oil also acts as a moisturizer to promote soft and supple skin. And Avocado Oil is high in plant-based fats called sterolins, which have been known to produce skin collagen and reduce age spots.
Avocado Oil can be beneficial to dry and chapped skin because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Other skin benefits, according to Medical News Today, include: [3]
- The antioxidants and vitamins in Avocado Oil may help dry, irritated, and flaky skin that is associated with eczema and psoriasis.
- A 2013 study found that the essential fatty acids and oleic acid in Avocado Oil can promote collagen synthesis, which is the process of creating new connective tissue. The research suggests that Avocado Oil may help speed up wound healing.
- The antioxidants in Avocado Oil may help to ease the symptoms of a sunburn.
Body Luxe Hydrating Wrap
You’ll find Avocado Oil in BIOTONE Body Luxe Hydrating Wrap. Body Luxe Hydrating Wrap is a moisture-binding emollient that provides deep, lasting hydration and skin protection. This unique offering can be used in place of body mud in any spa treatment.
[1] Yoon, Howard, “What’s in a Name? The Avocado Story,” NPR, July 19, 2006. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5563805
[2] “Domestic avocado consumption in the United States from 1985 to 2021,” Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/591263/average-avocado-consumption-us-per-week/
[3] Barthum, Lana, “Eight benefits of avocado oil for the skin,” Medical News Today, April 19, 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321543#eight-benefits-for-the-skin