How cooking with avocado oil can clear up your complexion

Unlike its nutrient-rich, flaxseed and pumpkin-oil cousins, which, although nutrient-dense, do not stand up well to the heat of the kitchen, the avocado is made of tougher stuff. Its high smoke point — the temperature at which the oil starts to visibly smoke in the pan — means that it doesn’t break down unless you really gun your gas cooker, retaining nutrients and flavour without producing any unwanted compounds.

Without wanting to sound like the side of a bottle, it is high in Vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, beta sitosterol and lutein, and contains no trans fats, additives, preservatives or artificial ingredients. Which is all good.

In France it has prescription-drug status due to its ability to reverse arthritis (avocado soybean unsaponifiables block pro-inflammatory chemicals). This raises the question:why has it taken them so long to wheel out an avocado emoji? Why is the avocado not in the White House? It would probably do a better job. Its work does not stop there. The avocado’s many talents also extend to the beauty industry. Some claim it can be used in hair treatments to reduce dryness and remove texture, as well as improving dry skin and removing eye make-up naturally as a facial treatment. Sainsbury’s, among other buyers, stocks Olivado Avocado Oil at £4.50 a bottle, and Authentic Oil Co has a 100 per cent pure cosmetic-grade oil, so you can use it on your skin. The avocado is almighty.

Samuel Fishwick

@fish_o_wick