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Best Avocado Oil

Updated March 2024
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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
AVOHASS Organic Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
AVOHASS
Organic Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
Premium Option

While on the expensive side, buyers rave over the quality, taste, and color of this organic avocado oil.

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Premium Option
Bottom Line

While on the expensive side, buyers rave over the quality, taste, and color of this organic avocado oil.

Pros

Cold pressed, extra virgin, and unrefined. Comes in an 8.5-ounce bottle. Good for cooking as well as skin and hair applications. Smoke point of 482 degrees. Good taste and color. Buyers highly recommend this option. A non-GMO product.

Cons

Some feel this oil tastes stale. Some say the bottle is a little small for the price.

Best Bang for the Buck
La Tourangelle Avocado Oil
La Tourangelle
Avocado Oil
Excellent Value

Buyers love the color, flavor, and aroma of this affordable oil, and it earns our nutrition expert's approval.

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Excellent Value
Bottom Line

Buyers love the color, flavor, and aroma of this affordable oil, and it earns our nutrition expert's approval.

Pros

Comes in 16.9 ounces, packaged in a tin bottle. It's 100% pure and all-natural. Good for cooking, hair, and skin. Smooth, non-greasy texture. Quality flavor and aroma. Inexpensive. Deep green color.

Cons

Some find the taste and odor to be unpleasant.

NOW Foods Avocado Oil
NOW Foods
Avocado Oil
Best for Skin Care

Draws praise for its use as a moisturizer and a massage oil, but note that this is not a food-grade oil.

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Best for Skin Care
Bottom Line

Draws praise for its use as a moisturizer and a massage oil, but note that this is not a food-grade oil.

Pros

Non-GMO product. Nutrient-rich for skin and hair. Comes in a 16-ounce size and a clear UV light-protected bottle. Works well for moisturizing and massage. Light consistency. Was not tested on animals.

Cons

Not a food-grade oil; only for external use. Some claim the smell is bad.

Chosen Avocado Oil
Chosen
Avocado Oil
Mild Flavor

Our nutrition expert appreciates the high smoke point of this mild-flavored cooking or salad oil.

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Mild Flavor
Bottom Line

Our nutrition expert appreciates the high smoke point of this mild-flavored cooking or salad oil.

Pros

Cold-pressed and 100% pure. Primarily for cooking, but can also be used for skin and hair. Has a 500-degree smoke point. Good taste for salad dressings. Good-sized, attractive bottle. Mild flavor and aroma.

Cons

Some feel that this oil has no odor, taste, or color and that it's too refined or processed.

Better Body Foods Avocado Oil
Better Body Foods
Avocado Oil
Versatile Cooking

With a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, this is an excellent avocado oil for frying, baking, sautéing, and more.

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Versatile Cooking
Bottom Line

With a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, this is an excellent avocado oil for frying, baking, sautéing, and more.

Pros

Naturally refined avocado oil with a flavor that's neutral and enhances the taste of foods. A smoke point of 500 degrees F makes it ideal for cooking many types of food. No preservatives.

Cons

The lid can be difficult to open. A few bottles contained oil with a cloudy appearance.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

First Reviewed
September 09, 2021
35
Models
considered
30
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researched
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Buying guide for Best avocado oil

Written by Ola Faleti, and fact-checked by Molly Bremer
Updated March 2024

We’ve been enjoying nutritious avocados for centuries in salads, on sandwiches, or even with a spoon. So, it should be no surprise that avocado oil is equally delicious and nutritious. Like olive oil, it’s a great oil for cooking if you’re concerned about heart health. Even better, it works wonders on your skin and hair, too.

Before you rush to add a bottle of avocado oil to your shopping cart, you should consider some factors. There’s a difference between food-grade and cosmetic-grade avocado oil, though some can be used for both. For food-grade oil, look for quality of taste, smoke point, and a pleasant or light odor. For cosmetic oil, consider consistency and aroma.

Whether you’re trying to eat in a more health-conscious way or looking for natural products for your beauty routine, avocado oil is a great addition to your arsenal.

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Because of its high percentage of monounsaturated fats, avocado oil is a natural sunscreen, ranking as high as 15 SPF. This is less than the recommended SPF, however, so don’t throw away your old sunscreen just yet.

Key considerations

Production

Avocado oil is unique in that it’s the only cooking oil that’s made from fruit pulp. Avocado oil is extracted from ripe avocados, a process typically done mechanically by separating the skin and the stone. The flesh is then malaxated, or mixed, to start the oil-separation process. After malaxation, the avocado pulp is passed through a centrifuge system to separate the pulp and water from the oil. Then the oil is filtered through a series of screens to remove any additional impurities.

Oil is extracted from avocados in two ways: using an expeller-pressed method or cold-pressed method.

Expeller-pressed: With this method, the oil is squeezed straight out of the avocado without additional heat. However, the friction involved in the process may cause the temperature to rise. These avocado oils are milder in flavor and retain less of the avocado’s original color and taste subtleties.

Cold-pressed: This method keeps the avocado oil in a temperature-controlled space in which the temperature usually doesn’t exceed 120°F. Because the oil’s properties aren’t altered with heat, these avocado oils retain more of the avocado’s flavor subtleties, color, and nutritional value.

Refined vs. unrefined

One isn’t better than the other. It really comes down to what you want to use the oil for.

Refined: This type of avocado oil is altered after extraction by bleaching, deodorizing, or both. These oils lose a lot of smell and flavor and may have additional color added. Refined avocado oil is better suited for cosmetic oil that will go on your skin and hair. But it’s worth noting that refined avocado oil has a smoke point as high as 500°F. So while unrefined avocado oil can lend food a nuanced flavor, refined avocado oil is a versatile cooking oil for stir frying, sautéing, searing, and barbecuing.

Unrefined: Aside from filtering out impurities, unrefined avocado oil is left alone after extraction. Unrefined avocado oil is good for culinary use, whether cooking or drizzling over food. Its noticeable taste will only enhance your food.  Unrefined avocado oil has a similar smoke point to olive oil (around 375°F).

Expert tip
Thankfully the 1990’s no-fat diet fad is out and including fat in our diets is in because there are a lot of health benefits of fats. Not only does fat help increase satiety, but it also adds flavor and texture to foods, provides insulation and protection for internal organs, and provides us with fatty acids necessary to produce brain cells, hormones, and healthy skin.
BestReviews Nutrition Expert

Health benefits

The health benefits of avocado oil are numerous. It’s high in beta carotene, protein, vitamins A, D, and E, potassium, and oleic acid. In fact, oleic acid, a heart-healthy fatty acid, makes up 70% of avocado oil and accounts for much of the oil’s nutritional content.

Studies link avocado oil to reducing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It’s also been proven to reduce joint inflammation in arthritis patients. Better yet, avocado oil can also help with the absorption of other nutrients, such as the carotenoids in carrots.

Avocado oil features

Food-grade vs. cosmetic-grade oil

Avocado oil is versatile in that it can be used on the body or ingested.

Food-grade oil: Oils made for cooking are usually cold-pressed, as well as FDA inspected and approved. Food-grade oils are generally safe to use externally, too.

Cosmetic-grade oil: Avocado oils made for cosmetic purposes aren’t all meant to be ingested, so they aren’t FDA regulated. This may mean they’re more subject to containing impurities, though a quality manufacturer shouldn’t sell a cosmetic oil with toxins. Cosmetic avocado oil is often blended with other oils, such as lavender, chamomile, or orange blossom.

Expert tip
Avocado oil can help the body properly absorb carotenoids, which are fat-soluble pigments, meaning that they need fat to be absorbed in the body. Carotenoids include beta-carotene, which is often found in orange/yellow fruits and veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe, and lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, grapefruits, and apricots. These improve eye health, immunity, and heart health.
BestReviews Nutrition Expert

Avocado oil uses

Cooking: Using avocado oil is simple. For cooking, simply coat a pan with the desired amount as you would with any cooking oil. You can also drizzle avocado oil on vegetables for roasting.

Cosmetic: Avocado oil has several uses for the body. To use on hair, you can massage a few drops into your scalp, rub it to the ends of the strands, leave it in for a minutes, then rinse. Avocado oil is also great as a hair mask after shampooing. Just put on a shower cap and leave the mask on overnight, rinsing it out in the morning. For skin care, you can add avocado oil to your regular lotion or put some on damp skin after a shower. For your face, avocado oil will add hydration to any facial mask.

Packaging

The container varies depending on what you'll use the avocado oil for. Food-grade oil is commonly packaged in a metal container or dark green glass jar or bottle to shield the oil from light exposure. Some avocado oils also come as a spray, which is convenient for cooking. Larger quantities of food-grade oil may be sold in plastic jugs. Cosmetic avocado oil usually comes in a plastic bottle or an amber glass bottle with a dropper.

"Avocado oil is a valuable hair strengthener because it contains biotin, which helps improve your body’s keratin system. "
STAFF
BestReviews

Avocado oil prices

Avocado oil can range anywhere between $5 and $40 depending on the amount and quality of the oil. Prices largely depend on the avocado oil's purpose. 

Inexpensive

Quite a few avocado oils fall into the $5 to $15 price range. On the lower end of that, you can find small two- to six-ounce bottles of cosmetic avocado oil. Eight-ounce quantities are closer to $10, while a decent eight-ounce bottle of food-grade oil is at least $10.

Mid-range

Food-grade avocado oil that costs $15 to $25 may be from cold-pressed, organically grown avocados. You can find larger quantities of oil (up to a liter) in this price range.

Expensive

There’s not much reason to pay more than $25 unless you're getting a gallon container or specialty product imported from another country.

Expert tip
You can put avocado oil in a spray bottle and use it on pans for cooking or on popcorn with some salt for a tasty snack.
BestReviews Nutrition Expert

Tips

  • Refrigerate food-grade avocado oil. Regardless of how the avocado oil is packaged, food-grade oil should be refrigerated after being opened. Unopened food-grade oil should be kept in a cool, dark place like a pantry cabinet.
  • Drizzle avocado oil on your yellow, orange, and red veggies. Avocado oil improves your body’s absorption of carotenoids.
  • Use avocado oil instead of butter. Want to cut butter from your diet? Substitute avocado oil in baking recipes. After all, avocados are known as “nature’s butter.”
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Avocado oil is frequently compared to olive oil for good reason. Both oils are high in fat and vitamins, though avocado oil has the higher smoke point. If you’re undecided, try stocking your kitchen with both.

FAQ

Q. Does avocado oil go bad?

A. If stored properly, unopened avocado oil can last up to a year, and opened avocado oil can last up to eight months.

Expert tip
Like olive oil, you can enjoy avocado oil as a dip with a warm piece of toast, drizzled on avocado toast, or as a salad dressing base.
BestReviews Nutrition Expert

Q. Does avocado oil clog pores?

A. Avocado oil is on the heavier side, so it may clog your pores if you have naturally oily skin. It’s better suited for people with dry skin. Avocado oil not only hydrates skin, but it can shrink pores, treat skin conditions, and help reverse signs of aging.

Q. Does avocado oil strip hair color?

A. Avocado oil doesn’t contain the chemical properties to strip color-treated hair. In fact, its plethora of vitamins will nourish and rehydrate chemically damaged strands.

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