The Story Behind Lovacado

Last year I was going through a hair crisis. It was dry, thinning and I was shedding more than my dog. After a couple of years highlighting my hair and blow-drying every other day, my hair was in desperate need of “therapy”. I did not know what to do and I turned to my aunt, who has a list a mile long of natural home remedies and concoctions. I was born in Colombia, so my aunt who lives there has inherited my grandmother’s home remedies. When I told her about my problem, she urged me to buy avocados and prepare some type of hair mask.

I vaguely remember seeing some of my aunts back when I was a little girl with a plastic bag on their head covering some green “gooey” cream. It all makes sense now, but I just didn’t have the time to go through the whole process. Being more practical, I decided to find out if there were any avocado products online for hair. It turned out that there was actually avocado oil being sold for hair and skin use. I’m a bit “picky”- okay difficult, when it comes to putting things in my hair, especially knowing that my hair was in such a fragile state.

I didn’t want to put something in my hair without being a 100% sure that it was going to help, not make it worst. I bought a few products, but soon realized that the smell was not very good. I love avocados and can eat them without a problem, but the smell of the oil was not very appealing. Then it turned out that there was refined avocado oil (which is the cheap type, light yellow, and sold in clear plastic containers). I used refined oil once and it was not a good experience. I put too much, then when I tried to wash it off it didn’t come off easily and it made my hair dull. So, I went back and learned that there are different types of avocado oils, pretty much very similar to Olive Oil. Some avocado oil is extra virgin and green in colour, and also unrefined. This was all new to me, so I kept doing more research and finally learned a few key things regarding avocado oil:

1) Unrefined oil means that it maintains all properties of the avocado fruit. It needs to be stored in a dry cool place and away from the light. If it’s exposed to the light, it can go rancid after a few weeks. Refined avocado oil has been through a process that strips away some of the nutrients and by doing this the oil is able to have a longer shelf life and can be exposed to light without going rancid, but it’s not as pure anymore, thus the reason it’s cheaper to buy.

2) Extra virgin avocado oil is better than regular avocado oil. This type of oil maintains the highest quality of avocado nutrients. It tends to be more expensive and it’s great for salads and mostly it is sold as gourmet oil for cooking.

As I continued my search, I finally got a good source of avocado oil (unrefined and extra virgin), but I didn’t like the smell. I used the oil, but had to do something about the odour. Doing my research regarding avocado oil had taken me to the land of therapeutic oils and essential oils.

Many websites recommended blending avocado oil with different fragrances, essential oils and perfumes. Now, I had to learn about fragrances, perfumes, and essential oils.  My research taught me that, fragrances where chemically made, just as perfumes and other fragrance oils. I wanted something natural for my hair, so those products were out of the question. Then I learned that essential oils were 100% pure and even found some to be certified organic.

My oils arrived and I began blending, mixing, and trying different scents. My little hair drama had turned me into an avocado oil freak. I kept avocado oil and essential oils in my washroom, kitchen and even the bedroom. I was always experimenting until I finally felt I had the perfect product for my hair. After many months of playing around with the oils, it turned out I was able to make the perfect combination.

I started to use it and in a matter of days I could see and feel the difference in my hair. I was so happy with the results that I started to tell my family and friends about it. It generated a lot of interest and I started to get some really good feedback on the avocado oil mixture. Seeing that there was a need and an interest from people who I knew, my entrepreneur side started to get a crazy idea. What if I create a business and market this product?

A year later, after all my hair drama and endless research in regards to the world of avocado, Lovacado Inc. was created. Lovacado, extra virgin avocado oil for skin and hair. Yes, skin and hair….come back next week to learn more on the many uses of Lovacado oil. I’ll be sharing all my knowledge in this blog.

Claudia M.