The up to 20 meters high Avocado tree is related to the cinnamon tree and real laurel and belongs like these to the plant family of the laurel plants. It likes it warm and humid and feels comfortable in tropical and subtropical areas. It takes ten years for the avocado tree to bear fruit for the first time; botanically speaking, these are berry fruits. Depending on the variety, they are egg- to pear-shaped. The Aztecs, however, had a different association: their name for the fruit is ahuacatl, meaning testicle.

The avocado originates from southern Mexico, where indigenous people used it as food almost 10,000 years ago. Today, the tree is cultivated in California, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Israel and New Zealand, among other places. However, the growing demand ensures that - similar to the cultivation of soy and oil palm - environmental problems arise and small farmers are increasingly displaced by large agricultural companies. Customers and retailers should therefore look out for organic and fair trade certified goods, for example.

The avocado has the highest fat content of all known fruits and vegetables. What is special about avocado oil is that it is not extracted from the pit of the fruit, but from its flesh. Avocado oil is remarkably viscous and, in its raw state, bright yellow-green to green. Refined oil is paler and also more durable. In cosmetic application, especially sensitive and already damaged skin as well as damaged hair benefit from the ingredients of avocado oil (including vitamins A and E and biotin).