Why Is My Avocado Oil GREEN? The Color That Tells You Everything
You open a bottle of Lovacado Extra Virgin Avocado Oil and the first thing you notice is that stunning, deep emerald-green color. Then you walk the grocery store aisle and see another bottle labeled 'avocado oil' — but it's pale yellow, almost clear. You wonder: are these even the same thing?
The short answer? Not really. That color difference is one of the most honest signals in the entire beauty industry. Let's break it down.
Green = Life. Yellow = Processed.
The emerald-green color in real extra virgin avocado oil comes from chlorophyll — the same pigment that makes plants green. When avocados are cold-pressed at peak ripeness, the oil retains these natural chlorophyll pigments along with carotenoids like lutein. Lutein is a powerful antioxidant linked to eye health and anti-inflammatory benefits. In cold-pressed extra virgin oil, it's fully present. In refined oil, it's been stripped away.
What Happens to Yellow Oil?
Refined avocado oil goes through an industrial process known as RBD — Refined, Bleached, Deodorized. These steps strip the oil of its natural pigments, turning it from emerald green to a pale, neutral color. In doing so, the process also removes much of what made avocado oil worth using in skincare and hair care: antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamin E, chlorophyll, and the natural buttery scent.
RBD oil is designed for mass-market shelf life and low cost. It is not designed to preserve the nutrients your skin and hair actually need.
Can Color Be Faked?
Yes — and this matters. A 2020 UC Davis study analyzed 22 commercially available avocado oil products and found that at least 82% were either rancid before their expiration date or adulterated with other oils like soybean, sunflower, and safflower. In three cases, bottles labeled 'extra virgin avocado oil' contained almost 100% soybean oil. Green dye is sometimes added to cheap oils to simulate the look of real extra virgin oil.
This is why color alone is not enough — you need to know and trust your source. Lovacado is made with only two ingredients: extra virgin avocado oil and, in our scented versions, a single essential oil. No blending, no additives, no shortcuts.
The Simple Color Rule
- 🟢 DEEP EMERALD GREEN = cold-pressed, unrefined, extra virgin — nutrients fully intact
- 🟡 PALE YELLOW or CLEAR = refined and processed — nutrients stripped away
- ⚠️ 'GREEN' from an unknown source = possibly dyed — always check who makes it and how