If you’ve used unrefined avocado oil before, you will know that it has a deep green colour and is so rich that it can even solidify slightly when cooled down. The skin, flesh and oil contain carotenoids and chlorophylls such as lutein, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, neoxanthin, violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, chlorophylls a and b, and pheophytins a and b.
One of the main pigments found in avocado oil is lutein, which is one of 600 known naturally occurring carotenoids. Lutein is synthesised only by plants and like other xanthophylls is found in high quantities in green vegetables such as spinach, kale and avocado.