Olive oil has plenty of health benefits when consumed, yet the same is true when applied to skin.
When you hear about a Mediterranean miracle ingredient you can both eat and use for skin treatment, chances are you already have an extra-virgin olive oil spray bottle on your beauty counter and another one in your kitchen’s pantry.
First things first – what is olive oil and how it is extracted? It is produced by grinding and crushing the olives into a paste. The next step includes extracting the oil and separating it from solids and vegetable water which leads to the final step of storing it into barrels or tanks.
It is overflowed with skin benefits, from moisturizing dry and chunky bits to refreshing your hair.
Benefits of Olive Oil for Skin
Rich in vitamins: Vitamin A, D, E , K…it covers almost the whole alphabet. Based on research, “Vitamin E is the main lipophilic antioxidant that inhibits peroxidation, especially if associated with “natural” moisturizers such as the lipids in olive oil and olive extract.”
Fights Bacteria: Study has revealed that acne lesions can be prevented or at least repaired by incorporating olive oil into your daily acne treatment.
Antioxidant: The antioxidant identity of olive oil is boosted by its compound called squalene. This can help with tissue repair, protects from environmental toxins and limits damage of UV radiation.
Keep reading to scope out the best methods for incorporating this wonder ingredient into your daily life.
HOW TO USE IT
Disclaimer: These dermatologically-approved methods to use olive oil for beauty treatment doesn’t mean that they are suitable for all skin types. For example, applying the product to dry skin with acne may result to irritation. Therefore, the key-step is to test, test and test whether the particular olive oil is right for you based on how your skin reacts in the next 48 hours.
Scars: Using your fingers, apply some extra-virgin olive oil, optionally mixed with lemon juice, into the area you’d like to treat and massage gently. Studies have demonstrated that “on the Observer Scar Assessment Scale (OSAS), the mean score was reduced on the product-treated area by approximately 5% (P = 0.006).The untreated area remained unchanged.” Therefore, it is proven that the olive oil application has a positive effect into striae and other skin marks.
Hair treatment: Pour 3-4 tablespoons into a glass and heat it up in the microwave. When it reaches the room temperature, apply some to your scalp and hair. Don’t wash it up immediately (and when you eventually do use a mild natural shampoo and optionally some mist vinegar) but rather leave it for around 15 minutes until it’s been absorbed.
After sunbathing: How many times have you used an After Sun face and body cream after being exposed to sun? Next time this happens try extra-virgin olive oil which is ideal due to its antioxidant substance. It hydrates and nourishes the skin while calming redness.
