skincare & olive oil
What makes olive oil so special for use in skincare?
Well to start with, it's been around for literally thousands of years and used extensively as far back as Egyptian times as one of the ingredients used to preserve mummies. And the ancient Greeks used it regularly for cleansing.
It has a proven track record of being beneficial for all skin types without any harmful effects. The same can't be said for the multitude of synthetic ingredients used in many products whose long term effects are still unknown.
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in oleic acid, which provides emollient benefits, as well as small amount of vitamin E, important for its antioxidant benefits.
It makes an excellent moisturiser if applied to the skin immediately after bathing or showering, while your skin is still slightly wet.
cold pressed
Extra virgin olive oil is cold pressed unlike other grades which can utilise solvent extraction methods, and is far less likely to cause irritation to the skin. In fact, olive oil can be used on even the most sensitive skin.
Cold pressing allows the nutrients of the oil to remain intact, so they aren't destroyed by heat or damaged by chemical intervention.
other skincare uses
Olive oil is increasingly being used in skincare products, as people become aware of its benefits to the skin, and demand for olive oil based skincare products grows.
Lip balms, body balms, shampoos and soaps, bath and massage oils, hand and nail treatments, hair treatments and moisturisers are just a few of the many products that are now available with olive oil as a major component.
Pregnant women have been using olive oil for decades to guard against stretch marks.
Warmed olive oil rubbed into an infant's scalp is a traditional treatment for cradle cap.