Olive oil is long known to serve our taste buds in salads but we’ve found some pretty interesting digs about Olive oil. Olives have been used in Italian and Spanish dishes pretty liberally. The reason is they are highly nourishing due to the presence of good fats, Vitamins and much more. You can also include Olive oil in your beauty routine. Learn more about these little bubbles of goodness for your hair and body here!
What is Olive oil and how is it made?
Olive oil is a rich liquid that has been used for ages and generously in cooking for ages. Olive oil happens to be famous due to its moisturising and nourishing properties. It all started with Cleopatra being gifted an Olive tree, unlike her rival who was gifted a salt spring. Without going much into Greek mythology, let’s start with understanding how it was made. It comes from the ripened part of the Olive fruit. They simply press Olives to derive its oil. However, there are types of olive oils in the market. Extra virgin Olive oil means oil that has not been processed at all. It is cold-pressed and stored away from sunlight and air. It has the least amount of free acid content. Virgin Olive oil is also the one that has been cold pressed and has less free acid content. The other type is refined Olive oil which has a higher amount of free acid content. If the acid content is more than 3%, it is deemed to be unfit for human consumption and it also has very minimal to no benefits left due to refinement.
What are the benefits of Olive oil?
Given its content and the process it can be rightfully extracted, it can provide multiple benefits which can approve it to be in your beauty regime too. Learn more about the benefits here:
1. Heals wounds
Olive oil has what most plant oils have but Olive oil has Triterpenes and Vitamin E in high concentration which makes it a good healer. It can speed up the process of cell regeneration and nourish your skin.
2. Natural makeup remover
Olive oil makes for a gentle way to remove your makeup. Most of the makeup that we use and the setting spray that we set our makeup with, help us keep our makeup in place for long hours but it is important to completely lift the makeup when we are washing our face. This is when double-cleansing can help. You can use Olive oil to melt away all your makeup from the pores and then wash off the mess with a foam-based face cleanser.
3. Prevent transepidermal water loss
Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) occurs when your skin barrier is compromised and there is a lack of Ceramides. Olive oil acts as an occlusive that prevents water loss from the surface of the skin. This helps the skin to stay hydrated.
4. Protection from Oxidative stress
We are constantly surrounded by free radicals that are generated by pollution. These free radicals lead to oxidative stress. To fight free radicals, you need a rich dose of Antioxidants and that is exactly what Olive oil has. It is rich in vitamins A, E, and K which contributes to its property of being anti-ageing.
How can you use Olive oil for hair?
Yes. In fact, Olive oil could be a great relief to a dry scalp since it has moisturising properties. Here’s how you can use Olive oil for your hair:
1. DIY hair mask
Olive oil is rich in Vitamin E which makes it a great moisturiser for your hair too. You can prepare a mask containing half a ripped and mashed banana with Olive oil and curd. It does taste delicious and it is delicious for your hair too. Keep it for 20 minutes. While curd has exfoliating properties, bananas have a great number of nutrients and Olive oil can nourish your scalp. You can use this mask, once a week or once in 15 days for silkier hair.
Sublime picks Coccoon Nourishing Hair Mask. It has Green Tea, Green Apple and Olive oil to deeply condition your hair and repair them.
2. Hair oil
Olive oil can be used as hair oil in small quantities. You can mix it with other oils like Jojoba, Hempseed, etc depending on your scalp type. Olive oil is considered to be comedogenic so less amount for a quick rejuvenation should work. Ideally, you should keep oil in your hair for 2-3 hours. Hair oiling is a therapy that your hair needs at least once a week.
Sublime picks Kojo Deep Nutrifying Hair Oil. It has a good mix of Rosemary, Grapeseed, Avocado, and Argan oil as the key elements to deeply nourish your scalp, reduce hair fall by increasing blood circulation and eliminate dandruff. You can also try Brillare Heavy Moisturising Oil Shots for dry and frizzy hair. It has Argan, Shea, and Soybean oil to lock in moisture.
How can you use Olive oil for your body?
Olive oil can be glazed on your body for many purposes. It is especially a good addition to your body care routine when winter is around. Here’s how you can include it in your routine:
1. Pre-wash body oil
Scratching your skin with soap and loofah won’t work to gently exfoliate your body. After a long day, if you want to effectively scrub off the dead skin without being harsh to your skin then oil is your answer. You can use Olive oil or a mix of oils and massage your body with it. Keep it for a good 15 minutes before using soap and washing off the oil.
Sublime picks Petal Fresh Moisturizing Bath & Shower Gel. It has Olive and Grapeseed oil to keep your skin moisturised. This is a perfect alternative for those lazy bums who wouldn’t have time for pre-wash body oil.
2. Body exfoliator
If you’re a big fan of physical exfoliators but they always end with rashes then you have to try this trick. Pick any physical exfoliating powder like coffee powder, gram flour, walnut powder, Oats, etc and mix it with Olive oil. Olive oil is high in moisturising properties and can loosen up dead skin too. Such scrubs will also be gentle on your skin.
3. Overnight healer
Facing a rash situation? Paper cut? Cracked heels? All you need to do is slather a little bit of Olive oil. Olive oil has healing properties due to the presence of Vitamin E and A. Furthermore, its nourishing properties help a wound to heal faster.
Sublime picks Mantra Herbal Gul Cuticle Oil. It has Apricot, Almond, Rosehip, and Olive oil mixed to give you the right healing potion. Roll it on every wound!
Can you use Olive oil for your face?
Olive oil can be used on your face too but be careful. They don’t suit all skin types. They are rated as 3 on the comedogenicity scale. This means that it can potentially clog your pores. Some of them do use it on their face though. We recommend doing a patch test before using Olive oil on the face. If it is suitable for your skin type then you can mix it with a DIY face mask that stays on your face only for 10-15 minutes.
Summary
Olive oil is a rich dose of good fats and has great nourishing properties. With so many types of Olive oil available, extra virgin Olive oil has been deemed to be the best choice. It is a great addition to receiving Vitamins and good fats. It is multi-functional and can be used to put together salads and can also be used to put on your hair and body. One tip to live with Olive oil is to not heat it or keep it open or else the free acid content can increase, destroying its goodness.
- Divya Salvi
