Moisturize with Olive Oil
One of my favorite tips is – to moisturize with olive oil. Extra virgin olive oils make wonderful moisturizers for both the face and the body, especially during the winter months. A key benefit of these completely natural moisturizers is that you do not have to worry about any of the potentially harmful or allergenic ingredients that can be found in some commercially prepared creams and moisturizers available today.
Among all the natural lipids, olive oil has the most similar chemical distribution to human sebum (for non-biology majors: sebum is the body’s own natural skin lubricant). This similarity gives olive oil a strong affinity to human skin. Olive oil is completely safe, easily absorbed and has a cell “re-fattening” capacity. Olive oil both softens and smoothes the skin, leaving it very supple. It has exceptional penetrating ability, as is able to lock natural moisture in, thus preventing dry skin. In addition, it is high in well-documented antioxidant properties. Olive oil has the natural ability to target epidermal keratinocytes (the basic cells from which the upper layer of skin is made) and can stimulate the synthesis of collagen and elastin, thus encouraging firmer and healthier skin.
Moisturizing Formulas:
- Use olive oil on your face (and body) straight out of the bottle. (That’s what I do!)
- Make a simple emulsion (equal parts water and olive oil). This creates a perfect balance between water and oil; water rehydrates the skin and olive oil protects the skin from delipidification or losing its own natural lubrication. (Use a hand-held frother to create the emulsion.)
- Add another ingredient – Italian parsley to the emulsion. Parsley is an “antibiotic” that is thought to combat lurking germs. Water releases the parsley’s benefits and olive oil locks in the moisture. (The caveat: you will need to blot off the parsley!)
When washing your face with EVOO, do you put it on your face and then rinse it off or leave it on to soak in the skin?
Thanks,
Jodi
I take off my makeup with EVOO and blot it off; then wash my face with olive oil soap; at night, I put EVOO on my face and let it soak in overnight.
But won’t leaving the EVOO on your face make it too oily?
When I put EVOO on my face at night, I wake up in the morning with moisturized skin, not oily skin. The face just seems smooth and supple. I don’t use EVOO in the morning on my face (EVOO does not contain sunscreen) or under makeup.
Since meeting Carol and reading her book, I have used EVOO as my moisturizer around my eyes and on my face every evening. Not only does it NOT clog my pores, it helps treat any makeup-caused breakouts I use to experience. I love it!
What kind of extra virgin olive oil do you recommend or what to look for in a quality olive oil?
I always look for certifications of authenticity on extra virgin olive oils that I buy; I also look for harvest date (remember olive oil is best used within the year it was harvested). In addition, since EVOO varies in taste from delicate to robust with a varying range of fruitiness, bitterness and pungency, it’s best to taste olive oil. There are many olive oil purveyors that provide tasting. Check out my GoEVOO iPhone/iPad app to find great EVOO. For moisturizing the skin, my favorite olive oil is one made from Koroneiki olives.