Olive oil has immense uses for skin care and its health.
The benefits of olive oil for skin can be fully reaped by eating it and also applying it.Jeanne Calment said that she used to pour virgin olive oil on her food and to rub it into her skin and care for it.
The secret of the beauty of the women of the Mediterranean region is their reliance on this super food as one of the essential food items and their application of olive oil to skin to moisturise it.
The use of this extract enhance the glow of the skin. They applied the extra virgin olive oil on the body to remove stretch marks.
Olive oil is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and soaps and as a fuel for traditional lamps from time unknown.
The most traditional way of making this is by grinding olive fruits.
Green olive fruits produce bitter product, and overripe fruits produce rancid extract, so care is taken to make sure that the fruits are perfectly ripened.
The use of olive extract in food has tremendous positive effect on the skin care.
This contains a group of related natural products like polyphenols with potent antioxidant properties which reduce the risk of cancer.
Another use of it in food is the improvement of blood circulation due to its vasodilatory properties.
It is believed that consumption of this oil by pregnant women helps in the birth of healthy baby.
It contains high proportions of monounsaturated fats and evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats in the diet is linked with a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.
Olive oil is one of the main ingredients in cosmetic preparations like soaps, hand lotions, lip balm, bath applications, shampoo, massage applications, soak for nails, dandruff treatment, etc.
Use of extra virgin olive oil for skin care, because of its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, reduces the photo aging (dermatoheliosis) by reducing the oxidative damage by Ultra violet rays in the sunlight.
Olive oil cleansing method (OCM) for skin
This is a method to clean our face using a mix of extra virgin olive oil and Castoroil.
Sometimes coconut oil or sunflower oil are used for blending. Usually equal proportions of Castoroil and olive extract are used.
For greasy skin the proportion of olive extract is reduced. This mix is rubbed gently on to epidermis for two to three minutes.
Then a fairly warm and wet wash towel is dabbed over the face till it cools.
Then a towel is used to wipe off the excess of this mix. Then use one or two drops of olive oil for moisturising the skin.
In this olive extract OCM for skin care, many beneficial effects like reduction in acne and black heads, softening of the epidermis, removal of the dead debris and the improvement in fairness and tone are achieved.
The science behind this olive oil OCM is that by the use of soap, skin sebum gets removed and to compensate the body produces more of it in normal cases.
The excess production of skin sebum leading to greasy epidermis is due to hormones and intake of excess calories in all its forms like fried foods, ice creams, use of excess fat in food preparations etc..
By OCM the natural body lipids remain and with the enhanced effect of olive oil the skin gets nourished and moisturised.
Olive oil is preferred for removing mascara. It makes the skin around the eye healthy and reduces the dark circles.
Homely tips for skin care with olive oil
Olive oil in hair and scalp skin care:
Apply olive extract on the head and massage and rub it into hair and scalp for ten minutes. Olive oil reduces the seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) and discourages lice.The massage with it improves the circulation care the scalp and stimulates the hair follicles.
Olive oil massage of scalp reduces hair fall, controls dry hair and split ends and functions as leave-in conditioner giving gloss to hair.
Olive oil for facial skin:
A moisturizing facial mask can be prepared with olive oil, honey, a teaspoon of lemon juice and an egg yolk. Blend them well and apply the cream to face and leave it for about 15 to 30 minutes.Then rinse well with fairly warm water. Dab your face with clean towel and immediately apply two to three drops of it on the face to lock in the moisture.
A paste of lemon juice and olive oil can be applied on facial skin and left overnight and the mild antibiotic properties of both lemon juice and olive oil will gradually clear up the acne.
Olive oil as skin shaving oil:
The use of shaving product is gaining popularity mainly due to lack of potentially harmful chemicals, better gliding properties and excellent moisturising effects.This can be prepared at home by adding equal quantities of olive extract and castoroil and blending them. For fragrance one or two drops of an essentialoils can be added.
Because of better gliding properties less cuts and nicks are experienced. Due to moisturising effect of olive oil no burning sensation is experienced.
Instead of being covered by foam you can see the area of the skin where you are shaving.
Olive oil for lips skin:
Lip balm can be prepared by adding equal parts of olive oil and molten bee wax and blending them.If the consistency is harder a few drops of coconutoil can be added. Application of this balm will care for lips making them smooth and soft.
Application of this balm can help in the healing of the chapped lips and give a soothing feeling.
Avoid licking lips as licking them can remove moisture from the lips and you can end up with chapped lips.
Saliva on the chapped lips can further aggravate the irritation and burning feeling.
For immediate relief from burning sensation apply olive oil on the chapped lips.
Olive oil for nails and skin care:
Nails just like skin can dry out, break, peel and get infected. We have to care for them to keep them healthy.
Brittle nails (Onychorrhexis) is a condition in which nails loose their pliability and become brittle and break off easily.
This may be due to diseases like hypothyroidism and anemia, chemicals in nail polish remover and excessive use of strong soap and detergents.
Blend this and castor oil in equal proportions and warm the mix.
Soak the nails in this olive mix and massage the finger tips and the nails and take care of them.
This will soften and strengthen the nails. After ten minutes rinse and wipe them dry and apply olive extract to lock in the moisture.
Olive oil for skin of hands and feet:
Apply it for skin dryness. Apply and massage on dry areas like elbows, knees, ankles and heels.
Application on these dry areas will moisurise them and remove dark marks gradually.
Dry and cracked feet respond well to it. Apply olive oil and massage the feet before going to bed.
Wear cotton socks so that it does not get wiped out during sleep.
Repeat the same process for dry hands. You can find the effect in two or three days. Your hands and feet will have smooth skin.
Olive oil for skin care after exposure to sun:
Avoid long exposures to sun and care for your health. Long exposure to sun light, apart from removing the moisture, can lead to skin cancer.
If you get exposed to sunlight for long, on reaching shade immediately apply the extract on the exposed parts so that the damage to the skin is minimal.
Please note that olive oil does not function as sun screen. It can only reduce the bad effects of sun exposure on the skin and take care of it from free radicals damage.
Olive oil for skin care in bath:
Add several drops of this super food in your bath water as softner to achieve soft texture. Regular use can prevent wrinkles. Take care as bath tub gets slippery on contact with this extract.For further skin care tips and information, read the following posts.
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