Friday, January 27

Skin care - Olive oil for skin health


Olive oil for skin gives health benefits as moisturizer, natural cleanser, wrinkle remover, anti-aging antioxidant and repairer of damages.

The use of olive oil for skin health is a known 'secret' for thousands of years. Ancient residents of the Mediterranean regions like Egyptians, Romans and Greek were using it as a food and as well as a topical nourishment.

Consuming olive oil for skin health

  • Skin is the largest and most exposed organ of our body and its health gets affected both from within and from outside.
  • Free-radicals are being produced continuously in our body due to our activities and from the food and other products we take.
  • These free radicals apart from affecting our other organs, affect our skin health, causing its ageing, wrinkles and diseases.
  • Antioxidants are present in various food items and act in our body as neutraliser of the free-radicals, protecting our body from their harmful effects.
  • Extra virgin olive oil is found to contain high amounts of antioxidants and including it in our diet regularly, protects our health from premature aging and wrinkle formation.

Applying olive oil for skin health

Our skin is continuously damaged by the weather elements, pollution and chemicals from outside.
Exposure to these elements causes damages to skin like dryness, wrinkles and premature aging.
olives in olive oil
Olive fruits in olive oil

Application of olive oil on our skin gives a number of benefits

  • It gives smoothness and promotes fairness, radiance, health and glow to the complexion.
  • Olive oil is well-absorbed and there is no greasy residue.
  • It is a good cleanser and removes excess sebum and debris on the epidermis.
  • It is useful as exfoliating mask and cleansing scrub.
  • It is a good moisturizer, having no harmful chemicals and it locks-in the moisture.
  • It prevents drying, chaffing and peeling.
  • It maintains and improves the elasticity.
  • It neutralises the oxidation effects from within and from outside environmental elements.
  • Olive oil is very useful in treating sun burns and sun poisoning.
  • It is effective in the treatment of skin health problems like acne, eczema and psoriasis.
  • It prevents dryness, wrinkle formation, stretch marks and delays ageing of the skin.
  • It reduces the brittleness of the nails and adds to their health, strength and pliability.
  • Olive oil is an excellent hair conditioner, improves hair health and gives growth, shine and gloss to hair.
Health studies have shown about the preventive effects of application of this oil on the formation of basal cell carcinoma on radiation.
In persons affected by tinea versicolor infection its suitability is to be assessed as the fungus is lipophilic and grows well in sebum.
It is better to be avoided by tinea versicolor infection affected persons.
Olive oil being non-allergic is suitable for all types of applications for skin health.
image courtesy: stu_spivack
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