Olive oil is one of the most beneficial natural products and is known to have very high nutritive value since its discovery about 5,000 years ago. Olive oil is extracted from the crop of the olive tree which is native to the Mediterranean basin.
Olive oil was commonly used in Egypt as a cosmetic, and is still used in many Mediterranean countries as a natural medicine. Uses of Olive oil are many and it is so versatile that it can be used both internally and externally. Health benefits of olive oil range from promoting better digestion, stimulating metabolism to lubricating mucous membranes and as olive oil is full of vitamins, minerals and proteins, it can also be used to keep skin, nails, and hair healthy and beautiful.
A. Benefits of Olive Oil For Skin:
Olive oil is closer in chemical structure to the skin’s natural oil than any other naturally occurring oil.
1. Thus it acts as the perfect moisturiser especially for dry skin.
2. It can also be used to moisturise extremely dry skin prone areas like elbows and knees.
3. Olive oil has regenerative power over skin tissue and thus regular usage ensures that your skin remains soft and smooth while keeping it toned and firmed.
4. Take equal quantities of water and oil in a tight lid jar and shake it well to mix them together. Massage your skin with this and wash it off with lukewarm water.
5. Another great face mask to moisturise your skin with olive oil can be made by blending together 1 tbsp. of honey, with 1 tbsp. olive oil and yolk of one egg. Blend them together till they come together and apply on a clean face. Let this mask stay for 15-20 minutes after which wash it off with lukewarm water. This mask moisturises the skin and helps in clearing out andmaintaining the natural skin tone
6. Make a paste using olive oil and mashed avocados and apply it on your face. Let it work on your skin for 20-25 minutes and then rinse. This mask will leave your skin rejuvenated.
7. For those of you, who have extremely dry skin; can use virgin olive oil as a night cream. Apply a little quantity of the oil on your face at night and let it stay overnight. You will wake up to soft and supple skin in the morning.
8. The regenerative power of olive oil also helps in stimulating the process of skin healing. It can be used to soothe and heal skin irritations. The same property also helps in treating sunburn. Just apply olive oil on the affected area directly.
9. The main cause behind the olive oil benefits for skin is that it is rich in healthy fats and phenolic antioxidant vitamin E along with squalene and oleic acidas. These help in getting rid of free radicals as well as repair the damage done due to exposure to sun. These elements are also known to reduce the chances of skin cancer as they inhibit growth of tumour cells.
10. Say goodbye to those ugly looking stretch marks on your body with olive oil. Olive oil helps the skin to regenerate as well as increases the elasticity of the skin. This not only helps in preventing stretch marks from coming back but also helps in lightening the ones that are present. Start using olive oil for hot oil massage on the affected areas thrice a week and notice the change.
11. You don’t need to spend big bucks on buying fancy makeup removers. All you need is a bottle of olive oil. Olive oil doesn’t sting the eye and is not harsh on the skin unlike some cosmetic make up removers.
It is definitely an alternative that people with sensitive skin should look into. In case you are worried about the oiliness it will leave behind, that problem can easily be resolved by washing your face with your regular face wash after you remove your makeup with olive oil. This will also ensure that there are no traces of makeup left on the skin. You can also make this makeup remover or cleanser by mixing together olive oil and castor oil. The proportions of oil depend on the skin type. If you have dry skin, take more olive oil and in case you are an oily skinned beauty use more castor oil and less of olive oil.
12. The antioxidants present in olive oil- hydroxytyrosol along with the vitamin E help in preventing cell degeneration in your skin, thus preventing premature ageing. The squalene present in this oil helps in increasing the elasticity of the skin thus preventing sagging of skin and leaving it firmly toned with youthful glow. To reduce the wrinkles around your eyes, massage olive oil into the skin around your eyes. Make sure that you are very careful and delicate when you work around the eyes, as the skin is so delicate that you can damage and stretch the skin very easily doing more harm than good.
13. If you are suffering from dry and scaly skin, mix olive oil and sea salt and massaging it into the affected area to slough off dead skin and enrich the healthy layer beneath it. You can also add a few tablespoons of olive oil with a drop or two of lavender essential oil in a bath. It is a simple and luxurious way to relax, soothe and moisturize the whole body.
14. Olive oil not only helps in treating sunburns, it also works really well as a sunscreen. Mix equal quantities of olive oil and tea decoction (tea boiled in water and strained) and apply all over the body and face. Leave this on for an hour. Rinse, don’t wash, so that it leaves a residue on the skin. This will act as a natural sunscreen for you.
15. Good blood circulation is essential to provide natural glow to the skin. A weekly olive oil massage will not only enhance the blood circulation but also help in keeping your skin young and moisturised. You can also use olive oil as a carrier of other essential oils. Just heat olive oil and your favourite essential oil for a few seconds, making sure that you don’t burn the olive oil and give your skin the pampering it needs.
16. The beauty benefits of olive oil don’t end here. Tired of chapped lips, apply olive oil instead of your normal lip balm. Trying to lose weight, change your normal cooking oil to olive oil. Hate that cellulite, mix used coffee grounds with olive oil and apply and massage on to the skin.
17. Mascara makes your eyes look bigger and beautiful. But people with sensitive eyes tend to have an itchy sesnation due to application of mascara. But that is no reason to not get those fluttering eyelashes. Just use an old mascara brush and apply olive oil with it. This will result in longer and shinier eyelashes without any loss of lashes or eye allergies.
B. Benefits Of Olive Oil For Hair:
18. Just like olive oil works great as a moisturizing agent on the skin, it has a similar effect on the hair as well. Olive oil is your best friend in case you have dry damaged hair that lead to other hair problems like split ends and frizzy hair.
To nourish those dry tresses give your hair a hot olive oil hair massage. Keep in mind though that if olive oil is heated too much, it loses its benefits.
To nourish those dry tresses give your hair a hot olive oil hair massage. Keep in mind though that if olive oil is heated too much, it loses its benefits.
19. For extremely dry hair, mix 4 tbsp. of olive oil with half a tsp. of honey. Fill a bowl with boiling water and place a smaller bowl containing this mix in it so that you don’t lose the benefits of both olive oil and honey. Apply this to your scalp and let it sit for 20 minutes followed by usual hair wash and conditioning.
20. We used an egg yolk and olive oil mix to get glowing skin. This recipe can also be used on dry hair to repair, nourish and add shine. You can add honey to this hair pack as well. Let it remain on your hair for 20-30 minutes followed by normal hair wash
21. To use olive oil for deep conditioning of hair, take equal quantities of olive oil and water and mix them together. Apply this on your scalp just after you have shampooed. Let this mixture sit on your work its magic for 5-10 minutes followed by another round of rinsing with shampoo.
22. For curly haired beauties and those who suffer from extremely frizzy hair, olive oil can also be used to tame those unruly tresses. Just apply olive oil lightly on your hair before you comb and now you have a natural serum in your hair that will help you to detangle them without much effort and also give the dull and dry hair, a little bit of shine. Make sure you use olive oil very lightly otherwise there are chances that your hair will become oily.
C. Benefits Of Olive Oil For Hands For Feet:
23. Extra virgin olive oil massage is perfect for dry nails and cuticles. Instead of using a hand or a cuticle cream, rub a few drops into the cuticle area and around the nails. Regular usage ensures that the cuticles stay moist and nails remain shiny.
24. Another reap the uses of oilve oil, especially Virgin Olive Oil to get strong fingernails and soften cuticles is to dip your nails in olive oil once a week. Doing this helps in moisturizing the nail bed.
You can do the same for your feet as well. It will not only work for your nails but also prevent your heels from cracking or apply it generously on your cracked heels and wear socks and let them work and moisturise the dry skin overnight. You will wake up with soft soles in the morning.
25. Another use of olive oil is to treat bad breath. Mix 1 tsp. of olive oil with 1 tsp. lemon juice and consume it on empty stomach. You can olive oil for shaving purposes. Apply it and use your razor to get rid of those unwanted hair. It can also be used post waxing as finish wipes. Use olive oil to wipe off the wax residue. It not only cleans your skin of the wax but because of its soothing properties, help to reduce redness and inflammation that occurs post waxing.
Applying oil on your face and body might not feel like a glamorous option but keeping in mind the benefit it has, it is wise to bear that oiliness. But one thing that you need to take care is that when you decide to use olive oil for your skin and hair care, spend a little extra money on high-quality oil and then use it generously to moisturize your entire body.
Also while heating the olive oil, don’t heat it for too long as olive oil has tendency to burn easily and this makes it lose all its benefits. Just heat the oil for not more than 20-30 seconds and use it as you mentioned above. You also need to take care that 80% of the antioxidant components in olive oil are lost in the process of refinement, always buy extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed olive oil for usage.
Health Benefits of Olive Oil:
26. Eat it: Since it is known for its distinct flavour and taste, it can be consumed in many ways to avail the goodness of olives or its oil. Olive oil facilitates overall digestion and absorption of nutrients, along with crucial fat-soluble vitamins. Olive oil is best and can be used in many different cooking ways, like sautéing, stir frying, marinating, or in bread dip. Olive oil only coats, and not penetrates, so foods fried in olive oil are less greasy than foods dried in any other oil.
Olive oil by itself is cholesterol, sodium and carbohydrate-free
27. Breast cancer: It helps in decreasing the chance of getting breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
28. Diabetes: Olive Oil contains chemicals that help in reducing the blood sugar levels. Olive Oil acts as insulin after being digested in the body for patients.
29. Blood pressure: Adding small amount of extra virgin olive oil in the daily diet and continuing with the usual treatments for high blood pressure can actually improve blood pressure. Taking olive leaf extract also helps to lower blood pressure.
30. Cholesterol: Use olive oil (like Figaro olive oil or SoulFlower olive oil) in the diet instead of saturated fat to reduce total cholesterol levels. It is usually used in the Mediterranean diet as it is a heart-friendly oil. This helps to improve your metabolism and digestive system thus puts off the weight quickly.
31. Protects Liver: As said previously, olive oil is full of antioxidants, which provide protection to our liver from severe oxidative stress and keeps it healthy. When various molecules present in our body start reacting chemically with the free radicals, we develop oxidative stress, which ultimately takes a toll on the structure and activities of our body cells. But, the antioxidant content of olive oil can shield our hepatic tissues from this damage, maintaining a good and healthy liver.
32. Averts Alzheimer’s Disease: The natural phenolic compound, ‘oleocanthal’, present in olive oil is highly effective in averting Alzheimer’s disease. According to scientists, this phytonutreint detects the abnormal proteins named ‘beta-amyloid’, which are responsible for the ailment and shuttle them out of the brain efficiently. As a result, we can stay away from the diseases like neurodegenerative dementia.
33. Shields from Ulcerative Colitis: By drinking olive oil regularly, you can put a stop to the most common chronic colon disorder ‘ulcerative colitis’ too. The oleic acid content of the oil blocks certain chemical compounds in our bowel. It also reduces the inflammation of the large intestine. Only 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil a day can shield us from this inflammatory bowel disease.
34. Keeps Bone Healthy: Olive oil can promote the absorption of calcium in our body, which is extremely necessary for the mineralization as well as calcification of our bones. It also prevents our bones from getting fragile by maintaining their mass. Therefore, we do not end up developing serious bone disorders like osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
35. Treats Depression Successfully: Drinking olive oil is also good for our emotional health as it can treat depression and help us get rid of mental illness successfully. The mono-unsaturated fats present in it are known to be responsible for this.
Olive Oil and Weight Loss:
36. An olive oil-rich diet is much more effective than a low-fat one in combating obesity and losing weight. In spite of its high calorie content, it is proved to offer long-lasting weight loss solutions. So, try to consume at least one tablespoon of this oil every day.
Some important tips for using Olive Oil:
Nutritional value of Olive Oil:
Olives and its oil are a good source of vitamin E, vitamins A and K, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, amino acids.
Principle
|
Nutrient Value
|
Percentage of RDA
|
| Energy | 884 Kcal | 44% |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g | 0% |
| Protein | 0 g | 0% |
| Total Fat | 100 g | 500% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g | 0% |
Vitamins
| ||
| Folates | 0 µg | 0% |
| Niacin | 0 mg | 0% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0 mg | 0% |
| Pyridoxine | 0 mg | 0% |
| Riboflavin | 0 mg | 0% |
| Thiamin | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 0 IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0 | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 14.39 mg | 96% |
| Vitamin K | 60.2 µg | 50% |
Electrolytes
| ||
| Sodium | 2 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 1 mg | 0% |
Minerals
| ||
| Calcium | 1 mg | 0% |
| Copper | 0 mg | 0% |
| Iron | 0.56 mg | 7 % |
| Magnesium | 0 mg | 0% |
| Manganese | 0 mg | 0% |
| Phosphorus | 0 mg | 0% |
| Selenium | 0 µg | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.01 mg | <1% |
Phyto-nutrients
| ||
| Carotene-ß | 0 µg | – |
| Crypto-xanthin-ß | 0 µg | – |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 0 µg | – |
| Phytosterols | 221 mg | – |
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