Olive Oil Benefits For The Skin

What Is It?
A light-yellow oil derived from olives.

What Are Its Benefits?
It helps manage skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis, nourishes the skin, treats wounds, burns, and infections, and fights signs of aging.

Who Can Use It?
Anyone except individuals who might be allergic to olive oil.

How Often?
You can use it topically as part of your daily skincare routine.

Caution
Always do a patch test before using the oil on your skin, and consult your dermatologist before adding it to your skincare routine to avoid allergic reactions and side effects like redness, irritation, and swelling.

Benefits Of Olive Oil For The Skin And Face

1. Has Moisturizing Properties: Vegetable oils contain essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs are of great use in the production of cosmetics. They are used either as active incipients or raw materials to synthesize novel compounds. EFAs are easily integrated into the skin’s hydro-lipid film. These healthy fats nourish, moisturize, and protect the skin (1).

2. Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Olive oil is a traditional treatment for wounds, sores, and infections. Various studies back the effectiveness of its topical use and absence of side effects. Olive has long been used to accelerate wound healing. It may be used for treating diabetic foot ulcers, atopic dermatitis, diaper dermatitis, episiotomy woundsⁱ  , and nipple ulcers. It improves skin and mucous tissue damage and accelerates wound healing (2).

3. Is Rich In Nutrients: Olive oil comes from the fruits of Olea europaea trees. It consists mainly of oleic acid, with smaller quantities of other fatty acids such as linoleic acid and palmitic acid (3). Olive oil contains more than 200 different chemical compounds – including sterols, carotenoidsⁱ  , triterpenic alcohols, and phenolic compounds.

4. Has Antioxidant Properties: Olive oil contains abundant hydrophilic phenols with higher antioxidant properties than vitamin E. These antioxidants exhibit anti-inflammatory properties if olive oil is included in the diet.

5. Has Anti-Aging Properties: Olive oil may regulate skin aging with its antioxidant and stabilizing action on the cellular membranes (1). According to a study, extra virgin olive oil applied to the skin delayed the onset of skin cancer when exposed to UVB radiation (3).

6. May Soothe Skin Conditions: Olive oil may help manage a few skin conditions (2). Olives may treat inflammation caused by diapers in children. The squalene in olive oil has antioxidant and moisturizing properties and can treat seborrheic dermatitisⁱ  , acne, psoriasisⁱ  , and atopic dermatitis. However, the treatment is in conjunction with other treatment modalities and is not standalone. Thus, using just olive oil may not be as effective in soothing inflammation.

7. Has Antimicrobial Properties: The hydroxytyrosolⁱ  in olive oil is a good antimicrobial agent for treating human infections. Studies also support the antifungal properties of the oil (4).

8. May Improve Overall Skin Health: Olive oil is good for overall skin health. It moisturizes the skin and prevents early aging. It protects the skin from UV light. The anti-aging oil also contains oleuropein which acts as a potent scavenger of oxygen-free radical (5). This way, it may help in skin nourishment and boost overall skin health.

9. May Treat Burns: In a randomized controlled trial, a mixture of olive oil, sesame oil, and honey was demonstrated to be a useful treatment for burns. The mixture prevented infections, accelerated tissue repair, and facilitated debridement (6).

Trivia

Olive oil has been used for skin care since ancient times. Egyptian Pharaohs used it with beeswax and other ingredients to moisturize and protect their skin.

You can enjoy all the benefits of olive oil when you learn how to use it on your skin efficiently. Learn more in the next section.

How To Use Olive Oil For The Skin

• You can apply olive oil to your skin directly as a moisturizer. Massage the olive oil over the skin in small gentle circular motions.
• You can add olive oil to your skincare products and homemade face packs and masks.
• You can also mix olive oil with other natural ingredients like orange juice, lemon juice, green tea, pink salt, etc.
• You can use olive oil as the base with other essential oils.

Trivia

Europe is a major contributor to global olive oil production. Spain produces over 56% of the world’s total olive oil production.

One of the best ways to incorporate olive oil into your skin care regimen or beauty routine is by using it in a homemade facemask. Learn to make one in the next section.

How To Make An Olive Oil Face Mask

What You Need

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• ½ a teaspoon of orange zest (fresh)
• 1 egg yolk (for dry skin)
• Vitamin E capsule

Note: You can replace the egg yolk with a paste of egg white if you have oily skin.

Procedure

1. Mix the olive oil and honey with some freshly grated orange zest.
2. Add in the vitamin E from the capsule.
3. Beat the egg yolk into the mixture.
4. Whisk the mixture until it is blended.
5. Apply the mixture to your face and neck. You can use your fingers or a brush.
6. Leave it on for 20 minutes, and wash off with warm water.
7. Rinse off with cold water.

Can olive oil harm your skin? Continue reading to know the answer.

Risks And Side Effects

Treatment with olive oil has no potential side effects. Olive oil does not burn or traumatize the skin (1). But perform a patch test to be on the safe side. Apply a little olive oil to your skin and wait for a few minutes. Check for any adverse effects like redness, irritation, swelling, burning, or inflammation.