Beauty Secrets of Olive Oil

Olive oil has been mostly associated with Mediterranean cooking, for dipping bread and for diets low in saturated fat. Not only is it good for your health, but it has also been a centuries-old beauty secret that is finally garnering world-wide attention. Go to any salon or the beauty aisle in a department store and you'll find olive oil based products for skin and hair. Is this just another hyped-up trend, or is olive oil an effective beauty product?

Olive oil has a high level of monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and the lesser known squalene and chlorophyll which are beneficial to skin and hair. Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in plants and algae. Chefs sometimes use it to color beverages and pasta. From a beauty standpoint, it counteracts ageing and helps heal skin wounds. Squalene has been found to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors. Cosmetic companies use it as an ingredient in moisturizers due to its ability to regulate sebum. Sebum is produced by sebaceous glands found in our skin and scalp. It is secreted through our pores. Sebum helps to form a coating on the skin which acts as a barrier and also lubricates our skin and hair.

Health experts talk about the benefits of antioxidants and how we should get more into our bodies. Olive oil is an excellent source of the antioxidants Vitamins A and E, polyphenols and phytosterols. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and repair cell membranes. Free radicals are unstable molecules created from exposure to damage from radiation, pollution and cigarette smoke, all which contribute to premature ageing.

It also has emollient properties which softens and relaxes hair. It controls frizz, makes hair shiny and silky and cleans the scalp, making it dandruff free. Some say it even stops hair loss, especially hair loss related to pregnancy.

To make an olive oil conditioner:

1. Whisk together ½ cup of olive oil with 1 egg yolk.
2. Add a few drops of lemon juice and mix.
3. Apply the conditioner to shampooed and rinsed hair.
4. Leave on for 5 minutes. If your hair is oily, stay about half an inch from your scalp. Shampoo and rinse your hair.

I remember years ago I shelled out over fifty dollars at a salon for an olive oil hot oil treatment. Here's one you can do at home for far less money:

1. Heat about half a cup of olive oil until it's warm, but not too hot to burn your scalp.
2. Apply it to dry hair by dividing it into sections and combing it through.
3. Use enough olive oil to saturate hair.
4. Put on a shower cap and sit under a dryer for five minutes.
5. Shampoo and rinse your hair.

Another alternative, albeit a messier one, is to leave the oil in your hair overnight. Protect your pillows and sheets with towels as the oil will stain your linens.

The ancient Greeks knew about the skin benefits of olive oil. They used to bathe in it and use special tools to scrape off the excess after letting it soak into their skin. It is an excellent moisturizer. Apply it directly to dry skin, in areas like on the elbows and heels. Though it's not very sexy, wear socks and gloves to bed and let the olive oil work its magic while you sleep. You can also use it on chapped lips, stretch marks and wrinkles.

To make a night cream, mix together: ½ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of white vinegar and ¼ cup of warm water. Apply it just before going to bed. The solution will help to kill bacteria as well as lighten the skin and make it smooth and blemish-free.

For a cleansing solution apply olive oil to your face with cotton balls. Scrub your face with granulated sugar. Wipe it off with a cool, wet wash cloth.

To make a mask, whisk together 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of honey and ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Apply it to your face and leave on until the mixture sets. Rinse off with warm water.

It is important to use extra virgin olive oil in your beauty recipes, because it is cold pressed. Anything labeled "light" or "pure" are chemically processed. While olive oil is more expensive than say, canola oil, it still relatively inexpensive. Where I live a 17-ounce bottle of store brand extra virgin oil costs about six dollars. It's cheap compared to the fifty-dollar hot oil treatment I had in a salon, and I get the same beautiful results.