Olive Oil Benefits for Skin, Hair & Health
1. Olive Oil Benefits for Skin
The hydrating properties of olive oil make it perfect to be used as a moisturizer. It cleanses, hydrates, and nourishes the skin. Olive oil penetrates pores without causing clogs to make the skin healthier and brighter than ever. It’s interesting to hear Egyptian models confessing themselves to be taking Olive Oil baths to improve the texture of their skin. Following properties of Olive Oil make it a flawless Skincare Product:
- Olive Oil increases the regenerative properties of the skin, making it ideal for anti-wrinkle or anti-ageing purposes.
- Stimulates collagen and elastin fibres to give tensile strength to the skin.
- Strengthens weak skin tissues and gives new cells to the scars to bring out its anti-scarring properties.
- The hydrating property makes it a quintessential emollient that leaves the surface shiny and soft.
- Light texture and non-sticky character, leaves a smooth surface after application.
Eye-Makeup Remover:
Olive Oil can also be used as eye-makeup remover (doesn’t matter even if the makeup is water-proof), or a makeup remover in general. Now you will be thinking, how can oil be applied on the face to remove oily stuff used in the makeup products. Well, remember the” like dissolves like” rule of chemistry. So yes, it is as simple as oil removing all the layers of makeup, rather than doing penetration. By the way, you can use Olive Oil as a make-up brush cleaner too.
The regenerative properties of Olive Oil are used in the treatment of acne scars. So, once the acne has been treated, you can apply olive oil on the leftover marks to moisturize and heal the wounds. Vitamin E component of Olive Oil also enhances its scar healing mechanism and prevention of superimposed infections on Open Pores.
Treat Skin Allergy:
Olive Oil, through its already mentioned properties, also aids in the Treatment of Eczema (a skin allergy disorder), diaper rash (a rash formed on buttocks of babies usually due to using of diaper pants) and many others. Yes, it can be used on the skin as sensitive as of small babies except for specific skin allergy diseases.
Brittle nails? No problem, Olive oil has a solution to that too. It gives long, shiny nails to those who apply it regularly on their nails. It’s a cuticle remover that is an ingredient of many pedicure creams and works in a way to soften and then remove the extra layer on the base of the nails.
Precaution:
It is better to do a patch test before the start of the regular application of olive oil on the skin. You can fix a dime shaped use for 24 to 42hrs on any non-exposed body parts to see if the patient is allergic to it or not. If the test proves you to be non-allergic, feel free even to take an olive oil bath.
2. Olive Oil Benefits for Hair
Olive Oil has Vitamin E that gives strength to the hair follicles, leading to a decline in the hair fall of its users. Not only this, but it also increases the length and overall bulk of the hair, giving a perfect body to your hair. Olive Oil nourishes your hair being rich in essential nutrients. So, you no more need to get protein treatment sessions for the reversal of your chemically damaged hair to their original texture. Add olive oil in your grocery list and make yourself free of inorganic, impure, and expensive hair products available in the market.
3. Olive Oil Benefits in Massage
Olive oil is the most suitable choice of oil to be used for massage purposes. It has Anti-Inflammatory properties due to the presence of oleic acid that reduces the effects of inflammatory agents like CRP (C Reactive Protein). The pain of joints is relieved by the soothing effect of oil as well as anti-inflammatory actions. Therefore, olive oil can be used in case of sports injuries, arthritis, and other similar problems of joints.
4. Olive Oil Benefits in Cardiovascular Diseases
Olive oil is proven to be beneficial in many cardiovascular diseases. According to the Journal of Pharmacology, Olive Oil makes Nitric Oxide available to the blood vessels that helps in reducing the blood pressure. Being rich in linoleic acid and other MUFA (Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acids), it decreases bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol in the blood. So, Olive oil is used in the prevention of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke, by prevention of the formation of clots due to cholesterol deposition.
5. Olive Oil for Prevention of Cancer
Olive Oil has antioxidants with anti-cancer effects. It has other components like Squalene and terpenoids, that potentiate its anticancer effects. Olive Oil is composed of Warburg effect suppressors, that suppress a major step contributing to the development of cancerous cells. Many studies have shown a lower risk of some cancers in the Mediterranean population, who use Olive oil in staple food.
6. Olive Oil Benefits in Weight Loss
Many types of research have shown an association of weight loss with the use of olive oil in different forms. A study in the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland shows that an increase in the use of fats in the food and a decrease in the intake of carbohydrates helps in the reduction of weight. An eight weeks comparative study done in 2002, published in the Women’s Health Journal, compared the weight loss in women using an olive oil-enriched diet in comparison with the ones taking a lower-fat food. It showed more pronounced effects in the group of women using olive oil in their menu. Most of them kept using olive oil in their food during their 6months follow-up after study.
Not only this, applying olive oil on the body soothes the stretch marks following weight loss. So, what more do you expect from a natural product to do in your favour?
7. Anti-Diabetic Effects of Olive Oil
It is interesting to see the benefits of olive oil on control of sugar levels in diabetic users. In the blood sugar level, Fats have a stabilizing effect. It also helps in regulating insulin levels. These effects have overall glucose lowering impact on the bloodstream. This feature helps in blood glucose level control in diabetic patients.
8. Anti-Inflammatory Benefits of Olive Oil
CRP (C Reactive Protein) is a marker of inflammation. It is a common medical strategy to detect hidden systemic diseases through its quantitative measurement. It is interesting to find an association of olive oil use with the quantity of CRP in the blood. Many studies have shown a decline in C reactive protein levels in the serum after prolonged use of olive oil. In other words, you can say that olive oil decreases inflammation-causing markers in the body and thereby curing the inflammation-related disorders.
9. Olive Oil Benefits in Strengthening Bones:
You would have heard about the role of Calcium and Vitamin D in the strengthening bone. For your information, olive oil has also been studied as one of the oils with Omega 6 and Omega 9 that provide essential oils to boost up the health of the body. Other than that, it has effects on Osteocalcin, which is a non-collagenous protein hormone found in teeth and blood, first identified as a calcium-binding protein in chick bone. We can see the impact as high serum levels of osteocalcin and other bone formation markers in the serum of Mediterranean people taking only the Olive Oil diet. This hormone, along with other tags triggers the osteoblasts to form new bone cells. All this results in quick recovery of fractures, as well as the strengthening of bones in general.
10. Uses of Olive Oil in Prevention and Control of Alzheimer’s Disease
Many studies have proven the impact of Olive oil on the neurological system. It improves focus and concentration of its regular users. Not only this, but Olive oil also improves memory, and this property is helpful in the non-pharmacological cure of Alzheimer’s disease. Oleocanthal, phenolic compounds of olive oil, have got their role as a therapeutic agent in neurodegenerative diseases.
