Olive Oil And Your Skin

Trying to keep up with whata??s hot in skincare is like trying to keep up with the Kardashians. Ita??s impossible (not that Ia??ve tried with the Kardashians, that is.)

Then how are you to know what are the latest and greatest ingredients? Well, you could read The Derm Blog (when I get around to posting on it), or you could just listen to your grandmother.

Some of the newest discoveries in skin care arena??t new at all: Olive oil may be seem hot now, but countless Mediterranean grandmothers, including mine, have sworn by its skin-care benefits for centuries (millenia?) Were they right?

Olive oil contains caffeic acid, oleic acid, and oleuropein — all of which are potent antioxidants. Unlike berries or teas, these antioxidants are already in oil, allowing them to be directly applied to the skin. Topically applied olive oil helps dry skin, rosacea, psoriasis, seborrhea, burns, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, diaper dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and eczema.

Here are some ways to apply olive oil to your body:

• Rub it into your scalp and wrap your head with a warm towel.


• Rub it in your cuticles and nails to moisturize dry, brittle nails.


• Make a body scrub with olive oil and sugar.


• Coat your skin with olive oil, then take a warm, not hot, bath.


• Massage it on dry hands or feet before bedtime and wear cotton gloves or socks. Note: It can stain your sheets.

Consumed olive oil is also healthy for your skin. Eating??two tablespoons a day might help reduce your risk for heart disease as well. (I could eat??two tablespoons straight out of the bottle on a crusty piece of bread.) If youa??re not so daring, you could use it in salad dressings, add it to pasta, vegetables, and soups, and even drizzle a little on meats like grilled chicken.

Remember only virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are unprocessed. Other olive oils are refined or chemically treated. Use extra virgin (which has the best flavor) for eating, and save the lesser expensive virgin olive oil to apply to your skin. Well, unless youa??re a Kardashian.

What skincare tip would your grandmother recommend?

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