As many women well know, especially those that hail from the Mediterranean, olive oil is a fantastic beauty product. Applied straight to the skin, nothing more, you have an antioxidant-packed moisturizer — but there’s so many other uses for the delicious oil! Here are some of our ideas for masks, hair treatments, makeup removers and more!
Olive Oil For The Face
- Moisturizing Serum: Devout face oil worshippers can try a completely natural alternative: apply olive oil directly to the skin before heading off to bed as a night treatment. It gives skin a luminous, healthy glow when you wake up.
- Facial Toner: Take a mixture of ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar, and ¼-cup water and use as toner before bed.
- Eye Cream: You can gently (and carefully) dab olive oil along the under eye area to nourish the skin, soften fine lines and help fight free radicals. For summer (or even a hangover), try this trick: keep it in the fridge and apply when the eye area is puffy.
- Makeup Remover: Super simple! Just apply a little bit of olive oil on a cotton pad and gently wipe off makeup. Rinse thoroughly with warm water to fully remove all debris, dirt and leftover mascara.
- The Ultimate Face Mask: Olive oil is an excellent base for some seriously amazing masks. Start by mixing one egg yolk, 1 Tbsp. of honey and 1 tbsp. of olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Apply this mixture to your clean face for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse off. The egg firms, the honey helps fight acne and hydrates, the olive oil nourishes and softens and the lemon packs a vitamin C punch.
- Rejuvenating Face Mask: Make a mask with a couple teaspoons of olive oil with a quarter of an avocado, mashed (eat the rest, they’re good for you!). Apply to your face and leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse.
- Acne Face Mask: To spot treat zits, you can create a paste by mixing 4 Tbsp. salt (yes, salt!) with 3 Tbsp. olive oil. You can either apply to the entire face by massaging in, or you can apply to blemished areas. Leave on for 5 minutes then rinse. Avoid the desire to rub bread on your face.
- DIY Lip Scrub: You can create a quick lip exfoliator with a mixture of brown sugar and a tsp. of olive oil. Gently apply to lips with a toothbrush, then rinse.
- Paint Remover: You can apply olive oil to paint on the skin or hair, let it sit for several minutes, then rinse out. Especially helpful if you have kids who like to get into … well, everything.
- Facial Scrub: Combine either sea salt or coarse sugar with olive oil to exfoliate dry patches and vamp up dull skin. Simply massage on and rinse thoroughly. This recipe also does wonders for the backs of hands!
- Homemade Lip Balm: You can mix equal parts olive oil and melted beeswax with an essential oil of your choosing for a lovely DIY lip balm.
READ MORE: 15 Ways You Never Thought to Use Lemon as a Beauty Product
Olive Oil For Your Hair
- Pre-shampoo Conditioner:You can give yourself a pre-shampoo boost by applying warm olive oil to split ends and even massage into your scalp. Simply warm up in the microwave (20 seconds or so), apply and leave on for 10 minute. Then hop in the shower! For even more intense conditioning, leave on for an hour in a shower cap, then rinse.
- Shine and Defrizz: If you’re out of hair product or simply want to keep it au naturale, you can use a tiny drop of olive oil to smooth static, frizz and flyaways. Use sparingly if your hair is fine or thin.
- Hair mask: For shinier, softer hair, mix one egg yolk (break it up with a whisk) with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Leave on for 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly.
- Dandruff Treatment: Treat yourself with this gentle remedy: mix olive oil with almond oil (you can substitute coconut if that’s all you have) and apply to scalp for five minutes. Rinse well to clear hair of dandruff.
- Bald Head Conditioner: Massage olive oil gently into the scalp and then kick back on a hot moist towel until the towel cools.
READ MORE: 9 Ways You Never Thought to Use Beets as a Beauty Product
Olive Oil For Your Body
- Ear Wax Remedy: A great mom’s remedy! If you have wax buildup, you can drizzle olive oil into your ear to help flush it out. For three nights, put a few drops into your ears to help clean them out.
- Shaving Cream: A hydrating pre-shave ritual: apply olive oil directly to legs, let it absorb a bit (or your razor will clog), then shave. You avoid razor burn, bumps and irritation.
- Antibacterial Ointment: Especially good for burns, take olive oil and mix in lavender, soothing calendula, and antiseptic tea tree oil to moisturize, protect and prevent scarring.
- Sunburn Salve: Take equal parts olive oil and white vinegar and pour into a warm bath to help soothe and heal sunburnt skin. After the bath, apply olive oil directly to the skin to hydrate and prevent peeling.
- Eczema and Itchy Skin Remedy: Apply olive oil directly to affected areas. You can spruce up the formula by adding chamomile essential oil, a known anti-itching and irritation agent. Bonus: the oil helps calm redness.
- Bath Oil: Pour olive oil directly in the bath for an incredibly moisturizing treatment. If that’s too slippery for you, massage the oil directly into the skin and then get into a warm bath with all your usual bathtime elements.
- Hand and Foot Care: Apply olive oil to everything from ragged cuticles (soak your fingers in a bowl of olive oil and water) to cracked heel (apply olive oil directly and then put on some socks to help seal it in!), olive oil is a miracle worker. You can even use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and lemon juice to remove nail polish stains.
- Massage Oil: Take EVOO, coconut oil, and mix in a smaller amount of jojoba, almond oil or vitamin E oil to help keep your skin (or a client’s) smooth and soft.
- Stretch Marks Salve: Who knew applying olive oil topically could help get rid of stretch marks? It helps regenerate skin as well as moisturize so those tiny tears don’t add up. Apply generously every morning to affected areas.
