Why You Need Olive Oil In Your Skincare Routine

"She cleansed all the dirt from her fair body with ambrosia, then she anointed herself with olive oil, ambrosial, very soft, and scented specially for herself— if it were so much as shaken in the bronze-floored house of Jove, the scent pervaded the universe of heaven and earth."

Homer, The Iliad, (XIV)

For centuries, people have recognised and harnessed the healing properties of olive oil. Perhaps the most prolific users of olive oil throughout antiquity were the ancient Greeks, who rarely used it in cooking but instead saw olive oil to be an incredibly healing ingredient in skincare. They used it as a moisturiser, as medicine and even to cleanse their body by massaging it into their skin and scraping away the excess oil with dirt (read more about Ancient Greek use of olive oil here).

Woman standing in olive grove at Green Olive at Red Hill

It is no surprise then, that in Homer’s Iliad, the goddess Hera uses olive oil to soften and scent her skin in preparation for seducing her husband, Zeus. She succeeds in her task and thus allows the Greeks to regain the upper hand in the war against the Trojans while Zeus, the divine supporter of the Trojans, is distracted. Now we’re not claiming that she succeeded in her task because she used olive oil… but surely it must have helped! ;)

It has been scientifically shown that olive oil has wonderful benefits for your skin. Its high antioxidant content helps to protect the skin from free-radicals which speed up the ageing process and cause harm to skin cells. It is very anti-inflammatory, helping to heal damaged skin and treat many types of skin ailments such as scars, stretch marks, eczema, cuts and bruises. Olive oil is also extremely nourishing and helps the skin retain moisture without clogging pores.

While the therapeutic properties of olive oil were theorised in a time when gods and goddesses were believed to control phenomena that we now attribute to science, modern studies have backed up the Greeks’ insightful claims about olive oil in skin care. It has now been scientifically shown that olive oil is the perfect ingredient in natural skin care products for these wonderful benefits:

Anti-age me please

Olive oil is extremely rich in antioxidants, compounds that help protect the skins barrier from free-radicals which cause damage to molecules in the skin and in turn, speed up the ageing process. Some of the main antioxidants in olive oil are vitamin E and polyphenols which have been found to have protective effects against ageing of the skin.

Eczema begone

As mentioned, olive oil contains a number of phenolic compounds, one of which, oleocanthal, has been shown to work in the same anti-inflammatory ways as ibuprofen. There are a number of other compounds in olive oil (particularly in extra virgin olive oil), which, along with oleocanthal, help to reduce skin inflammation. This means that olive oil is a great ingredient to include in sensitive skin products, as it can help with symptoms of eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and similar inflammatory conditions.

Scars, bruises and stretch marks - oh my!

The antioxidant-rich content of olive oil means that not only is it fantastic at slowing down the ageing process, but it can also help heal damage that has already been made to the skin. Scars, stretch marks, cuts, discolouration and bruises are amongst the things of which the antioxidants in olive oil can help reduce the appearance.

We have experienced first-hand the benefits olive oil in skincare, and now we want to share the love! That’s why our farm grown, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil is the core ingredient in our range of natural body products, designed to nourish and nurture your skin. As well as olive oil, our body washes, body lotions, all-purpose balm, handmade olive oil soaps and natural bath salts contain ingredients plucked straight from local farms so that you can enjoy the wonderful healing powers of nature without the added nasties.

Now, while that stakes might not be so high as making sure that your skin is soft and supple so that you can seduce your husband and help the Greeks win the war, we’re confident that you will enjoy the benefits that our olive oil body products will have for your skin. It’s also lovely to know that you are sharing the skin routine of a goddess!

You can buy our skincare products online at www.greenolive.com.au or follow us on instagram @greenolivebody for more information about olive oil, our body care products and the best ways to use them.