Why you should be using olive oil in your beauty routine

From kitchen pantry to your bathroom cupboard

New Idea New Idea and WHO Executive Beauty Editor / May 25 2017

Used by the ancient Egyptians on the face, hair and body, budget-loving olive oil is 
having a resurgence in 
a wide range of beauty products. We asked Kate Robertson, medical herbalist and technical advisor for the Olive skin care range, to explain why. 

“It works,” she enthuses. “The benefits far outweigh those of some of the more glamorous-sounding oils.” The kitchen staple is known as a hard-working multi-tasker. “It’s one of those oils that helps with everything,” Robertson says. “It nourishes, hydrates and is going to help with fine lines and keeping the skin supple.” Olives are also a rich source of squalane, which is 
extracted from the oil.
 "It’s extremely good for 
skin – like a concentrated serum," Robertson says.

5 things you didn’t know about olive oil

#1 / It’s natural.

#2 / It’s cheap.

#3 / It’s moisture-rich.

#4 / It’s filled with antioxidants (vitamins E and K) to fight free radical damage from stress, sun, pollution and poor diet, which cause ageing and skin damage.

#5 / It’s high in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. 

TOP TIP: If you find oils too heavy, Robertson suggests using it while your skin is still damp, which will thin it slightly.

It's not just your skin that reaps the benefits of olive oil either. Gwyneth Paltrow has been known to use half a cup of olive oil to help nourish her dry hair and leave it looking silky. And she’s definitely on to something: olive oil is an emollient, which means it can penetrate the hair shaft better than many other types of oils, and it’s packed with antioxidants that can help remove free radical from the surface of the hair and scalp.

Olive Nourishing Day Cream

Simple As That Makeup Remover

Palmer’s Olive Oil Formula Dry Oil Mist Hair Elixir

Egyptian Magic

L’Occitane Bonne Mere Olive Shower Gel

Kora Organics Age-Defying AHA Facial Exfoliator

Want to know how other celebs are embracing it in their beauty routines? This is how Chloe Moretz uses olive oil, plus the other ingredient in your pantry you should be putting on your face.

For more beauty tips from New Idea, stop by newidea.com.au

Adriana has been writing about the beauty world for more than 15 fun-filled years and has a real passion for helping women navigate gracefully through those tricky 45+ years.