Olive Oil: Beauty Secret of the Mediterranean

One of the unexpected beauty products in my stash is a simple bottle of olive oil. I use it all the time both for my skin and for my hair. In combing the beauty industry, I have learned that I am not alone in believing that olive oil is a great natural beauty ingredient. I thought I'd create this informative hub about it. :)

When I cook and get some olive oil on my hands, I always rub it into my skin and elbows and hair. Here are the benefits to using olive oil:

• Skin. Makes it soft and smooth and also keeps it supple and elastic.
• Hair. Moisturizes, and for me it controls the frizzies. More economical than buying hot oil treatments that's for sure!
• Cuticles and Nails. Prevents and treats brittle nails and nourishes the cuticles.

I know I am not the only one who thinks olive oil is a great ingredient, particular for natural beauty products. Next time you visit the beauty and hair products sections of your favorite store, start looking at the labels and you'll see what I mean.

I thought I would share with you my favorite olive oil beauty recipes. Sure, I mainly use it plain. But I also find that olive oil is a great ingredient to homemade beauty products. It is nourishing and I always have it on hand!

Massage oil. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. You can also use this massage oil for a simple bath oil or moisturizing body oil. My favorite essential oils include vanilla, rose, lavender, cinnamon, and rosemary.

Body scrub. Mix one cup sea salt or raw sugar with a few tablespoons of olive oil (eye ball it). You can also stir in your favorite essential oil. I like using ginger essential oil with sugar and olive oil. This is my favorite combination! If you plan to use the scrub on your face, use sugar - it's a bit gentler.

Calming skin lotion. I have rosacea. Sometimes I mix olive oil with either rose essential oil or lavender essential oil and dab it on the red areas of my face.

Scalp treatment. Mix olive oil with rosemary essential oil (2 T olive oil, 1 drop rosemary essential oil) and massage into scalp. Shampoo as usual.

I thought I would give a few tips for when you are buying olive oil beauty products.

• High quality olive oil. Make sure the olive oil used in the product is of the highest quality.

• Shelf life of product? Does the product have a shelf life? If it does, that means it is super fresh.

• Well known manufacturer. Is the product made by a well known beauty product manufacturer?