Olive oil is one of the most popular ingredients in cooking, but if you’ve never used it for beauty, you’re in for a treat. Believe it or not, Rachel Ray’s pet ingredient is not only a necessity in any pasta dish, but also great for your nails, lips, hair, and skin. Why? Olive oil is rich in squalane, a natural emollient that penetrates skin without leaving a greasy film behind. Beyond that, it’s packed with Vitamins A & E and a number of polyphenols that already make it a popular inclusion in beauty products – you only have to read reviews like these Polyphenol-Rich Olive Oil reviews to see for yourself how popular it is! Check out the below list for 15 inventive ways to get gorgeous Italian-style:
- A little EVOO makes a fabulous substitute for foot cream. Just rub some on your feet before you go to bed, put on some socks and wake up with super soft tootsies.
- Bad sunburn? Mix olive oil with white vinegar and apply before a warm bath to soothe and heal the burn.
- Banish frizzy hair by putting a couple of drops of olive oil in dry hair.
- Smooth generously onto hands before bed, put on white cotton gloves, and wake up with soft, youthful hands.
- Dandruff issues? Mix olive oil with almond oil and leave on scalp for five minutes. (If it starts to burn, rinse it out.) Rinse well to clear hair of dandruff.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your bath to calm red, irritated skin.
- Soothe chapped lips by smoothing on some olive oil.
- Olive oil makes a great anti-aging moisturizer, since it contains polyphenol hydroxytyrosol, an antioxidant that helps to hold cell walls intact and thus reduce the signs of aging.
- Apply a little olive oil to a Q-tip and use it as a makeup remover. (Yes, that’s why the store-bought kind is often so oily!)
- Soak thin, brittle nails and ragged cuticles in a small cup of olive oil to soften, smooth and strengthen them.
- Massage olive oil into your hair, then leave hair covered with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Shampoo and discover softer, more lustrous hair with fewer split ends.
- Sensitive skin? Go easy on your legs by using olive oil as a shaving cream.
- Slather on olive oil before braving the sun – it’s rich in Vitamins A and E, keeping skin from drying out in the heat while protecting you from UV rays.
- Rub on elbows and knees for intense moisturizing. (My elbows are actually soft now – I’m not kidding.)
- For stained nails and fingers, simply add a few drops of lemon juice to olive oil and soak your fingers in it.
Such a nice post, and useful review!
We will try your tips for sure.
Aireen and Lili xoxo
I love these tips! Right now, I only have two uses for it! Cooking and using it as baby massage oil before I bathe my daughter! I’ve gotta try these other tips though..especially the toes/feet one! I would love softer feet!
Wow these are such great ways to use olive oil!! I am going to bookmark this! Great tips 🙂
Olive oil is fantastic for hair. I’ve used it to deep treat my hair and as a massage oil for my scalp. I’ll try to see how it fares with irritated skin as I get contact dermatitis at times. Maybe I’ll pair it with plain yogurt to make a soothing face mask!
i hadn’t heard of some of these… will have to give them a try! I mix olive oil with castor oil as a face cleanser and absolutely love it!
Laura – that’s a fab idea – it’s not too heavy with the castor, though? What’s your skin type?
love evoo! i am going to try #11! thank you for all the tips! =)
Can’t wait to try all your tips! I forget how useful EVOO and coconut oils are!
Pinned! I love using natural beauty products and olive oil is a great one.
Fab tips! Who would have thought all I’ve ever done with it is eat it!
Are you sure it protects from UV rays though? I would have thought it would cook your skin as it acts as more of an enhancer with it’s reflecting properties? I’d love to know the science behind this as I’d definitely use it in future!
Katie <3
Hi there – good question! Scientists have actually studied whether the antioxidant properties of solutions like olive oil are effective in blocking UVB rays. Here is one such study: http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/11/2085.full
In general, having something on your skin is more protective and will block UV more than having nothing, no matter what that substance is. “Tanning oil” still protects your skin more from UV than straight sun would. The reason being in the water increases your tan is not because of having the water on your skin – it’s because the water around you is reflecting the sun. Hope this helps!
I use evoo to clean my face. love all of these uses as well. Great list!
I would have never thought to put olive oil on before going out in the sun! I do like it in my scrubs though for dry skin 🙂
Great tips! I’ve heard about using it in my hair. I’ll have to try it.
I agree with those uses of olive oil! I particularly enjoy it for hair and skin application. 😀 I haven’t tried makeup removal, will have to try that out. Thanks for the list!
~ lauriel
EyeForElegance.com
Thanks so much for sharing! Will definitely need to expand my uses of it because we love Olive oil!
Who knew that there were so many uses for olive oil. Great post!
I am loving these tips!!!
These are all helpful tips! Thank you 🙂
this is so useful!! I always think of coconut oil, but not olive oil!!
Olive oil and vinegar for sunburn I’ve done that before it works so so well 🙂
I love simple tips like this, thank you so much for sharing. It’s great because who doesn’t keep olive oil stocked up in their kitchen!! So many beauty uses, can’t wait to try them out.
Thanks for the tips, it’s becoming more and more apparent to use olive oil for bad sunburn or even before you brace the sun. I mainly use for my hair and cooking
I had do idea that you could use olive oil like that! I will have to try some of these out!
These are great tips! I don’t have any olive oil in my house anymore. I should go grab some! I could make a cake with it too!
Awesome tips! Thanks for the share, girl!
Great ideas! Is OO heavy in hair?
Great list! Thank you for sharing!
100 million percent obsessed with this post. I never knew so many great uses for Olive Oil. I totally didnt know it helps with nails. Love love love and totally bookmarking this!!
I always heard that olive oil is one of the best moisturizers! I have yet to try it, but it seems like it is good for so many things!
I love EVOO – but I’ve recently discovered coconut oil and I’m OBSESSED. It does all this, plus a little bit more. I wonder how people can buy a lot of things when natural oils like olive and coconut are available for nearly EVERYTHING.
I appreciate post like this!!! I only knew about the hair benefits but this is great! I’ll have to do my cuticles!! for sure!
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