Maybe you have heard that olive oil is very beneficial for the skin. And you are thinking: can I leave the olive oil on my skin overnight? 

Generally speaking, the answer is yes, but it’s a bit tricky as there are some exceptions. Please read below the pros and cons.

Tip! To be on the safe side, use a small amount of olive oil, to avoid clogging pores. It’s better to be an unrefined, cold-pressed, high-quality product.

Second Tip! If you have dry skin, you can use pure olive oil. If you have oily skin, you can mix ⅔ olive oil and ⅓ castor oil.

Why olive oil on the skin?

Many people think that olive oil can only be used in the kitchen to flavour various dishes, but the truth is that it has several beneficial properties that can be used in skincare. 

Obtained by cold pressing the olives, olive oil contains fatty acids that are beneficial for our body. Many countries worldwide have been using olive oil in cosmetics for centuries.

According to scientists, olive oil is the oil closest in chemical structure to the natural sebum that our skin produces. Here are some of the beneficial properties of olive oil:

High antioxidant content

It is believed that antioxidants can help slow skin ageing. Olive oil contains vitamin E, polyphenols and phytosterols. 

Vitamin E helps repair damaged skin cells and protects the skin from the damaging effects of UV rays. 

Polyphenols also protect skin cells and slow down the ageing process. Phytosterols, in turn, stimulate collagen production, the amount and production of which decreases with age.

Skin hydration

When applied to the skin, olive oil penetrates the deeper layers and helps retain moisture. In addition, the presence of fatty acids improves skin elasticity. 

As already mentioned, using olive oil to hydrate the skin, especially the face, is unsuitable for people with acne-prone skin.

Anti-inflammatory effect

The anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil can be used for external and internal inflammatory processes in our bodies. 

This property, according to scientists, is due to the ingredient oleocanthal, which is believed to have properties similar to ibuprofen.

Restoring skin cells

It is believed that olive oil can naturally help to restore skin cells. The vitamin E, flavonoids and polyphenols it contains speed up the process of new skin cell formation, giving the skin a more radiant appearance.

Anti-age effect

High-quality olive oil has a significant amount of vitamin E, a universal remedy against premature skin ageing. 

Vitamin A, also in large quantities, moisturizes and increases elasticity. It is responsible for smoothing out fine lines. 

Vitamins K and D, as well as the B group, prevent the appearance of new damage on the face and smooth old ones. 

It contains antioxidants and valuable polyunsaturated k-nutrients such as oleic and others. Olive oil is excellent for dry and irritated skin, wonderful for sensitive skin, and separately for sagging and tired skin. It comes to the rescue for sunburn, wrinkles and spots. 

It creates a protective layer against the adverse effects of the environment. Olive oil removes blackheads and closes enlarged pores.

Olive oil for eyes

On the contrary, this oil is necessary for the delicate skin of the eyelids! Because in this area, there are no sebaceous glands and, therefore, no ability to self-moisturize. 

Therefore, do not hesitate to apply olive oil under your eyes in the morning and at night. By the way, it is better to keep it in the refrigerator to get a toning bonus.

Different ways to use olive oil on the skin

Olive oil is used in many face and body care products. To use pure olive oil for skin care, it is best to choose extra virgin olive oil.

Some people use olive oil directly to moisturize the skin, for example, by applying it directly to the dry areas of the skin.

You can also make a homemade olive oil exfoliant to treat dry and flaky skin areas. To do this, you must mix olive oil with sea salt and prepare a homemade scrub.

You can also prepare a homemade olive oil face mask if you have dry skin. For this purpose, you can mix olive oil with egg whites, honey or oatmeal. 

To reduce the appearance of wrinkles in the eye area, apply a little olive oil with a cotton pad in the evening and leave it on overnight.

What kind of olive oil to apply?

The best option is to use an extra fresh virgin with antioxidants. The refining process of olive oil destroys the polyphenols (antioxidants).

The fresher the olive oil, the better, as the old one oxidizes and becomes rancid.

Olive oil – for what skin type?

More often, olive oil is used for dehydrated and combination-type skin. In this case, it moisturizes and softens skin, and you can apply it in pure form. 

Some people think that oil for oily skin is not appropriate. If this is the case, you can use olive oil in combination with other ingredients – for example, sour milk products or lemon.

Conclusion

The good thing about facial cleansing with olive oil is that the method is entirely natural. 

It can partially replace expensive cosmetics and is especially suitable during pregnancy if you’ve decided to ditch all the chemicals from your beauty regime. 

No one knows your skin better than you do. Only you know its tendencies, depending on whether you have to rub or not rub pure olive oil into your skin at night.

If you follow the basic rules, I believe you can turn olive oil into an “ally” to your skin.

Talk soon,

Valeria