Olive oil is a fat obtained from the fruit of the Olive. It is a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by pressing or crushing the olive fruits using an olive crusher and then processing the paste with thorough mechanical or modern methods.
Olive oil has a lot of uses. It is used all around the world for different purposes like cooking, soap making, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, cosmetics, and as fuel for traditional lamps.
There’s a long history of this oil being used for skin care. Ranging from the ancient times of the Pharaohs when it was used as antibacterial agent and moisturizer by Egyptians to its modern day use as hair oil, base for skin care products etc.
Some of the benefits of using Olive oil for your hair and skin are:
For Hair
1. Helps to prevent / reduce dandruff. Due to the antibacterial properties of the Olive oil, regular massaging of the oil onto the hair and scalp can help to prevent or reduce common scalp problems like dandruff and itchy scalp.
2. For hair strengthening and shine. Olive oil is rich in vitamins A, E and antioxidants. Thus, it helps protect the keratin in hair and seals in moisture. Also, regular use of this oil as a conditioner can help in adding needed nutrition back into each strand of hair and help with the shine.
3. Helps to stop split ends. Split ends is very common during the dry season, the hair tends to get dry causing the ends to split. Applying this oil to the hair, especially the hair tip, helps to retain moisture. Thus preventing split ends.
For Skin
4. As skin exfoliator: Olive oil can also be used as a skin exfoliator. Adding a tablespoon of the oil to an Epsom Bath will aid in removing dead skin cells while leaving your skin looking refreshed and glowing.
5. As shaving aid. It is not everytime that you have to use shaving cream or soap and water as shaving aid, as these sometimes leave you with razor rashes and bumps. Applying Olive oil as a lubricant helps to avoid some of these pitfalls.
6. As skin moisturizers. Olive oil can be used as a mild moisturizer for dry skin. It can be used alone or mixed with your regular body moisturiser to up its effectiveness.
Truly, the Olive oil is very beneficial for the body and it can be easily gotten from various marts and pharmacies around you.
