Olive oil has been a health and beauty secret for over 5000 years. It is obtained from the olive, a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is very versatile oil, proved by many studies to be beneficial when used as food/cooking or applied topically.
Called “liquid gold” by ancient Greeks, olive oil has been more than just food to the peoples of the Mediterranean: it has been medicinal, magical, an endless source of fascination and wonder and the fountain of great wealth and power.
Olive oil is produced by grinding olives and extracting the oil by mechanical or chemical methods. For a good and nutritious olive oil great care is taken to make sure the olives are perfectly tree ripened (they can be neither green nor overripe).
Main constituents of olive oil are fatty acids (Oleic, Palmitic, Linoleic, Linolenic, Stearic). It contains traces of sterols and organic compound squalene that has exceptional moisturizing properties. Olive oil is also rich in vitamin E and related natural olive oil products with potent antioxidant properties, known to be vital for a healthy skin.
Fatty Acids in olive oil are essential to cellular membranes. These monounsaturated fatty acids are less easily damaged by oxygen than other types of fat. And when the skin’s fatty acid content declines due to aging, environmental and free radical damage, elasticity of the skin will decline as well and at the same time water loss will increase resulting in skin roughness and scaliness. Therefore topically applied olive oil provides fatty acid content to be absorbed by the skin, normalizing the cell lipid layer and improving the water-retention capacity.
According the studies it is proven that olive oil has a preventive effect on the formation of tumors and skin cancer if olive oil is applied immediately following the exposure to UVB rays.
Not only olive oil can save your skin from damaging sun exposure, delay the natural aging signs appearance by maintaining the elasticity of the skin, but if regularly applied it will also promote smooth, radiant complexion,heal dry and brittle nails, condition and add shine to hair.
