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What Are the Different Types of Olive Oil Products?
Olive oil is a substance that has been used for a wide variety of purposes for centuries, from anointing royalty to quieting squeaking hinges. Prior to the widespread use of electric lights, olive oil was even used to light homes by people who burned it in lamps. Modern consumers can find olive oil products to soften their skin and hair, flavor their food, aid their health and digestion and make them more attractive through cosmetics and softening soaps.
Olive oil products used in cooking are popular because they promote good health with their high concentration of certain fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins. Olive oil cooking products include different grades of pressed olive oil, as well as olive oil cooking sprays. Olive oil is also an important ingredient in many salad dressings. It can be used to cook a number of tasty dishes, including those based on fish, chicken, pork and beef.
The skin care industry offers many olive oil products that claim to soften, protect and rejuvenate the skin. Promoters of olive oil as a healthy ingredient in beauty products point to the fact that people have used the extra virgin type of this oil across the Mediterranean for thousands of years, including the ancient Greeks and Romans. Many people like it because skin that is treated with olive oil products is healthier thanks to the oil's vitamins, and the skin is also firmer and youthful looking. Some women use olive oil to diminish stretch marks, although this has not been proven.
The hair care industry also promotes olive oil as an ingredient because it has the ability to soften damaged or coarse hair. It is considered a superior conditioner, but it is also touted as a dandruff remedy. Some olive oil products even claim they can stimulate the hair root and improve the scalp’s blood circulation.
Olive oil cosmetic products include beauty creams and masks for the face. Other products, including homemade remedies, can soften hands and feet. Nightly applications of some of these olive oil products are used by some women in an attempt to smooth away harsh wrinkles.
There are numerous uses for olive oil outside the areas of food and beauty. It can be used to free a stuck zipper, and it can be applied to the ear to help loosen wax. Some people like to use it to polish wood furniture, and to help eliminate aggravating snoring.
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AS FEATURED ON:
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![Containers of olive oil.]()
Containers of olive oil. -
![An olive tree.]()
An olive tree. -
![A bar of soap made with olive oil.]()
By: Diana TaliunA bar of soap made with olive oil. -
![Olive oil may be helpful in treating dandruff.]()
By: Jasmin MerdanOlive oil may be helpful in treating dandruff. -
![Olive oil can be found in many skin care products.]()
By: picsfiveOlive oil can be found in many skin care products. -
![Olive oil may be used in salad dressing.]()
By: monticelllloOlive oil may be used in salad dressing.
Discussion Comments
I just learned that some Catholics use olive oil as a preparation step before baptism. Apparently, olive oil is very important for many different religions, for ceremonies and health benefits.
All of the Abrahamic religions mention olive oil as being blessed and to have healing properties. My Hindu and Buddhist friends have told me that they also burn olive oil in lamps for religious ceremonies and prayers.
It's so interesting to learn that something I have in my kitchen cabinet is an important religious symbol and has a long history.
Do you know of any other religions that use olive oil?
@simrin-- Olive oil soap sounds like a good idea and environmentally friendly too. I haven't tried it before but I will look for it at the organic store next time.
I think olive oil is good for all skin products, it's moisturizing like you said. There are body lotions, lip balms and even hair styling products with olive oil. There is so much pollution these days and the products we use have chemicals in them that sometimes do more harm then good. I think olive oil products can help prevent damage.
I use lip balm with olive oil because my lips are very dry and sensitive. The skin on our lips is much thinner then the rest of our face and cracks so easily. I learned from my mom that applying a little bit of olive oil on the lips help prevent cracks and if you lick it by accident, it's not harmful.
I don't like the scent of just olive oil on my lips though so I bought a lip balm with olive oil and I keep it with me always.
Olive oil is so great for skin care. I have very sensitive skin and organic olive oil soap is the only thing I can use. Other soaps and body washes have perfumes in them and cause irritation. The olive oil soap I buy is very pure, it just has glycerin and olive oil.
The other two things I use olive oil for is a hair mask and face mask. I make my own masks and olive oil is one of the ingredients. It's a great moisturizer but it doesn't cause build up or clogged pores like some other oils do.
I make an aspirin face mask with aspirin, yogurt and olive oil. The olive oil prevents irritation from the aspirin which is salicylic acid.
For my hair mask, I use a runny hair conditioner and add olive oil and coconut oil in it and leave it on my hair for a couple of hours. It's the best hair treatment ever. Olive oil is really fantastic for skin care and beauty, it has so many uses.
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