7 Unusual Uses for Olive Oil (free beauty treatments)
Editor's note: this blog post was originally written in July 2014 and has since been updated with the latest information. Enjoy!
Want to save money on your beauty regime?
Ditch the expensive beauty products and get raiding the kitchen cupboard!
Olive oil has been used as a natural beauty-boosting treatment for centuries. Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, olive oil makes a great top-to-toe moisturiser.
Stop splashing out on overpriced products and use what you already have at home.
Top tip!
Use extra virgin olive oil, which is less processed, for healthy skin and hair.
Here are our top olive oil beauty treatments…
Use olive oil deep condition your hair
The benefits of olive oil to your hair is endless, from banishing dandruff and soothing a dry scalp, to sealing split ends and smoothing out frizz.
Here's how to use olive to get beautifully conditioned hair:
- Massage 2 teaspoons of olive oil into dry hair, comb through and gently tie into a bun.
- Wear a plastic bathing cap and take a hot shower or bath. The steam will help the olive oil penetrate deep into your scalp and locks.
- Leave for 10-30 minutes then shampoo out. You might need to shampoo a couple of times to remove all of the oil.
Save money on expensive hair masks and do this once a week for a free hair treatment. You’ll have naturally glossy, healthy hair in no time!
Get baby soft hands with olive oil
If rough hands are your nemesis, then this handy trick will sort you out.
Massage a few drops of olive oil onto your hands and wear cotton gloves overnight. Remove them in the morning to reveal super soft skin!
Olive oil is enriched with Omega-6 and Omega-3 which have skin smoothing properties. When you wake up your dry, cracked hands will feel not only soft but soothed too.
If you suffer from dry knees and elbows then rubbing olive oil into these problem areas will also replenish your skin with essential moisture.
Treat yourself to a soak in the bath
Nourish your skin by pouring half a cup of olive oil into your bath and mix in a few drops of your favourite essential oils.
Olive oil is packed with Vitamin E, a powerful anti-oxidant that protects skin against ageing. When you dry off you’ll be left with skin so soft and smooth you won’t even need to moisturise.
It’s most powerful in its natural form rather than mixed with other ingredients found in beauty products – so olive oil is the best and cheapest way to get your dose of Vitamin E!
Want even more tips on cheap pampering?
Check out our guide on How to pamper yourself for free. Go on, you deserve it!
Use olive oil as a cuticle oil
Credit: Beautifully Alive
Not many of us can afford to splash out on expensive beauty extras like cuticle oil.
Did you know that olive oil can do exactly the same job?
- Strengthen nails and soften cuticles by soaking your nails in a small cup of warm olive oil for 30 minutes.
- Rinse off and gently rub your cuticles with a tip of a towel.
If you have dry, ragged looking nails then this is a great quick-fix for groomed looking nails.
Turn olive oil into a deeply nourishing skin cleanser
Suitable for most skin types, olive oil helps to create a smooth complexion.
- Massage a few drops onto your face, run a washcloth under hot water and place it onto your skin. The heat will work with the oil to nourish deep down.
- Remove oil with the cloth and rinse with cool water.
The Vitamin E found in olive oil can help smooth out fine wrinkles just as well as some anti-wrinkle creams – give it a try!
Transform your lips with a natural lip scrub
Weather given you dry, coarse lips? Get them soft and smooth with this natural lip scrub made from olive oil.
Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with coarse sugar and gently rub over your lips. Add a squeeze of lemon juice for extra exfoliating properties!
Use olive oil as a replacement shaving cream
Credit: Ekin Olive Oil
If you've run out of shaving cream, there's no need to panic.
Olive oil makes a great natural lubricant, allowing you to shave your legs without nicking your skin
Do you have any unusual uses for olive oil that I've forgotten? Let me know!