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Is Olive Oil Good For The Skin?

Posted by Daniela Belmondo on November 21, 2011 0 Comments

It’s no secret that we at Belmondo Skincare love using nature’s ingredients in our healthy skin regimen. Teaching our clients, customers, and readers about the benefits of using earth-grown ingredients in their skin care regimen is the heart and soul of what we do.

In Part 1 of this 10-part series on olive oil’s benefits for the skin, we’re sharing the best reasons for using olive oil to cleanse, condition, moisturize, and protect the skin, including the delicate, sensitive skin of the face. We’re also sharing why olive oil is far superior to mineral oil when it comes to skincare products. There’s nothing quite like it and we hope you’ll be inspired to embrace its goodness along with us.

P.S. Look for Belmondo’s Favorite Tips scattered throughout this series. There’s one in each article. We’re giving you the inside scoop on how we enjoy the things of earth, naturally, for beautiful skin and a greener planet – and how you can, too!

First, let us put your mind at ease. Yes, olive oil is good for your skin!

We all want a clear, balanced, glowing complexion. The pharmaceutical industry and its marketing machine would have us believe that great skin comes in the form of oral antibiotics, medicated lotions, creams, and gels, and chemical washes and peels.

Those of us with so-called ‘problem skin’ – skin with acne breakouts and blemishes, redness or unevenness, scarring, or excessive dryness or oiliness – are especially told that our solution must come in the form of medicated products. We are led to believe that natural beauty products aren’t sufficient for us to get the quality of skin we want.

The good news – for our skin and for the planet – is that all-natural, plant-based skincare products, such as those made with olive oil, are exactly what our skin craves and will respond to best.

We at Belmondo love educating our clients and buyers about the power of pure olive oil to improve, soothe, heal, and repair the skin, including the delicate, sensitive skin of the face.

We recommend cold-pressed or extra virgin olive oil for the face and body, and we use olive oil as a base ingredient in most of our natural skincare products.

Let’s address some common misconceptions about the benefits of olive oil to the skin, including the skin of the face.

In the cosmetics industry, oils tend to get a pretty bad rap. Lots of shelf space is given to products touted as ‘oil-free’ or promising to ‘strip and block oil production in the skin.’

Actually, natural skincare wisdom tells us that the opposite of what big cosmetics companies recommend is true: plant-based oils are a healthy part of a balanced complexion. Using olive oil as part of a skin care regimen is the optimum way to replenish and restore the skin’s balance, elasticity, and hydration, and prevent premature aging.

Not all oils are created equally. Plant-based oils, such as those that originate from the nuts or seeds of trees, fruits, vegetables, or flowers, come from the earth and work with your skin to help it respond and heal the way it was designed to. Olives, being a fruit that grows on trees, are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, three components your skin needs for optimum health, beauty, and well-being.

And the higher quality the olive oil – such as cold-pressed or extra virgin – the better the results to your skin. We recommend you try both, as well as natural olive oil-based skincare products such as those in the Belmondo Natural Skincare line.

Mineral oil, commonly found in drugstore brand as well as high-end beauty counter cosmetic lines, is not derived from a natural source and is detrimental to the long-term well being of the skin.

Mineral oil is a liquid by product of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. The ‘mineral oil’ listed as an Ingredient in your makeup is the same stuff you pump into your car for fuel! (Last time you checked, you didn’t have an engine, brakes, and a carburetor, did you?)

Why do some cosmetics companies use mineral oil in their products? It’s cheap, it’s odorless, and it never goes rancid – unlike natural products, which have a shelf life (and for good reason – they’re of the earth, naturally!).

Mineral oil forms a film on the top layer of your skin, thus temporarily locking in moisture but also blocking pores and the normal elimination of dirt and bacteria from the pores. This blockage effect leads to blockage of oxygen flow through the pores. Lack of adequate oxygen to the skin leads to accelerated aging.

Top 3 reasons olive oil is the best oil for the skin, including the skin of the face.

1.    Olive oil is nature’s fountain of youth for the skin.

Ideally, everything we put in and on our bodies should be all natural, and even better yet, plant-based. Olive oil, which comes from a plant, is rich with vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids the skin loves, recognizes, and responds positively to.

Olive oil’s properties allow the skin to breathe naturally. Oxygen flow to the skin promotes the production of collagen, which gives the skin its youthful plumpness and smooth texture. When hydration is lacking and collagen is stripped, skin appears dull and saggy.

Treat your skin to an all-natural, olive oil-based skincare regimen and it will reward you by looking and behaving its happiest and healthiest.

2.    Olive oil is an excellent moisturizer.

Olive oil naturally fortifies and strengthens the skin’s natural protective barrier, which is a combination of sebum (oil in the skin that is naturally present) and micro-flora (healthy bacteria).

Olive oil mimics the natural oil in your skin, absorbing quickly into the skin to nourish it, rather than sitting on top feeling and looking greasy. Rather, your skin looks and feels supple and radiant.

There are excellent advantages to using skincare products with olive oil as a base ingredient, such as our Nourishing Face Oil or our Face Cream.

Belmondo’s Favorite Tip No. 1: Olive oil makes an excellent shave gel.

3.    Olive oil is a better way to fight bacteria and breakouts.

If you’re an acne sufferer, you’ve probably heard that excess sebum (oil) is the cause of breakouts. Because of this, it may sound odd to apply more oil to an already oily skin type that’s suffering from congestion, blemishes, or scarring. However, olive oil is effective in treating these conditions.

For instance, applying a product like our own Nourishing Face Oil helps dissolve the natural oil in your skin. When rinsed off with steamy (not scalding) warm water, debris and excess sebum go with it, leaving your skin cleansed, balanced, and nourished, without the feeling of having been stripped.

Have acne scars? Olive oil is a natural healer, promoting cell regrowth and a smooth texture.

We at Belmondo personally experience the beauty benefits of an olive oil-based skincare regimen. We love sharing why olive oil is the best oil for the skin and the face. And we invite you to begin incorporating olive oil into your skincare regimen for an enhanced complexion that’s better for you and for the earth. We want to see you glow!

Would you like personalized skincare recommendations from Belmondo? Visit us at Belmondo.ca and click the green Leave a Message icon in the top right corner of the screen. Someone from our staff will respond to your message promptly. We love hearing from you!

*We at Belmondo Organic Skincare are natural skincare professionals, not medical professionals. If you have a skin condition you feel needs medical attention, please consult a physician.