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I love it when a beauty product does double duty and well – lip/cheek tints, lip and cuticle balms, BB creams, cotton buds… I love it even more when DIY beauty turns out better AND cheaper than anything you buy!
I’m a big fan of oils, and olive oil is definitely near the top of the multitasking list. As well as salad dressing and bread dip, here are some things I use olive oil for…
1. Makeup remover – Put a few drops on a damp cotton pad, wipe over eyes and face, then wash off with warm water and pat dry. The oil dissolves any makeup that water can’t.
2. Oil cleansing – Steam open pores (or if you’re lazy like me, just use in the shower!). Massage about 1/4 teaspoon (a little puddle the size of a US quarter, Australian 10 cent coin, or base of an OPI bottle) into your damp face. If you have clogged pores, you should feel little bits of blackhead and other gunk loosen from your face – the oil helps the plugs glide out, and the massaging wiggles them loose. I rub for about 3 minutes, but I’ve heard that the longer you do it, the better the results! Rinse off with a gentle cleanser, pat dry and moisturise.
3. Hair conditioner – Mix a few drops into your regular conditioner, leave in for a few minutes then rinse off. Oil is a great conditioner!
4. Hot oil mask – Comb warm olive oil through damp hair. Clip up and wrap in clingfilm, allow to soak for at least 15 minutes. Wash out thoroughly with shampoo, condition. My hair becomes so soft and slippery π
5. Body scrub – Mix some olive oil into a small handful of sugar (1 part oil to 2 parts sugar gives a nice crumbly texture). Add scent if you want (be careful if you’re sensitive). Rub gently into skin, then rinse off with warm water – use cleanser if you feel too greasy. Be very careful if you decide to scrub your face, it can be too effective! Sugar doesn’t dissolve in oil, so you get the scrubbing grains, plus the oil moisturises and softens old skin. My skin feels velvety smooth and soft afterwards!
6. Shaving – Rub a few drops onto wet legs, then shave. The oil lubricates and moisturises so you get less irritated skin.
7. Cuticle oil – After washing your hands, towel dry and rub a few drops into your cuticles for a quick conditioning.
Like with any other type of skincare, your individual reaction may vary! However, olive oil seems to work for most people who have tried it, but don’t go nuts – incorporate any change in your skincare routine slowly.
Who else loves olive oil? What other uses have you found? Let me know! π
I can’t be around olive oil long anymore let alone put it on my face. I did 10 shots of it to win something and got super ill :/ So the smell makes me feel queasy now.
Hahahaha! I hope the prize was worth it!
You can use other oils too for skincare – I just chose olive oil because it’s readily available, cheap and works for most people. Jojoba, grapeseed and sweet almond oils are more expensive options that also work well – sometimes you can find serious bargains though!
Im seriously trying the shower cleanse…thanks for the tip girl π
Hope it works well for you! π
Thanks for the great ways to use it!
Glad you liked it! π
MORE posts like this!
I’ll try! π
We use olive oil mostly for body massage. This is good for bones.
That picture is attractive.
Olive oil is great for massage, not sure about the bones!
The picture is from Wikimedia π
Awesome post! I like to use grapeseed oil on my skin, but I’m totally gonna try some olive oil now! If you have any other tips like these for hair-treatment I’d love to hear more about it!
I think grapeseed works well too… depends on what your skin likes! But olive is generally cheaper.
I’m looking for good hair masks too, my hair is a mess! π
Coconut oil is amazing for hair, I massage some in before I go to sleep and then wash my hair like normal in the morning, makes it super soft
I’ve also heard from other people that it’s really good, but I’m a bit worried about the comedogenicity – I roll around a lot in my sleep and I’m convinced that the oil will find its way onto my face!
Nice tips, thank you, and one day I’m so going to try your body butter recipe too!
Thanks! π
Great tips thanks!
I use olive oil on my 3yo son’s flaky scalp. It’s kind of like a mild cradle cap he gets. I rub the oil in and before a shower and let it sit for a while then when I wash his hair in the shower the crusty dry skin all washes off.
It would probably work for adults with dandruff too.
Oh, what a good idea! My bf has terrible dandruff. Head and Shoulders stopped working altogether recently so I bought him a Neutrogena coal tar shampoo that’s doing the job but it’s so expensive and it smells all medicinal. He’s against anything that smells or looks “girly” so I’ll get him to give olive oil a go! Thanks!
great info!!! love this post!
❤
http://ilovemakeup68.blogspot.com
Thanks! π
Awesome π I have to try some of these things! Do you think sunflower oil would work too?
I think so! Most of these will work with any oil, you just have to be careful with sensitivities and comedogenicity, but sunflower oil is great on both fronts π
This may a dumb question, but where is the best place to find olive oil for these tips? Are you talking about finding it in a beauty supply store OR do you walk into a grocery store and buy it from among the cooking oils there? I REALLY want my daughter to try the suggestion with the blackheads on her face….BUT I don’t want to go buy it from my local grocery only to find out that is the TOTAL wrong place to go!
Thanks-Donna
smithzoo@lisco.com
Grocery store olive oil is the stuff! Make sure she doesn’t get too excited and use it every day straight away, and make sure it’s followed with a gentle cleanser. Good luck! π
I’m reading a book about olive oil at the moment called ‘Extra Virginity’ – fascinating stuff, mostly about the rampant food fraud in Italy and generally afflicting the olive oil industry, and how far from the original, natural product most of what we get in the supermarket is. there’s quite a bit about the historical use of olive oil too. let me know if you want to read it, should finish it this week.
and yes, I bought it at a hipster bookstore.
xx N
Sounds interesting! Also, may I take this moment to note that (a) you’ve been to a hipster book store; (b) you bought something from there; (c) you’re telling me how mainstream and inauthentic my cooking oils are; and (d) you’re about to get a bicycle. WHO IS THE REAL HIPSTER HERE.
I’m also going to get a fringe. OH WAIT I CAN’T OUT HIPSTER YOU THERE.
Also, I just painted my nails half and half ulta3 mulberry/designer brands midnight blue. I blame you entirely. (And no, the colours do not in any way work together. Or maybe it is my amateurish application.)
Ha. Ha. You totally had a fringe for a while, so kitchen appliances, relative light absorption etc. I had it before fringes, but I stuck with it because I truly believed in it. You quit when it got too mainstream.
Eh, purple and blue generally works at least a bit. Try using sticky tape next time, it’s great for crisp lines! Just wait til you’ve had your nails painted for a day or two, and when you’re bored you can change it up. Just do each nail one by one, and peel off the tape right after you paint over it.
Awesome! I’m trying use #2 asap! π
Good luck, hope it works for you! π
I tried it but I don’t think I steam opened my pores for long enough. π How long should it take for them to open in the shower?
Well, I usually do it after all my shampooing, and I like my showers hot… maybe 15 minutes? If I’m feeling particularly conscientious I steam my pores over a sink of steaming water with a towel over my head for 5-10 minutes before I get in the shower. Sometimes there’ll be stubborn blackheads that won’t come out, but they pop out really easily with one of those round wire things after the steam/oil combo. Some people get better results with some castor oil mixed in there too, I haven’t tried that yet though.
Hope that helps!
Thanks, I’ll try steaming a bit longer. π
I have olive, jojoba and coconut oil at home π
Three of my favourites! I’m a little bit scared of using coconut because it’s relatively comedogenic, but it smells soooo good!
Very nice tips! I use olive oil as a hair mask before I go to shower,but now I will try to apply it to the damp hair. Must be more effective π
It works pretty well as a mask for me as well, but I prefer to put it on in the shower, because it’s faster and I’m lazy π