Is Olive Oil an Effective Anti-aging Treatment for Skin?

You’re probably already familiar with the health benefits of adding olive oil to your diet. Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fats which play a role in the prevention of heart disease. What about olive benefits for the skin? Can an olive oil skin treatment help to protect against skin aging?

What the Studies Show

Japanese researchers have discovered that the application of high grade, virgin olive oil to the skin of bald mice significantly reduced their risk of skin cancer when they were exposed to high levels of ultraviolet light. The group of mice who were not protected by the olive oil skin treatment developed skin cancer at the expected rate. Of particular interest in this study was the fact that regular olive oil didn’t seem to have the protective effect that high grade, virgin olive oil did. It seems that the quality of olive oil chosen really does make a difference.

Why is Olive Oil Thought to be Anti-aging?

Why should an olive oil skin treatment have anti-aging effects? Olive oil contains a substance known as oleocanthal which has anti-inflammatory properties. Skin aging. as well as general body aging. seems to be closely tied to the inflammatory process. By supplying the skin with a rich source of an anti-inflammatory such as oleocanthal, the aging process may be retarded. Olive oil is also a rich source of polyphenols, a group of natural substances that help to repair cellular DNA damaged by free radicals. The combination of the olecanthal and polyphenols could account for the olive oil benefits for skin seen in these studies.

Use of Olive Oil for Skin Rejuvenation in History

The use of olive oil skin treatments for skin preservation and rejuvenation dates back to ancient times when such famous sirens as Cleopatra applied olive oil to soften and nourish the skin. Could ancient beauties have been on to something that we’re just discovering thousands of years later?

How to Do Your Own Olive Oil Skin Treatment

Although you can purchase skin care products with olive oil as a component to use in your own olive oil skin treatment, it’s less expensive and effective to use olive oil directly from the bottle. The next time you’re at your local grocery store, purchase a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. It’s important to select a high quality oil as this was the type shown to be effective in protecting the bald mice in the Japanese study. Use a cotton ball to apply it directly to the drier, wrinkle prone areas of your face. Olive oil may be too rich and heavy for oilier areas and should be avoided entirely if you’re prone to acne or skin breakouts. Another option is to add a small amount to your regular skin cream to get the benefits with less likelihood of clogging the pores.

Why purchase expensive skin creams when you can create your own olive oil skin treatment like Cleopatra did?

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