Olive oil is a tremendously versatile product with a wide variety of practical and beneficial uses extending far beyond its nutritional merits. Because it is a 100% natural product, completely free of chemical additives, and with numerous valuable properties, it is a safe, hypoallergenic and ecologically friendly alternative to many commercially produced cosmetic, personal hygiene and cleaning products.

Discover what you can do with olive oil.

Beauty and hygiene

• Moisturize your body. You can apply olive oil to any part of your body, just as you would with any commercial moisturizer. It provides protection against dryness, rebuilds your skin’s moisture, and soothes itchy or flaky skin. Use it after bathing to moisturize your body, and rub it on dry areas such as elbows, hands, knees or feet to moisturize overnight.
• Use as a night cream and eye cream. If your skin is dry, apply olive oil on your face with a cotton ball before going to bed and awaken to soft and supple skin. Dab some under your eyes to soften the fine lines.
• Exfoliate your face and hands. Apply olive oil onto your face or hands, and massage gently. Then rub in course salt or sugar, scrub lightly, and rinse thoroughly with warm water, for soft and invigorated skin.
• Remove make-up. Apply a few drops of olive oil onto a cotton ball and wipe away your make-up. Wash with warm water and your skin will feel clean, soft and supple.
• Use as lip balm. When your lips feel dry, apply a thin coating of olive oil, and you will prevent chapped lips. You can also use before going to bed for overnight nourishment that will leave your lips soft and smooth.
• Condition your hair. Apply half a cup warm olive oil onto your hair and massage both hair and scalp. Wrap your hair in a hot towel, leave for one hour and then shampoo. Your hair will gain shine and luster, as well as protection against breakage. Added benefits are prevention and treatment of dandruff.
• Moisturize your cuticles. Mix some olive oil with water for soaking your hands and feet before a manicure and pedicure. Apply olive oil to cuticles to soften and re-hydrate them and prevent peeling and flaking.
• Strengthen your nails. Pour three tablespoons olive oil into a bowl, warm it and soak your nails for twenty to thirty minutes. This will strengthen them, reduce brittleness, and give them a shine. The addition of a small amount of lemon juice to the oil will brighten and whiten them.
• Use as a lubricant for a close shave. Olive oil can be used as an alternative to shaving cream, moisturizing at the same time that it allows the blade to slide along your skin for a close shave.
• Use as after-shave. After shaving, rub a teaspoon (or more) of olive oil onto your face or body.
• Calm your skin after waxing. Apply olive oil onto the waxed areas and soothe any irritation.

Natural remedies

• Treat an earache. A few drops of warm olive oil into the ear will relieve the pain.
• Relieve aching muscles and joint pain. The benefits of massage for relief of aching muscles are increased with the use of olive oil.
• Stop snoring. Take a teaspoon of olive oil before going to bed. This moisturizes tissues at the back of the throat, reduces their friction, and allows air to move freely and smoothly.
• Remove head lice. Apply olive oil onto hair near the scalp and leave for one to two hours. Use a lice comb to comb out the lice and eggs. Then wash with shampoo and blow dry (hot air kills lice eggs and prevents hatching).
• Treat a cough or tickly throat. A sip of olive oil every now and then throughout the day helps reduce coughing by naturally coating your throat.
• Treat a sunburn. Rub olive oil on affected areas for soothing and healing the skin. (But note that it does not offer sunscreen protection.)
• Reduce stretch marks. Massage with warm olive oil and leave on your skin. Repeat several times a week. Olive oil can also help prevent stretch marks.
• Treat a diaper rash. Apply olive oil onto the baby’s bottom with a clean cloth to sooth sore skin. Olive oil also creates a protective barrier for the skin.
• Remove chewing gum from hair. Apply olive oil onto the gum and your hair around it and let it stand for about ten minutes, when it will slide off.
• Remove paint from your skin or hair. Rub olive oil with a little sugar or salt onto your skin, let the mixture soak for a few minutes, and wash thoroughly with soap and water. For your hair, apply some olive oil with a cotton ball or cloth and then shampoo.

Home improvement

• Polish wood furniture. Pour a teaspoon of olive oil onto a soft piece of cloth and apply onto furniture. Leave it for a couple of minutes and then wipe with a clean cloth for a lustrous look.
• Condition wooden kitchen utensils and cutting boards. Soak a clean cloth in olive oil and rub it into every part of the utensils. The oil is absorbed into the wood leaving a good protective finish. Let them rest several hours before storing.
• Shine/polish stainless steel and brass pots and pans. Rubbing with a cloth with olive oil prevents streaks, tarnish and corrosion.
• Remove wax from candleholders. Put a coat of olive oil inside the candle holder and it will be far easier to remove the melted wax.
• Lubricate squeaky doors and hinges. Apply olive oil onto a cloth and lubricate the hinges. Then wipe clean with a paper towel.
• Free stuck zippers. Apply some olive oil onto the zipper’s teeth and gently pull to get it unstuck.
• Polish shoes. Clean shoes or boots with a damp cloth to remove dust and dirt, then apply olive oil onto a dry cloth and rub. Finally use a soft cloth to buff and you will get a great shine.
• Clean garden tools. Apply olive oil with a cloth onto your tools before using them, for less build-up of dirt. Then apply again after use to prevent rust and create a shine.
• Make an oil lamp. Pour some olive oil into a container that will serve as your lamp, and insert an oil wick, keeping one of its ends dry. Light the dry end of the wick and you have created an oil lamp.