Why have we forgotten about the Earth’s little secret called liquid gold?
Olive oil is more than a simple food to the people of the Mediterranean: it’s an endless source of power and health especially for the skin. In the ancient world, virgin olive oil was called “liquid gold” by the Greek poet Homer and “the great healer” by Hippocrates. Ancient people used olive oil not just for consumption and cooking, but also to produce medicine, perfume, soap, lotion and cosmetics.
As a child I remember asking my "giagia" (yaya) (Greek for grandmother) why she was using olive oil on her face. She would tell me “it helps my dry skin and makes it look more young and beautiful”. I remember her applying it on her face day and night. She used it on her face, nails, body and even on her hair. Little did I know then what skin benefits liquid gold (olive oil) provided and how important it would be in my own formulations? Now I know what contributed to my grandmothers beautiful glowing youthful complexion.
So yes not only do I use olive oil in my Greek salad, it’s also a key ingredient in many of our skincare products at Gia Minerals. Olive oil is one of my favorite ingredients and I cannot begin to tell you how it can boost the nutrient value of a beauty product and its beauty benefits. Olive oil can completely transform your beauty routine and improve skins condition.
Olive Oil Antioxidant Protection
Olive oil has antioxidants and natural acids that work in harmony with your skin to strengthen its natural barrier. It contains a combination of sebum (the natural oils in your skin) and micro-flora (a healthy bacteria). Together these mirror the balance in your skin. When you apply olive oil based moisturizer to your face, the oils absorb quickly instead of sitting on top of your skin, as many chemical based moisturizers do. The nutrients penetrate in deep in the skin giving a that supple, radiant look we all want.
Olive oil acts as an antioxidant, which is a substance that prevents oxidation. Oxidation is a process that can produce free radicals, which are chemicals that can potentially damage cells and may contribute to cancer development. Olive oil helps prevent and reverse damage from cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation. Also, some research suggests that putting olive oil on the skin after sun exposure may fight off cancer-causing cells. Hydroxytyrosol, a rather rare compound found in olive oil, also prevents free radical damage to the skin.
Olive oil is derived from a fruit rather than a seed and it is extracted using the cold-pressed method. This special feature is responsible for the amazing benefits such as high antioxidant levels through polyphenols, vitamins A, D, K, as well as vitamin E. Olive oil is a powerhouse antioxidant as it has of high concentrations of polyphenols and phytosterols. It is reported that phytosterols not only stop the slow-down of collagen production that can be caused by the sun, it actually encouraged new collagen production. Furthermore, natural polyphenols have the ability to act as sunscreens; can reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and DNA damaging effects of UV radiation in the skin. Vitamin E partly accounts for the anti-aging benefits of olive oil because it helps restore skin against ultraviolet light while smooths and protects. Thus antioxidants, when topically applied, help protect the skin from premature skin aging.
Benefits Of Olive Oil On Skin
Naturally olive oil, is high in hydrating squalene and very compatible with our skins own natural oil. The reason this oil is compatible with our skin’s own natural oils (lipids), can be attributed to the fact, that it occurs in human sebum, which is comprised of 25% squalane. Safe for all skin types squalene is a great choice for regenerative skin care, and anti-aging products. Squalane also help skin age gracefully with anti-inflammatory benefits that help with skin conditions such as acne and eczema.
When squalane is applied to the skin, it mimics your natural sebum, improving elasticity by increasing moisture retention and nutrients. Squalane oil is ideal for all skin types, including oily skin. Because it is non-comedogenic and lacks the oily residue, it will not clog your pores and has also shown to be as powerful as retinol when it comes to fighting free radicals and reversing damage caused by the sun.
The skin has sufficient levels of squalene when it's young, and healthy. As we age the levels drop considerably and by the time we're in our mid-thirties, and forties, we no longer have sufficient levels to maintain healthy skin. It is believed that this drop off is, in part, responsible for many of the signs of aging skin, including the tendency to become easily damaged, thinner, and lack luster.
Olive Squalane can help replenish the natural levels lost through the normal aging process, contributing regenerative activity to restore a more youthful appearance, and resistance to inflammatory conditions.
Creating Balance To Skin With Olive Oil
We all want a clear, balanced, glowing complexion. The pharmaceutical industry with its marketing ploys would have us believe that great skin comes in the form of oral antibiotics, medicated lotions, creams, gels, chemical washes and peels.
Those with so-called ‘problem skin’ – skin with acne breakouts, blemishes, redness or unevenness, scarring, or excessive dryness or oiliness – are especially told that the solution to better skin must be attacked with medicated products filled with chemicals. We are led to believe that natural beauty products aren’t sufficient for us to get the quality of skin we want. However I believe it’s all about providing the education needed of each ingredient and its true benefits to obtain optimal results.
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.
At Gia Minerals we are all about educating our clients and how the power of pure olive oil and its benefits 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 which we use as an ingredient in some of our natural skincare products such as our Olive Moisturizing Cream, Repair Eye Cream, Clarifying Facial Cleanser, Vitalizing Organic Exfoliating Cream, and Olive Body Lotion.
For years oils, especially olive oil have received a bad rep, such as causing clogged pores, acne, stripping of the skin and, etc. Walking through beauty stores it upsets me that till this day lots of shelf space is given to products touted ‘oil free’ or promising to ‘strip and block oil production in the skin’. Isn’t better to have a foundation that actually hydrates the skin instead of drying it? This is why many women are dealing with with skin problems and acne.
It’s time to educate you! Let’s take a look and address some common misconceptions about the benefits of olive oil to the skin.
1) First and foremost let me share a secret beauties, using olive oil as part of a skin care regimen is the optimum way to replenish and restore the skin’s balance, elasticity, hydration, and prevent premature aging.
2) 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 that the skin loves, recognizes, and will respond to positively.
4) Olive oil’s properties allow the skin to breathe naturally without clogging the pores. 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
5) 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. Skin looks and feels supple and radiant.
6) Who said olive oil is not good for acne sufferers ? Those who suffer with acne also probably heard that excess sebum (oil) is the cause of breakouts. My lovelies this is actually far from the truth because on the contrary olive oil is a better way to fight bacteria, breakouts, congestion, scarring and blemishes. For instance, applying a moisturizers and cleanser that consist of organic virgin olive oil will help 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. This is why I recommend cleansing, and moisturizing skin with products that include organic virgin olive oil such as our Clarifying Facial Cleanser, Olive Moisturizing Cream.
Final Thought
Keep in mind not all oils are created equal. The same stand with olive oil, higher quality the olive oil – such as cold-pressed or extra virgin – the better the results to your skin. Plant-based oils, such as those that originate from the nuts or seeds of trees, fruits, vegetables, or flowers, come from the earth working with the skins structure to heal, protect and nurture it. 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. When you use olive oil based skincare, you put natural ingredients onto your skin which work in harmony with your skin's chemistry to give you the balance you skin craves.
There is an obvious yet excellent advantage in using skincare products that include olive oil in beauty products so treat your skin to an olive based skincare regimen such as our Olive Moisturizing Cream, Repair Eye Cream, Clarifying Facial Cleanser, Vitalizing Organic Exfoliating Cream, and Olive Body Lotion. Because skin will be rewarded by looking and behaving its happiest and healthiest.
At Gia Minerals we personally experience the beauty benefits of olive oil-based skincare regimen. We love sharing why olive oil is good 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!
XOXO
Georgina Tzavaras
April 8, 2021