Here’s a little discovery I recently blundered upon: plain old olive oil makes a great facial cleanser and skin conditioner.
I know…it’s counterintuitive. Olive oil should make your skin greasy. But it doesn’t. Not at all. In fact, as I write this my skin could use a little face cream. Some people say it’s safe to use on naturally oily skin prone to acne, because your own skin’s native oiliness has nothing to do with what you put on it and everything to do with your hormones. So many people buy into this theory that there’s actually a coterie of folks who have developed an “Oil Cleansing Method”(OCM), which they recommend for acne sufferers.
The other day I stumbled on this when I opened a freebie sample packet of expensive skin cream from L’Occitane. Thinking it was rather nice, I glanced at the ingredients and discovered the stuff is mostly water and olive oil.
Olive oil? I’ve got that in the kitchen, and it sure doesn’t cost what a bottle of fancy goop from L’Occitane costs.
Meanwhile, there’s a backstory here you should know about: Over the past two or three years, I’ve developed a maddeningly itchy spot on my face. It runs along the sides of my nose, especially around the creases where the nose joins the face. One dermatologist decided it was seborrheic dermatitis and prescribed a high-octane cortisone cream. Another dermatologist said it certainly was not that, because there was no visible reddening or rash, but she didn’t know what it is and thought I should leave it alone.
Well, cortisone cream does nothing. After I’d faithfully followed the first specialist’s instructions for about ten days, I learned that cortisone creams can cause your skin to atrophy. That’s just what I need: atrophied skin on my face! Thanks, doc!
Moving on, I tried dandruff shampoo (briefly soothing…for about ten minutes), calamine lotion, insect itch stuff, face creams, Vaseline, witch hazel, Bactine, antibiotic ointments, Myconazole, special soaps, Benadryl cream, oral antihistamines, swearing off caffeine, swearing off alcohol, and on and on and on. NOTHING helped to make it heal up, and only two things would stop the itch for longer than about five or ten minutes: salacylic acid (in Scalpicin) and benzyl alcohol plus pramoxine HCL (in Itchex gel). Both of these sting like the dickens when you apply them—as in hurt so much it makes your eyes water—but they would stop the itching for three to five hours, which was better than anything else did. Meanwhile, I continued to unconsciously paw at my face, because nothing would bring the itch to an end.
When I realized the L’Occitane cream was mostly olive oil, the Still Small Voice whispered, “Olive oil? Try it!”
Why not? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The OCM enthusiasts are hot to add stuff like castor oil and aloe, but I decided I would restrain myself from running to the drugstore and just use the Costco olive oil I had in the house. Here’s the strategy:
You need
• a small amount of olive oil
• small dish
• warm water
• washcloth
• a few minutes of undisturbed time
Pour a tablespoon or two of olive into a little dish. Using your fingers, dip up oil and spread it over your face. Rub the oil gently around and into the skin.
Dampen the washcloth well with very warm but NOT scaldingly hot water. Lay the warm washcloth over your well-oiled face and let it set. Relax while allowing the steamy warmth to work on your skin. As the cloth cools, repeat this several times.
Then gently wipe the excess oil from your skin. Rinse and wring out the washcloth, and you’re done! If you like, splash some cold water on your face as an astringent.
Amazingly, as soon as I applied olive oil to the itchy area around my nose, it started to sooth the discomfort! And it didn’t hurt.
After I finished wiping the oil off my face, I dabbed a light film of olive oil onto the itchy area. It worked! It didn’t 100% cure the itching, but it soothed enough that I could keep my hands off my face all day long.
I’ve been using olive oil on my face for several days now, and it’s making a huge difference. Maybe over time the years-old irritation will settle down and go away. BTW, the oil also works really well to remove make-up. It even takes off mascara. It leaves your skin feeling clean, with no trace of greasiness. The olive oil scent dissipates quickly or washes off in the warm water, so you don’t end up smelling like a walking bowl of salad.
Isn’t that the darnedest thing? I can’t imagine why this would work on a stubborn itch. And I’m not asking! I’m just gunna keep using it.
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Well that’s impressive. I’ve recently starting using generic baby oil (leftover from the homemade baby wipe experiment) to remove my makeup and it works great, removing all traces of mascara and leaving my lashes nice and soft. I think baby oil is cheaper than olive oil but I may give that try too! I assume baby oil is a petroleum product and olive oil is not so that would be another good reason to try olive oil.
Yah, baby oil is basically perfumed mineral oil. Which is pretty benign…I just don’t care for the perfume. I’d rather smell like pressed olives than a baby’s petootie. LOL!
Hmmm…I’ve heard about this before, what a neat idea. I have acne prone skin too, but I’m a bit too scared to clean my face with olive oil. Maybe I’ll be brave enough one day.
VERY interesting…My best friend swears by olive oil as her moisturizer & she also uses it on her hair regularly. I have always though I should avoid all oil based stuff since I have combination skin…but you say it’s not greasy at all huh?
LOVE it that it heals dry problems. We always get very dry noses in the winter from all the blowing. I bet a little olive oil would work wonders. We always fight with lotions, balms, whatever that are so synthetic…
Neat post!
It’s weird. It really doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy, as long as you gently wipe it off with a clean washcloth soaked in warm water. You actually come away with your face feeling nice and clean. Well…at least I do. Can’t testify for anyone else.
I have been using olive oil as my night time moisturizer for over a year now. I read the book “Beauty secrets of the Bible” and she gives you a lot of natural skin care products! It’s great. I have been told many times how soft and smooth my skin looks. Women have been using olive oil on their skin since the Bible days… why should we spend tons of money for fancy products?
Im a 42 man who had begun having red and itchy zones on my face a couple of years ago, it all began on the side of my nose, then it begun to spread slowly had it just above the eyebrows, then there were days where those face zones were so red, itchy and flakey that it made me feel very uncomfortable to just go out and meet people.
I’ve tried a couple of over the counter creams, mainly moisturizers, like Wellskin Base Glaxal, Eucerin normal and others… some would help for maybe an hour, some would make my skin feel like it got on fire, more red than ever before, i was just about to call it quits and run to the doctor’s office, then i stumbled into your blog…
Tried Olive oil, the rest it history, it’s only been 4 days now that i apply plain olive oil after on my “facial zones” right after my usual evening shower and the itch and redness has almost vanished!
Im in total Awe!
Each morning i waking up to less and less redness and itchiness!
My wife said it makes a huge difference, maybe about 10% of the rash left, almost no redness left.
If this has made such a huge impact in just 4 days, im pretty convinced my problem will be solved very soon.
Thanks so much for telling me about plain Olive oil, it’s really making wonders on my face.
Cleansing with natural oil does indeed work well. I’ve totally stopped using all soaps on my face. I use 33% castor oil, 33% olive oil, 33% jojoba oil mix for my skin. It doesn’t leave your skin oily feeling after you wipe it off with a washcloth. Just think, if it can dissolve thick oily cosmetics well then it certainly can dissolve any oily buildup blocking your pores too. I would experiment with using the oils on the face while in a steam room if you can. The more open the pores, the more the oil can deep clean. ~scott
Hi, I have been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a couple of months and I love it and notice my hair and skin looking better. I use it on my hair, to remove all my make-up, as a lotion all over my body and face and I also use it to shave my legs. There are so many uses for it, just search the internet other ways and recipes! Buy a small bottle of EVOO and replace it with all your products for just one week and see what it does for you! Remember, anything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body, so why put all those fancy products that contain a lot of cancer causing chemicals? It adds up over time, so go natural!
I don’t know about olive oil yet…but I’ve used castor oil mixed with Vit. E oil for several years. I think the castor oil is making my skin TOO soft.. My facial skin started to droop….I have been using plain ‘ole vaseline…I like it!
maybe it’s genetic, maybe from excessive caffeine….but I am stopping the use of castor oil for my face. I do love the stuff to remove warts after a few weeks application…
I can certainly vouch for pure olive oil working as a facial cleanser.My daughter suffered from a mild case of eczema the first year she was born.My family physician recommended massaging her with plain good old olive oil for the body and face,no soaps,cleansers or lotions of any sort.It worked wonders.Wish I had called on her before the visits to the dermatologist and using low dose steroid creams,cleansers and lotions from the pharmacy on a little baby.She is almost 2 years and I rarely use soap on her face (unless we are travelling and its just easy to use a gentle cleanser) I plan to start using it myself instead of the thousand and ten cleansers out there.
Thanks so much!. I’ve recently begun to throw out all cosmetics with ingredient lists that remind me more of a chemistry lab than anything that should go on my skin and hair. The stories you’ve all shared gently remind me of the care Mother
Earth can provide for us. The methyls, ethyls, propols, glycols etc are just so unnecessary and harmful, subjecting us to dis-ease and dis-harmony in our bodies and minds. The natural approach may take a bit longer and yes can be a bit messier and time consuming but it is ultimately worth our while.
Thanks again! Peace to all.
Carmen
I am African American and have very dry skin. My sister’s baby had/has excema and she began to use olive oil instead of soap to bathe/clean her. It works very well. She began to use it herselft and on the older children. I was skeptical but tried it myself in the shower. I rinse thoroughly under the shower using a hand held shower head, wipe oil on everything except the bottoms of my feet, scrub with a wash cloth if I’m feeling especially dirty or funky (sometimes I don’t use a wash cloth and works well also) then wipe it off with a microfiber cloth. Sometimes I don’t wipe it off. Either way, my skin is left soft and healthy looking and I DON’T HAVE BODY ODOR. I still use deodant though.
@ Carment T.: Also very nice on African-style skin (or any other variety, for that matter) is shea butter. It’s expensive in retail shops, but look for it at Sprouts, at health stores, or online. In the jar (sometimes it comes in a bag), its consistency is kind of waxy and you think what is that! The trick is to take a small blob of it, warm it in your hands, and then spread it around. It makes your skin just silky. The neat thing is, it soaks in and doesn’t leave anything that feels like a residue, yet you can tell it’s still there because water will bead up on your skin until you actually wash with detergent or soap. It’s really nice for calloused heels.
This sounds pretty convincing. I bought a lil’ sized bottle of Olive Oil from the cosmetics aisles of Wal-Mart because I thought it might help ease my Seborrheic Dermatitis problem on both my scalp and face. I’ll do this trick, and I do hope it works for me.
Hi! It’s me again from the previous comment. I just want to say my skin is shinier than I had for many months! The olive oil felt very greasy and thick though, but whatever! As long as my face is spotless I’m fine!
@ Anonymous: It does feel heavy and greasy compared to a cosmetic-grade cleanser or oil. The trick is to apply it; then soak a washcloth in warm water–very warm but not burning hot. Lay the warm (not scalding!) washcloth over your face and let it set for a couple of minutes. Reheat and reapply the washcloth two or three times after it cools off. Then gently wipe the oil off your face with the warm washcloth.
This should remove the olive oil (and any makeup you had on) so that your skin feels clean but not parched.
I’ve been using olive oil for some time too as my night time cleanser. It works just as well if not better than the expensive cleasing milks on the market, and if you start with a dry face and massage the oil off with hot water, there really is no greasy residue. You’ll feel extremely clean without that stripped effect you get from cleansing foam. If you want you can always follow up with toner or wipe a used green tea bag over your face. I received L’occitane’s apple velvet cleansing oil for my birthday a while back and while I enjoyed using it while I had it, I must say I have not bothered to replace it after I ran out. I just went right back to olive oil and have been enjoying similar results. The only advantage I can see to using the packaged cleansing oils put out by luxury skincare lines is the pleasant scent – the L’occitane oil certainly smelt delicious. But I can live without that and be $25 richer.
can the olive oil or the vaseline help with sagging , aging skin that has lost some elasticity?
@ Diane: No more than any other nostrum you smear on your face. Olive oil and vaseline do the same thing, only a lot cheaper. There are only two ways to avoid sagging, aging, unelastic skin: 1) before you’re born, select ancestors with good genes; and 2) stay out of the sun from the day of your birth.
just a thought with the itchy spot between your nose and face, it’s probably due to you not rinsing off soap in that area. it’s a hard spot to completely rinse. however, it makes sense that it goes away after you stopped cleaning with soap and started cleansing with oil because oil doesn’t need to be rinsed off the skin. i’ve have dermatitis for years, and i’m going to try this out. thanks for your pioneering efforts
@ page: That does make sense! Another theory: it’s pretty hot here. I’ve noticed that when it’s warm enough to cause a “glow” that doesn’t rise to an outright sweat, the schnozz itches. A person could, in theory, be either slightly allergic to something they’re ingesting (and so sweating out thru’ the pores0 or just have a little irritation that’s aggravated by moisture and salt. So a) getting it clean and b) at the same time laying down a light layer of protective oil might help. If that’s the case, though, it also would make sense that simply rinsing your face gently with cool water a few times a day ought to improve things, too.
I developed a itchy, red, sometimes scaly, area around the edge of my nose as well as a similar area on my back and on the inside of my ear. I was suspicious that it might be a type of fungus so I applied the active ingredient found in Lamisil (Terbinafine Hydrochloride 1%) and all the areas cleared up within a week. In the past I had a “ringworm” that cleared up with the same product and I was suspicious that these new scaly areas were similar issues that just manifest with slightly different symptoms. Hope this helps.
@ Jo: I tried Lamasil and found it did nothing. I also tried Miconozale, since yeast is also a fungus that can take up residence in various parts of the body; nothing.
It’s definitely worth trying these things. They can’t do much harm, and if they work, they work!
Well, that’s so funny! I’ve been using a homemade face mask for quite a while now that contains carrots, honey, oliveoil and vegetable shortening. I actually use carrot baby food for the carrots as it has a nice smooth consistency and costs about 60cents a jar. I mix the carrot (Vitamin A – aka Retinol) with honey (moisturizer) with olive oil (skin conditioner) with enough shortening (vitamin E and Omega 3s) to make a face mask – I put this mask on for 15 minutes every night then rinse off with warm water and then follow up with a thin smearing of plain old vegetable shortening. I tend to get very dry flaky spots that (surprise surprisese) my dermatologist said was seborrheic dermatitis! LOL – I now have incredibly smooth and beautiful skin that is cheap and easy to maintain. Now if I could just get rid of the corn allergy!
@ Kiki: That’s certainly interesting! By vegetable shortening, you mean a hydrogenated vegetable oil like Crisco? That might be more manageable than olive oil…though it would be wise to be sure they’re not using corn oil, to avoid the allergy. I think it’s mostly soy and cottonseed oil.
I’ve heard of people using honey on their skin but haven’t tried it yet. The carrot idea is new to me!
ive being told that anything edible is good for your skin. back home in fiji, my mum would use coconut oil as a body moisturizer on us while growing up. it is a very good stuff, for dry skin and make your hair healthy and shiny. here in Australia its too hard to get that type of oil where very little process is used to make coconut oil. however, olive oil is found abundantly, so i thought why not give it a try. ive being using my kitchen olive oil for a few days now and my skin feels great. on the other hand ive noticed that as the weather is getting cooler and cooler, my skin is starting to itch. after shower as i apply it , my body starts to itch, and i would be spending at least 10minutes to just scratch my body, especially my lower back. i know its got nothing to do with dirty clothes or hygiene, as i pretty much take good care of it both, but i dont know why my body itches a few minutes after applying the olive oil. it didn’t happen before but it is happening now.
@ khusnil deo: Chances are you’re developing an allergy to it. It might be wise to switch to some other kind of oil, such as shea butter, coconut oil, or cocoa butter.
Thanks for this post.
ever since I moved to a dry and polluted climate, my skin’s been suffering from small pimples. in an effort to exfoliate my skin I was drying it to much, making it red and irritated. One day I decided to apply some virgin olive oil, and it worked wonders! no facial cream could leave a lasting moisturizing effect on my skin like olive oil. The anti-oxidants and vitamin A and E in olive oil are particularly important for healthy skin. I also use it to remove make-up and its fantastic!
My favorite oil of all. I use EVOO all the time. It it safe, cheap and it is very good for you, inside and out. Think of the Mediterranean women, they have such a nice skin, that’s because of olive oil. It is known to be their beauty “SECRET” but it’s not so secret anymore, is it? The news it out, so indulge yourself with this miracle oil. One thing I want to share with you out there, make sure that the bottle of the olive oil has a COOC (California Olive Oil Council) seal on it. You want your olive oil fresh and cold press. Any company can claim they have the best olive oil, but try to get the best that the market has to offer. My brand is California Olive Ranch Fresh California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I have compared this to my older brand and this truly is a better one. I love the aroma and it is very good in your salad, too. Use olive oil to remove your lipstick, yes, you read it right. Don’t be afraid, it’s olive oil. We eat it why not use it on your lips, too? Worried about your wrinkle? Problem just solved! Olive oil can help you, big time. You’ll love it!!!! Okay folks, hope you enjoy reading my comment. Good luck and keep those beauty tips coming.
Olive oil is also wonderful for preventing streach marks! I read that a lot of body builders use it to preventing getting them, so when I was pregnant, I used it every night on my stomache, breasts, and hips. I didn’t get not one mark! I know it helps to have good genes, but I know the olive oil definately helped! I’m really excited to start using it as a make up remover/cleanser also! Thanks for all the info!!!
EVOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SWEAR I WILL NEVER USE LOTION ON MY FACE OR BODY FOR THE REST OF MY NATURAL BORN LIFE…THE 1ST TIME I USED IT I PUT A COUPLE DROPS IN MY PALM AND MIXED IT WITH MY ST. IVES APRICOT SCRUB IN THE SHOWER FOR MY FACE..INSTANTLY FELT THE DIFFERENCE!!!! THEN I PUT IT ON MY WHOLE BODY AFTER THE SHOWER INCLUDING MY FACE….I WILL NEVER LOOK BACK! MY SKIN IS SO RADIANT AND SOFT! THANKS MOTHER NATURE!!!!!
@ Cindy: But be a little careful using any oil in the shower. The stuff is slippery underfoot!
My face is soaking in olive oil & it feels so right! I’m a skin care junky !I am a cosmetologist & I do show’s for my slumber party business so I hate when my skin breaks out.I’ve been doing shows,working at salon,& bartending at 2 different places & I normally pass out when I can.I hate to admit it but I have passed out several times the past 2 months still in uniform which is NOT GOOD!
! Ps another beauty tip besides eating right,drinking water,& all that other stuff well if u wake up puffy or not as energized as you’d like to be you can try sleeping on your back & it’s better for bloodflow & you won’t be putting so much weight on your face & getting puffy.Well I gotta rinse my olive oil off,I hope this was helpful.Thanks everyone!
Ladies I love these post especially the olive oil because olive oil is excellent!
Yet it is very important to wash your face before going to sleep.Your skin is the largest organ of the body & its absorbent .While we sleep our skin absorbs all the funk or goods left on it!So get your beauty sleep or if you are forcing your eyes open until u get into the door of your home invest in a good face wipe ,don’t be like me & wake up with zits leaving yourself looking like an @sswipe
Ps Cindy that Apricot scrub can be harsh on your face if used alone but mixing it with olive oil is a fabulous idea!Just saying if you have sensitive skin & run out of the olive oil please skip the scrub or mix it with honey or something to soften the texture.Wishing you a happy face! Thanks again!
Stumbled on olive oil for my face because nothing else worked in my relentlessly dry climate and one day I just thought, “Why not? Can’t hurt”. Love it. Skin softer, more pliable and no more eczema spots either. This stuff is cheaper and better than any moisturizer on the market.
Be careful with Vaseline. My nutritionist told me not to use it on my skin which is why I started using EVOO. Her reasoning was sound and made sense, I just can’t remember what it was…just said “uh oh” and quit using it.
I know its been a few years since anyone has replied to this, but It is so true! I just started using olive oil on my hair and it is the softest it has ever been in my 33 years. I started using it because my hair was so damaged from my flat iron & olive oil cured it like a miracle! one day I just wiped my hands together after using it and it worked on my winter hands too!! So now I began using it on my legs as well. After reading this I will definitely use it as a makeup remover. What a difference!
@ Elizabeth: Glad you found this useful. Be sure to check out the earlier post on how to use olive oil as a deep conditioner for your hair. It’s at http://funny-about-money.com/2008/08/19/olive-oil-the-ultimate-hair-conditioner/
@ Joyo: Vaseline is a petroleum product. Some people won’t use it because of that. Same is true of mineral oil. I’ve used Vaseline on my lips all my life and still haven’t died from it…but the race isn’t over yet. Olive oil does work nicely to lubricate your skin, and it doesn’t come from a Standard Oil refinery.
Yes I strongly agree with using olive oil instead of soap or harsh cleansers. I used to itch like a crazy woman after each shower and lotions just did not do the trick of easing the itch. I had the ugliest bruises for years all over my legs from scratching so hard and so long after each shower. I started using baby at first. While in the shower water still running warm, I would rub the oil all over me. Then gets out and pat myself dry not rub. It work really good. Such relief. I ran out though and only had olive oil to use so I did. Now that was so nice. It has been almost twenty years and I still keep a small travel size squeeze bottle in my shower for use. I no longer use soap on any body part unless I have a glycerin bar. I use only olive oil to cleanse and moisturize all at the same time. I really really like the smell of spearmint so I add a few drops to my olive oil bottle in the shower, shook it up real good and now have a cooling wonderful smelling olive spearmint oil to work with. So find your favorite scented essential oil and add a superb lift to that shower! You will never want to go back to soap again!
Does anyone know if olive oil will help hair follicles on the legs. Every time I shave, I do the correct method. I have even tried other methods I have read about and nothing has worked. Im wondering if using a little on my legs will help. Thanks.
Personally, I don’t know. Do any readers know about this?
I’ve tried using hair conditioner in place of shaving cream or soap to shave my legs. It does work to give a nice, smooth finish, but in my case if I do it regularly it causes a slight rash.
But I’ve never tried shaving with olive oil or other cosmetic oils. But would suggest that if you experiment with it, be VERY careful in the tub or shower: any oil can make the surface you stand on quite slippery.
I am not sure what you mean by helping the hair follicles, but I always shave with olive oil. Makes my skin so smooth and silky type feeling. It plugs up the razor better though with hair as it sticks to the oil and the oil does not rinse as easily as say soap.
Couldn’t hurt to give it a try though and see if it helps your situation.
nj
hey…
i seem to have the same problem as you do…
the area around my nose were red and itchy…
they were small pimple like things… bt werent pimples…
way smaller than pimples and more in numbers…
it ws dry…
i have a combination skin…
i went to the doc. she gave me some kinda cleanser and gel to apply…
i used it ev day!
bt then it began to dry and my skin became more flaky…
then idk how, it started to dissapear on its own…
maybe i applied sumthin m nt quite sure what…
its later i realized it had stopped itching and the redness were gone…
bt still nw sometimes it briefly appears bt ds nt itches…
i have an old olive oil, it dsnt expire….
the bottle says “best till lasts”
so m gna give it a try…
i tried neutrogena facewash and cream…
and lakme peach facewash…
currently m usin body shop’s seaweed collection for combination skin…
its pretty gud!
Ok….I have tried every expensive and non-expensive cream on the market as I am committed to good skin and staying young. Some worked…many gave me breakouts and many did nothing at all ~but non were remarkable. Honestly, I have used and purchased many from the dermatologist also (at a very expensive price I must add). Finally I was down to 3 basic products in my search for good, young skin (i’m 45) and these were, RetinA, Glytone (a alpha-hydroxy cream that helped remove the dead layer of skin~ 2x per week) and good old fashion oil of olay (my favorite daily moisturizer with spf 15 and just simply never gives me breakouts). However, with the Retin A, I needed something more moisturizing as the Retin A -in the beginning stages is soooo drying and I was almost ready to give up as the benefits werent out weighing the very dry skin. HOWEVER, after much searching on the net, someone said …try olive oil!! I did, and instantly, within 24 hours, my skin was back to normal. I even increased the Retin A and my skin stayed beautiful with the olive oil. I was blown away so I started doing research and found that many doctors and beauty experts love olive oil for skin. Not only that, it has been a beauty secret for thousands of years!!! Dr. Oz…even claims it reverses some UVB damage!! I now add it to my liquid face cleanser, moisturize with it at night, put it under my oilof olay and…..put it all over my body!!!! I love it!!!!!! Try it…so will you!!
@sylvy: Castor oil is pretty heavy, from what I understand. Apparently olive oil is a little lighter.
I used to use Vaseline as a moisturizer, too. Get your face wet, first, because Vaseline works to “seal in” moisture, making it an effective hydrator. I would wash my face in soap and water, then while the skin was still wet gently rub on a very, very thin film of the Vaseline. It seemed to work especially well around the eyes (assuming one is careful not to get it IN the eyes!). Nice thing about it: no perfume at all!
{ 4 trackbacks }