The Beauty of Olive Oil

This one is for the ladies ;)

Olive oil has long been a staple in my kitchen, as I'm sure it is for most people. Well now it is quickly becoming one of my favorite beauty products as well. I have a pretty simple beauty routine - I'm basically a wash-and-go kind of girl. But I like to indulge in a little pampering and primping every now and again. I truly believe that what we slather on our skin is just as important to our health as what we put in our bodies, so I'm always on the lookout for all-natural beauty products. Unfortunately, these are generally a bit expensive and their "all-natural" ingredients list is often doubtful. Turns out the internet is full of "recipes" for a variety of beauty treatments that you can whip up with some basic kitchen ingredients. Olive oil happens to be one of the most common ones.

Olive oil makes a great eye makeup remover. No kidding! A little goes a long way, so just put a bit on a cotton ball and gently wipe away your makeup. And its moisturizing, so no need to wash it off or apply an eye cream. In fact, olive oil is a great moisturizer for your whole face. I like to use a bit a few times a week on my face as a deep nighttime moisturizer. Its also great for my really dry lips and hands.

Olive oil also makes a great addition to homemade facial and body scrubs. My current favorite is to mix a bit with some brown sugar and water to form a very gentle scrub. Just use cornmeal or sea salt instead of sugar if you want a more vigorous body scrub. It leaves my skin so soft and smooth I don't need any moisturizer after. (be careful as this will make your tub a bit slippery)

I love that a little dish of inexpensive olive oil can replace half of the beauty products in my medicine cabinet. Give it a try!