Everybody loves a good beauty hack especially when it comes to something so inexpensive which can be found already in the home. Olive oil is a must-have beauty essential, especially as it is natural and can be quickly used as an alternative to regular products. If you ever need a change in routine, this is the oil for you as it is a good strong oil and can be useful if used in moderation, for the skin, hair and lips.

Frequent use on the skin can leave the skin feeling moisturised if applied on damp skin, or maybe take chances on dry skin.

It is effective as an antioxidant which can prevent premature ageing. There is a good source of vitamin content in this oil, and it has antibacterial effects due to its properties if used in combination with virgin coconut oil. The type of olive oil which should be used is organic extra virgin olive oil as it is better quality.

Uses

This is a great oil to make a scrub with, in combination with sea salt, which can be applied to dry or scaly skin. Another idea is to create an olive oil based face mask for dry skin. If this oil is mixed with ingredients such as egg whites or honey, it can make a lovely face mask to hydrate and soften the skin.

To keep cracked, dry lips soft and supple try rubbing oil into the lips as done with a regular lip balm or petroleum jelly. A simple lip scrub can also be made using olive oil and sugar to make a paste.

Then rub into lips. The sugar can exfoliate lips, getting rid of dry, dead skin cells, leaving lips to feel more smooth and soft. Applying this oil overnight to the lips for good measure is also a good way to utilise this great oil as beauty must- have.

Another superb antidote this oil is great for, is as a softener for dry hair, either use on dry or damp hair to allow absorption into the roots and the tips. Then as a pre-shampoo treatment, leave oil in the hair for 15 minutes, wash out with a mild shampoo.

With regular use, hair can become stronger and longer leading to less breakage and in some cases less hair fall.

Overview

As an excellent oil to use as an alternative or in combination with, olive oil ultimately has its perks. It is inexpensive, has a nice viscosity when blended with other oils or on its own, which allows it to absorb easily into the skin. It is also versatile to be used for different purposes as described in this article.

There are also many other inventive ways this oil can be incorporated into the daily beauty routine; a precaution is to use moderately and try not to get any oil in the eyes, in any event it does, wash out immediately.