Professional Documents
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Olive Oil
Olive Oil
We asked Nancy Ash, one of the most respected tasting experts in the U.S. to write this page
for The Olive Oil Source. We think it is the best description of tasting olive oil we have read.
Here is what she recommends.
INTRODUCTION
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how many words is a taste worth? In order to
appreciate the range of flavors in olive oils, one must go beyond reading about oil and be
willing to experience the act of tasting it. Flavors in olive oil are determined by a wide range
of factors including the type of olive (varietal), ripeness at harvest, growing conditions
(climate, soil type), crop maintenance (irrigation, pest control), handling of fruit from tree to
mill, and the milling process itself. For example, oil made from predominantly unripe (green)
olives contain flavors described as grassy, artichoke, or tomato leaf, whereas riper olives
tend to yield softer flavors often described as buttery, floral, or tropical. The above
descriptions are associated with good olive oil quality, but trained tasters also learn to
identify negative characteristics. Flavor defects in olive oil are associated with problems with
the olive fruit (olive fly, frozen conditions), improper handling of olives during harvest (dirt,
wet fruit, prolonged storage prior to milling), certain milling conditions (unsanitary
equipment, excessive heat), and improper or prolonged storage after milling (oxidation). An
oil that is determined to have flavor defects is not of genuine extra virgin quality; according
to the International Olive Council extra virgin oils must meet both chemical and organoleptic
(flavor) standards that include the absence of flavor defects. The first step in learning how
to taste olive oil is to understand how our senses work. Perception of flavor relies on both
our senses of taste and smell. The ability to taste is quite limited; receptors on our tongue
can only discern sweet, salt, sour, bitter, and umami (the flavor of protein). All other
information that we think of as flavor is actually perceived by smelling food through the back
of our nostrils (retro-nasally) while it is in our mouths. To illustrate this fact, think about how
little flavor we perceive when we have a cold this is because one cannot smell food retronasally when ones nose is stuffed up.
TASTING
When tasting olive oil, much of the oils characteristics are perceived through the sense of
smell. Though most people enjoy olive oil with other foods, the following steps allow us to
focus on the olive oils flavor without distraction:
Pour a small amount of oil (about 1 tablespoon) into a small tapered (wine) glass.
Hold the glass in one hand and use your other hand to cover the glass while swirling
the oil to release its aroma.
Uncover the glass and inhale deeply from the top of the glass. Think about whether
the aroma is mild or strong. You may want to write down descriptions of the aromas that
you detect at this point.
Next you slurp the oil; this is done by sipping a small amount of oil into your mouth
while sipping some air as well. (When done correctly, you will make that impolite noise
that would cause you to be scolded when you were a child!) Slurping emulsifies the oil with
air that helps to spread it throughout your mouth - giving you the chance to savor every
nuance of flavor with just a small sip of oil.
Finish by swallowing the oil and noticing if it leaves a stinging sensation in your
throat.
Each of the above actions focuses our attention on a specific positive attribute in the oil.
First we evaluate the olive fruit aroma (fruitiness) by inhaling from the glass. When the oil is
in our mouths we further evaluate the aroma retro-nasally as well as determine amount of
bitterness on our tongues. Lastly we determine the intensity of the oils pungency in our
throats as we swallow it. Perhaps you noticed that the oils color is not addressed during
sensory assessment. The reason is that contrary to the common belief that golden oil is mild
and dark green oil is robust, color is NOT an indicator of either the oils flavor or quality. In
fact, in scientific assessments, we sample from specially designed blue glasses that obscure
the color of the oil. Tasting from a dark glass prevents us from having preconceptions about
the flavor of the oil before we actually smell or taste it.
following terms, with positives in green and negatives in red, to help guide you through your
own tasting experiences.
Red refers to undesirable, green to desirable traits.
Apple/Green
Apple: indicative of certain
olive varietals
Almond: nutty (fresh not
oxidized)
Artichoke: green flavor
Astringent: puckering
sensation in mouth created
by tannins; often associated
with bitter, robust oils
Banana: ripe and unripe
banana fruit
Bitter: considered a
positive attribute because it
is indicative of fresh olive
fruit
Buttery: creamy, smooth
sensation on palate
Eucalyptus: aroma of
specific olive varietals
Floral: perfume/aroma of
flowers
Forest: fresh aroma
reminiscent of forest floor,
NOT dirty
Fresh: good aroma, fruity,
not oxidixed
Fruity: refers to the aroma
of fresh olive fruit, which is
perceived through the
nostrils and retro-nasally
when the oil is in ones
mouth.
Grass: the aroma of fresh-
Type of Food
High
water
vegetables,
fruit
Cooking Temperature
content:
potatoes,
Medium (266-293F
130-145C)
or
Small,
quickly
fried:
small fish, croquettes
Type of Oil
Smoke
Point Temperature
Grape Seed
485F or 252C
Avocado
480F or 249C
Sesame
410F or 210C
Canola
400F or 204C
Macademia
385F or 196C
Having read all of the above, you may be fairly confused by now. Dr. John Deane wrote the
following excellent article about the smoke point of olive oil and various cooking
considerations. This is the most comprehensive discussion of smoke point that we know of.
Smoke Point of Olive Oil by John Deane (updated 09/20/2007)
Pumpkin seed oil, avocado oil, borage and camellia oil; it used to be that a choice of oil for
cooking was simple. You used a liquid canola or corn oil for frying or sauting and a
hardened oil such as Crisco for baking. We now live in the age of boutique oils. All seeds
have oil in them as the energy source for the growing seedling. Man's ingenuity and desire
to create a niche market has led to the extraction of many unusual oils. The marketing
angles on these oils are manifold. Some claim to have health benefits, others to have flavor.
Buyers of argan and shea butter oils may be supporting women's cooperatives in developing
nations. Hemp seed oil diehards are sticking it to the man. Grapeseed oil has the romance of
the vine. JoJoba oil is a earth friendly alternative oil. While it is hard to compare or argue
some of these points, there is one point which should be easy for comparison: the smoke
point. A high smoke point is desirable for a cooking oil. When frying, best results occur when
the oil is very hot. The food is placed into the hot oil and the natural sugars caramelize and
proteins denature into a thin shell which protects the food from soaking up the oil. The
outside is crisp and the interior is just cooked. One of the bibles of cooking, Irma Rombauer's
The Joy of Cooking recommends frying at 365F for best results. When heated oil smokes, it
is not just a nuisance. Besides coating your home interior with a varnish like substance,
where there's smoke there's fire. An oil at its smoke point is closer to its flash point - the
point where it will burst into flame. So a high smoke point is one yardstick for a good oil If
you go to the internet or the market to look for smoke points you will see something
interesting. Every oil claims to have the highest smoke point. One website for macadamia
nut oil puts their oil at the top of the list with a smoke point of 410F. On their chart, olive oil
comes in at a measly 190F. This is below the temperature of a hot cup of tea! Avocado oil
sites say their oil has the highest smoke point and claim nut oils are terrible for frying. The
smoke point for a vegetable oil will vary according to the variety and growing conditions,
and how the oil was produced. The smoke you see may be impurities in the oil which are
burning. Unfiltered olive oil has small bits of olive in it. When the oil is heated these bits will
burn and smoke before the oil itself. A well-filtered or clarified oil will have a higher smoke
point generally. Oil which has oxidized because of exposure to air, heat and light will have a
lower smoke point. Using oil repeatedly will also make it smoke sooner. When looking for the
smoke point of an oil you should expect a range of values. The Olive Oil Source claims that
extra virgin olive oil smokes from 400 to 365F, according to its free fatty acid content. But
the macadamia nut folk say that olive oil smokes at the temperature of hot water out of the
tap. When I suggested to the macadamia people that it seemed unlikely that olive oil
smokes at temperature lower than boiling water and that maybe they were confusing
centigrade with Fahrenheit they insisted they were right. So who do you trust for the real
smoke point? The industry group which is advertising and promoting the oil, a random
website or a food chemistry text? Here is what some research yielded:
The International Olive Oil Council: 410F
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils: 420F
Or why not get some olive oil off the shelf and heat it up in a saucepan with a frying
thermometer. This is properly done in a lab with special lighting which shows the first hint of
smoke. My stovetop experiment yielded 350F for a jug of discount store oil which had been
sitting open in the garage for a few years and 380F for a premium fresh extra virgin oil.
Olive oil is fine for frying. It is annoying to counter these conflicting claims when most
people would not fry with olive oil anyway. A cheap, flavorless oil with a high smoke point is
usually recommended - something like canola, soy or peanut oil. Avocado, macadamia and
premium olive oils can cost up to a dollar per ounce. It is unlikely that you are going to deep
fry that Thanksgiving turkey in 5 gallons of oil at that price. Besides, if we are so worried
about our health, why fry at all? Better to talk up the flavor qualities of olive oil, an area
where it shines compared to bland seed oils. An excellent resource with voluminous
bibliography is a monograph entitled "Frying Food in Olive oil" by Gregorio Varela, Professor
of Nutrition, Madrid University. It is available from theInternational Olive Council (IOC).
Butter/Margarine
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon
2 1/4 teaspoons
2 tablespoons
1 1/2 tablespoons
1/4 cup
3 tablespoons
1/3 cup
1/4 cup
1/2 cup
1/4 cup
+
tablespoons
2/3 cup
1/2 cup
3/4 cup
1/2
cup
tablespoon
1 cup
3/4 cup
Olive oil can be readily substituted in most main course dishes where margarine or butter is
used for frying or sauting. In olive oil producing countries, olive oil and butter/margarine
are sometimes also used together to enhance each other's flavor in some recipes. The
conversion chart above is appropriate for most cake and pastry recipes where quantities are
critical. Keep in mind, however, that it is not always a good idea to use liquid shortening
(olive oil/vegetable oil) instead of solid shortening (butter/margarine). For instance, since
cake frosting must stay solid at room temperature, butter and powdered sugar work nicely,
but olive oil and powdered sugar dont. You should also consider the taste factor. A mild
tasting late harvest olive oil could be used in most cake and pastry recipes because cooking
will get rid of the aromatic olive oil flavors. Uncooked confections such as cake frosting
would taste more than a bit unusual if made with olive oil.
INFUSING OLIVE OIL
It is possible to make excellent infused oil at home using dried wild herbs. The intensity of
the flavor varies with the season, whether the herbs are wild or domestic, how the local
growing conditions have been, etc. It takes a lot of trial and error. It is more art than science
and the people who are good at it are reluctant to share their trade secrets. The oil will pick
up the flavor fairly quickly, in the first few weeks, and then slowly intensify. It is fine to leave
the herbs in for a long time; eventually all the flavor leaves the herbs and the oil flavor
stabilizes. Most oil sellers keep it simple and use one herb at a time. We have seen smoke
flavoring added to an herb or peppers added to any one of the herbs. When mixing herbs,
think salad dressing. Look at some recipes for dressing and substitute the dried herbs for
any fresh herbs called for in the recipe. A dipping blend is like an Italian dressing with much
more oil than vinegar. Flavored olive oils and dressings make great gifts but watch out;
there are safe and unsafe ways to make infused olive oil. The unsafe way is to put
anything in the oil that contains any trace of water or moisture. That would include garlic,
lemon peel, fresh peppers, fresh herbs and spices. The oil will not support bacterial growth
but the water containing herbs will. Botulism bacteria can grow in this type of
environment, even in a sealed bottle. There are several things you can do to avoid this
problem.
1. Mix all the ingredients, refrigerate them and use them within a week:
This is the best way if you are using fresh ingredients such as fresh basil, fresh rosemary or
garlic. Garlic is ideal for adding to pasta dishes, that you can then top with a little grated dry
cheese. Fill a decorative 1-litre bottle with extra virgin olive oil. Add a clean head of garlic
(whole if desired), and leave to marinade for a few days. You can also use lemon peel, fresh
or dried peppers, ginger, rosemary sprigs, etc. Alternatively, you can use a recipe for Italian
salad dressing but cut down on the vinegar or lemon juice.
2. Preserve the added ingredients:
Maybe you have seen garlic or herbs mixed with oil. The way it is done commercially is to
first preserve the water-containing garlic, herb, etc. with a strong brine or vinegar solution,
then put it in the oil. The vinegar solutions used commercially are up to 4 times stronger
than the vinegars you find in the supermarket. You can find them at commercial food supply
outlets. Many of the herb mixes have both salt and vinegar which both prevent bacterial
growth. Commercial vinaigrettes and sauces also have chemical preservatives not usually
available to the home cook.
3. Dry the herbs to remove all water, leaving the essential oils:
This can be done with a food dehydrator or just by leaving in the sun. After the spices and
herbs are dry, you can add them to the olive oil. Whole sprigs of thyme, rosemary, dried
peppers, etc. can decorate the inside of the bottle this way.
4.Press the olives with the spices:
Putting lemon, garlic, etc. in the olive press with the olives is the safest way to flavor oil. You
must have your own olive press (see our First Press). The oils from the added ingredients
mingle with the olive oil and the watery part of the spices is removed along with the olive
water.
You could add essential spice oils to the olive oil to achieve the same effect.
LABELING REGULATIONS
Product labels usually convey five things: content, quantity, company brand, contact
information, and nutritional information. For olive oil producers in the United States who
intend to provide their product for retail sale to consumers, there are general regulations
about labeling laws and, in a few states, specific regulations regarding olive oil labeling.
Almost all food labeling regulations are enforced by the FDA. While there are specific
requirements about things like type size, prominence, and conspicuousness of the
information, there are a few basics to be aware of. We would strongly encourage you to visit
the FDA sites listed below for detailed information. In sum, make sure your product labeling
includes the following:
The PRIMARY DISPLAY PANEL (PDP) must include the name of the product (e.g. Extra
Virgin Olive Oil) and net quantity (in both Metric and U.S. Customary). This area is also the
obvious place to put your company brand information, although not legally required if the
packaging has two label areas.
The INFORMATION PANEL (secondary display) typically includes the name and
address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, the ingredient list, nutrition labeling,
and UPC scanning codes. If there is only one label area (PDP), company contact information
must be included in that label.
The following sections provide a brief summary of this required information:
PRIMARY DISPLAY PANEL LABELING
That is the dominant label that consumers will see when purchasing the product.
Statement of Identity (name of food): Identify the oil on the basis of its certified
quality (for example, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL) and, if it has been organically produced in
accordance with U.S. regulations, as ORGANIC.
Net Quantity Statement (amount of food): Food labels must show the net contents in
both metric (grams, kilograms, milliliters, liters) and U.S. Customary System (ounces,
pounds, fluid ounces) terms. The metric statement may be placed either before or after the
U. S. Customary statement, or above or below it. Consult our Useful Number
Conversions page for conversion numbers.
Most producers will also use another label area, the INFORMATIONAL PANEL
LABELING, to comply with other requirements. If you only plan to use one label, then the
PDP must satisfy these requirements as well (see below).
FDA Food Labeling Guide: the FDA has an easy to follow question and answer type
format.
NAOOA Brief Labeling Guide for Olive Oil The North America Olive Oil Association has
put together a brief labeling guide for olive oil that can answer most questions specific to
olive oil product labeling.
HEALTH CLAIMS
In addition to general product information, any statements that make specific health claims
are investigated by the FDA. If you make health claims in advertising materials or on your
website, then the FTC has jurisdiction. If you wish to claim specific health benefits from your
product, there are three broad categories that health claims can go into:
Health claims such as "reduces cancer" or "decreases chance of heart disease" are
claims that must be extensively documented with clinical trials. These types of claims are
by far the most difficult to gain approval of.
Structure or function claims such as "supports heart health" which are made on the
label are easier to justify as there are thousands of substances that can satisfy this limited
statement.
Generally recognized as safe and effective (GRAS) is a new FDA safe area. A
substance that will be added to a food needs pre-market approval by the FDA unless its use
is GRAS. There is a long list of substances that have extensive research which you can
borrow to assume the ingredient is GRAS.
STATE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Until recently, olive oil importers had effectively blocked passage of more meaningful
labeling. With the passage of California State Senate Bill SB634 in 2008, olive oil labeling
requirements are now much stronger for products sold in California. The same has happened
in Connecticut, New York, and Oregon. As of December 2009, legislators in Massachusetts,
New Jersey, and Maryland are actively working on similar laws. These laws can guide any
state-specific laws you may want to be aware of.
USDAS NEW GRADE STANDARDS
By Caroline J. Beck
02/01/2011
While other industry resources like the UC Davis Taste Panel, the California Olive Oil Council
(COOC) and the American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) have embraced and supported the
roll-out of new standards for olive oil grades established in 2010, participation in the USDAs
own certification program has been slow to materialize. In fact, no producer to date has yet
received USDA certification. Whether this has been due to lack of knowledge about program
implementation or lack of clarity about costs or marketing value remains to be seen. After
some months of seeking more information about the program, with the help of Jimmie
Turner, spokesperson for the USDA, we were able to clarify some of the steps on the path
towards USDA certification. The full text of his interview is published below. First announced
in April 2010, new USDA standards became effective on October 24, 2010. According to the
USDA, the revised standards are intended to provide a common language for the trade and
provide consumers more assurance of the quality of olive oil that they purchase. These
standards were long in development, designed to make the U.S. competitive with worldwide
standards, and have been widely embraced by the industry. As part of the new program, the
USDA announced that they would offer a voluntary certification to producers interested in
securing USDA-authorized inspection and grading. To that end, the USDAs Science Specialty
Laboratories in Blakely, Georgia completed training and staffing for chemical and
organoleptic (taste) evaluation. Recently, the lab confirmed that they are ready to fully
support testing of the new standards. The challenge has been that producers were stymied
when investigating how to participate in the program and what costs they can expect to
incur. It became a labyrinth of exploration starting with the USDAs Processed Products
Branch and answers were not easy to come by. Further, there is concern that the USDA
certification program might create a double-edged sword if consumers come to believe that
quality oil can only be guaranteed by a USDA shield of certification - an issue that will be
especially challenging for smaller producers with less capital resources to put toward
becoming USDA-certified. According to Turner, the following information should provide
better direction on how to achieve USDA certification. This electronic interview with Mr.
Jimmie Turner of the USDA was conducted January 7, 2011. If growers are interested in
obtaining USDA certification, who do they contact? The Processed Products Branch (PPB) of
USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). PPB, a unit of AMSs Fruit and Vegetable
Programs, has 14 nationwide field offices and 15 additional inspection points. Growers can
contact the nearest PPB field office listed on our PPB Offices web page. What applications
need to be filled out? An application for inspection service may be made to the PPB
Inspection Office or to any PPB inspector, at or nearest the place where the service is
desired. An up-to-date list of the PPB Inspection Offices of the Department may be obtained
on our PPB Offices web page. Satisfactory proof that the applicant is an interested party with
a financial interest in the product shall be furnished. Information required in connection with
application: Application for inspection service shall be made in the English language and
may be made orally (in person or by telephone), in writing, or by fax. If an application for
inspection service is made orally, written confirmation may be required by the inspection
service involved. In connection with each application for inspection service, there shall be
furnished such information as may be necessary to perform an inspection on the processed
product(s), including but not limited to, the name of the product, name and address of the
packer or plant where such product was packed, the location of the product, its lot or car
number, codes or other identification marks, the number of containers, the type and size of
the containers, the interest of the applicant in the product, whether the lot has been
inspected previous to the application by any Federal agency, and the purpose for which
inspection is desired. Is there a published fee structure? We understand it is based on
number of samples and extent of analysis, but as a grower, what information could I receive
that would give me an idea on how much it will cost? Fees for PPB inspection and
certification are provided in PPB regulations, located in the Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) at: 7 CFR 52, and can also be found on our PPB Fees web page. PPB fees are based on
a lot inspection rate of $62 per hour; this fee includes: travel time, sampling, grading and
certification. The fees are based on the size of the lot and the time required to provide
services. Additional information regarding fees can be obtained from any PPB Inspection
Office. In addition, there is a separate fee for the laboratory analyses required for grading
olive oil. Laboratory fees are based on a current rate of $81 per hour, which can be found in
7 CFR 91. The laboratory fees include all required analyses, both chemical and sensory, as
well as sample storage, recordkeeping and reporting. For more information, growers may go
to the website of the AMS Science and Technology Laboratory in Blakely, Ga., or contact
Michael Miller at (229) 723-4570 or James Falk at (202) 720-8369. Fees and charges for any
inspection service shall be paid by the interested party making the application for such
service. An advance of funds prior to rendering inspection service or a surety bond shall be
required as a guarantee of payment for the services rendered. All fees and charges for any
inspection service shall be paid by check, draft, credit card or money order payable to the
United States Department of Agriculture. Payment shall be sent to the address specified on
the bill for collection on or before the due date to avoid a late payment charge. What is the
actual process for certification? Is it to first contact someone at the USDA Processed
Products Group, then be directed to Blakely lab? Or is it all handled through the PPB once the
process gets started? Please contact the nearest PPB Inspection Office of the product to be
inspected and complete the FV-356 Form: Application for Inspection and Certification of
Sampling. The office can also give you an estimate of the fees for the inspection and
certification. How much time does the process take? Once the sampling is scheduled and
the product is available for sampling, the process may take up to 15 business days to
complete. Do you know who I should contact at the FDA regarding enforcement of the
revised standards or have any suggestions of where I should start? USDA is responsible for
enforcing grade statements that include the official U.S. prefix, marks or seals. All other
labeling requirements are the enforcement responsibility of the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). At FDA you may contact Felicia Billingslea from the Center for Food
Science and Applied Nutritions Labeling and Food Standards office at (301) 436-2373.
Pressing Times, February 2011
WHAT IS IN OLIVE OIL?
What are the components that make adding olive oil to your daily diet such a smart idea? So
far, medical research has focused on three core areas of nutritional value.
Olive oil is mainly comprised of monounsaturated fatty acids. A healthier type of fat,
it reduces total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad) cholesterol levels in the
bloodstream, while raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL or good) cholesterol levels.
High quality extra virgin olive oil, in particular, provides a high content of
antioxidants, like polyphenols, vitamins E & K, chlorophyll and carotenoids. Antioxidants are
key to strengthening the immune system and protecting the body from the damaging
effects of free-radical molecules.
Olive oil contains anti-inflammatory agents, like oleocanthal, that act as a natural
ibuprofen-like substance.
Before we go through each of these areas in detail, it is important to point out that not all
olive oils are created equal! Extra virgin olive oil is considered the best grade to deliver
healthy benefits because it is the least-processed of all olive oils. It could be described as
natural olive juice. Without any processed manipulation like excessive heat or chemicals that
would change its chemical makeup, extra virgin olive oil maintains the highest levels of
healthy components. See our How to Pick an Olive Oil page for more details. There are wide
differences even among extra virgin olive oils, in terms of their healthy benefits, depending
on how they are made, what type of and how ripe the olives were when they were
harvested, how the oil was stored, and many other factors.
CHEMICAL INFORMATION
For a full description of the chemical characteristics of olive oil, please refer to our Olive
Chemistry section.
.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The nutritional benefits of olives and olive oil are directly related to the types of fatty acid
and the significant amounts of anti-oxidants derived from Vitamins E and K. The following
information provides detailed information for both.
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) of Olive Oil
Energy 3,701 kJ (885 kcal) Carbohydrates 0 g Fat 100 g
saturated 14 g monounsaturated 73 g polyunsaturated 11 g omega-3 fat <1.5 g omega-6 fat
3.5-21 g Protein 0 g Vitamin E 14 mg (93%) Vitamin K 62 g (59%)
100 g olive oil is 103 ml Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Nutritional value of Olives
Calories per olive: It depends on how big the olives are and what their oil content is. The
large black canned olives are actually quite low in oil - sometimes only 7%, which is why
they are table olives and are generally not used to make oil. Some smaller olives used
primarily for oil making can have more than 20 to 25% in oil content. Olives can range from
1 to 14 grams in weight. There is about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (and about 120 calories) in:
20 medium Mission olives that have an oil content of 20%, or 40 small ripe black olives, or
20 jumbo ripe black olives, or 7 super colossal ripe black olives.
BEAUTY & OLIVE OIL
Sales of skin and hair care products in the U.S. are a multi-billion dollar business and
growing. Many of the latest miracle in a jar options are marketed as high-end, but costly,
solutions to everyday challenges: how to keep skin moisturized, hair healthy, and facial skin
free of wrinkles. Some of the most popular products, promoted as natural solutions, even
incorporate olive oil as a key ingredient in their formulas. But what many consumers dont
realize is something that people living millennia ago in ancient Greece took for granted; that
extra virgin olive oil, all by itself, is one of the best beauty secrets. In addition to being a
natural, hypoallergenic way to moisturize skin, extra virgin olive oil has the added
advantage of providing strong antioxidants, like Vitamins A and E that help repair and renew
skin that has been damaged from overexposure to sun, air pollution, and other modern-day
environmental hazards like cigarette smoke and fast food. These antioxidants have the
natural ability to stimulate cells and return skin to a firmer, smoother, and healthier state.
To provide a slightly more scientific explanation, this damage is related to the destructive
activity of oxygen-related free radicals produced by skin cells. Polyphenolic components of
olive oil have been compared to traditional antioxidants, such as tocopherols, used by the
pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry to prevent skin damage. There are a number of
simple and inexpensive ways to get the best skin care and beauty benefits out of a single
bottle of extra virgin olive oil. The rich emollients in olive oil allow just a little to go a long
way.
SKIN CARE AND OLIVE OIL
Skin Moisturizer
Whether applied to face or body, olive oil will penetrate deep into the skin and provide a
long-lasting shield of moisture to keep skin smooth and supple. Used either as a night cream
or daily moisturizer, it is best applied to damp skin, when water can help reduce any feeling
of greasiness. We recommend using extra virgin olive oil. Our readers have also suggested
that a little lemon juice mixed with olive oil can provide a more bracing and refreshing
feeling. In her best-selling book The Passionate Olive, Carol Firenze suggests making a
moisturizer made of Italian parsley, water, and extra virgin olive oil. Expect the natural
benefits of olive oil to take a bit longer to be absorbed into the skin than most lightweight
packaged skin products. But the advantages can be longer lasting too.
Exfoliator
If dry and scaly skin is a problem, Carol Firenze also suggests mixing olive oil and sea salt in
a rub and massaging it into the affected area to slough off dead skin and enrich the healthy
layer beneath it. Or add a few tablespoons of olive oil with a drop or two of lavender
essential oil in a bath. This is a luxurious way to relax, soothe and moisturize the whole body.
Nail and Cuticle Care
Extra virgin olive oil makes the perfect, simple solution for dry nails and cuticles. Simply rub
a few drops into the cuticle area and around the nail. Cuticles stay plump and moist, and
nails respond with a natural shine.
Eye Makeup Remover
Just a drop or two of extra virgin olive oil on a cotton pad is all it takes to gently and
effectively remove eye makeup without irritating the delicate skin around the eye area. The
biggest added advantage is that when used consistently, olive oil can soften the skin around
the eyes and smooth out wrinkles.
.
HAIR CARE AND OLIVE OIL
When used on hair and scalp, olive oil can be considered two products: a deep conditioner
and a dandruff controller. After shampooing, massage a mixture of equal amounts of olive oil
and water into your hair. Leave on for 5 minutes, then shampoo and rinse. Your scalp will
benefit from healthy conditioning; your hair will respond with more shine and strength.
Reference: http://www.oliveoilsource.com/