Today i am going to tell you a SECRET.. it's not actually a secret.. Everyone knows about the goodness of this magic item. You can find it in the kitchen most of the time. I put mine everywhere. Yesterday it was in the kitchen, tonight it is inside the room, tomorrow maybe in the shower.. And this is because i use this "Holy item" for almost everything beauty-related. It's so VERSATILE, that's why i adore it so much! So can you take a guess of the magical thing i am talking about??
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
 |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
OLIVE OIL
In countries like Greece, Italy and Spain, olive oil benefits aren't surprising. These countries know the beneficial effects olive oil has on high blood cholesterol levels, cardiovascular diseases, earaches, constipation, stomach upset, dry skin and stretch marks.
The beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels. No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil -mainly oleic acid.
Olive oil is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil's protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation.
Olive oil contains 77 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 14 percent saturated fatty acids and 9 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids, plus vegetable mucilage and vitamin E.
Because of the regular usage of olive oil, in time, the Mediterranean cultures have developed one of the healthiest societies. A new research is now comparing various cultures from around the world, looking for various statistics like average life span, heart and cardiovascular problems. Standing out from the crowd, the Mediterranean cultures have far less heart and cardiovascular diseases, and the overall life span for individuals is one of the largest in the world.
There are far more olive oil benefits that we should know about. It helps digestion, making it easy for the body to assimilate various foods giving a boost to the whole metabolic process. This in turn can turn the body capable to defend itself against viruses, bacteria and many diseases. Olive oil is also one of the best allies in the fight against the stomach ulcers.
Olive oil is extremely rich in iron and A, B1, B2, C, E and D vitamins. The E vitamin is one of the most important helpers in the fight against the aging process, while the other vitamins assure a balanced diet and improve the body effectiveness and development. Another great benefit of the olive oil is the addition of “good” fat acids to the daily diet. These acids help the skin, making it more elastic and smooth.
Enough with the facts.. To read more about other benefits of Olive Oil, you can read more here, http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/olive-oil.htm,
here http://www.amazingoliveoil.com/olive-oil-benefits.html , or here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil.
So ladies, let me tell you how i use this ancient beauty product..
1) Hair treatment
Olive oil is great for dry and brittle hair. It helps to repair split ends, heals dandruff, and makes your hair shiny, silky, and lustrous. Just pour an adequate amount to evenly covers the lower half of your hair. Not too worry if you find it a bit greasy as you still need to wash, shampoo and condition your hair like you normally would and VOILA, your hair will feel really soft and managable. Leave the olive oil on your hair for 1-2 hours for it to absorb and then wash. I prefer doing it on the day i want to wash my hair (i do it every alternate day).
If you already have oily scalp or you don't want your hair to weigh down as much, avoid your scalp.
 |
| Before treatment and after vigorous hair damaging activities (perming, colouring, excessive usage of heat appliances) May 2010 |
 |
| My sister's hair soaked in all the olive goodness. She changed her hair colour to a darker one. That's another tip to make hair look healthier. Dec 2010 |
I put it on my sister's hair yesterday (since i needed to go back to the clinic), and she's totally in LOVE with the results! She repeats it again today! Who can resist having such soft and lustrous locks? Let's see how her hair looks after the treatment.
 |
| After hair treatment with OLIVE OIL.. Dec 2010 |
Can you see the difference?
The ends are so healthy, no more tangles, and you really could run your fingers through like never before. Thank adik for the pictures. <3
2) Makeup Remover
I use it as makeup remover 3-4 times a week (if i'm not using my Shu Uemura Skin Purifying Cleansing Oil).
I'd take a facial wipe, pour 5-6 drops of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and gently rub and wipe my whole face. You wanna be careful on the eye area because it's really delicate. Do it really gently.
A soft facial wipe is recommended. You can also use cottons but i don't like to clean my eye makeup with cottons because it tends to stick on my eyelashes and it makes me soooo RIMAS having to pull strands of cotton when i am trying to save time here!
Not just it cleanses your face, it moisturizes it too! Now you can sleep soundly while EVOO hydrates your face..
If leaving the olive oil on your face to sleep makes your face too oily for your liking, you can wash it with your facial cleanser. What i found out after washing my face with my cleanser was, the tautness feeling after washing was no longer there. My skin feels smooth, hydrated and did not feel "tight" anymore.
You can tone n moisturize again after that if you feel like you need extra hydration. I will do the next step (no 3) if i cleanse my face after removing my makeup with EVOO.3) Eye Cream
If you have a really dry skin, especially on the eye area, don't waste your money on expensive eye creams that don't work that well and hurt your pocket@piggie bank.
Extra virgin olive oil is a great remedy for that. A few months ago, when i was doing makeup for my BFF (you can see it here in Simple Arabic Makeup) , i noticed that her eye area was so dry and the concealer tends to settle into her fine lines. I adviced her to get a bottle of EVOO and dab it on her eye area every night. A week after that she started to notice a big difference. I was more than happy to help! ^_^
So, let's not waste your time girls. Get a bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), look dazzling and feel healthier..
XOXO,
Yana...
