One of the most enlightening discoveries in recent years concerns the cosmetics industry , a market now saturated with products processed by well-known brands that cost considerable sums of money. A viable alternative, without spending an arm and a leg, and equally rich in benefits, is to use basic foods from our everyday diet for daily cosmetics. Very often, in fact, it happens that cosmetic products, even the most renowned ones, have only a small percentage of the active ingredients so much vaunted in advertisements, while natural products, in addition to avoiding the risk of allergies and irritations, have the advantage of possessing 100% active ingredients, moreover, with a considerable economic savings. One of the products with the above beneficial properties, which nature gives us spontaneously, is theextra virgin olive oil, whose benefits for the health of the body in general, but more specifically it can also be excellent for the care of the face, skin, nails and hair.
How to use extra virgin olive oil for skin and face
L’extra virgin olive oil is very suitable for skin and facial care, as it contains oleic acid and a high amount of vitamin E – a well-known antioxidant found in many cosmetics precisely – which have emollient, moisturizing and nourishing powers. Vitamin E, in particular, thanks to its properties serves to slow down and prevent the onset of wrinkles.
While, for anyone with sensitive skin prone to sunburn and irritation, a very nourishing mask can be created using honey and extra virgin olive oil in the same amount. The mask should be applied to perfectly clean skin and held for 30 minutes. Finally, it should be rinsed off with lukewarm water. By using this mask even a couple of times a week, the skin will be nourished, stronger, softer, more elastic, and hydrated.
In addition, theextra virgin olive oil, thanks to its principles, is useful in moisturizing the skin all over the body, preventing the appearance of stretch marks and the onset of cellulite, it can also be used after hair removal, to have a remarkable soothing effect, and finally it can also be used to combat the redness of babies due to diapers.
L’extra virgin olive oil has even been found to be a powerful ally against psoriasis: it seems that the biophenols in whichextra virgin olive oil is rich inhibit metabolic problems, and thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, it is able to combat the effects of psoriasis.
How to use extra virgin olive oil for hair
To moisturize the hair in a totally natural way, and make it healthier and brighter, it is recommended to prepare a pack with extra virgin olive oil, melting shea butter and mixing with cypress essential oil. The mask should be left on for at least 20 minutes, possibly wrapping the hair in a warm cap or towel, so that the active ingredients are not lost, but rather absorbed by the hair.
How to use extra virgin olive oil for nails
L’extra virgin olive oil is a food that can also have powerful beneficial effects on nails, thanks to its well-known emollient properties, which can solve the problems of those who suffer from brittle and breaking nails, making them stronger, but also whiter. By mixing, in fact, extra virgin olive oil with a few drops of lemon juice, which contains many vitamins, you will get a concentrate to apply, massaging the nails, before going to sleep, without rinsing. This is a mixture that you can also reuse in the case of hands with dry or cracked skin, to restore softness and hydration to the affected parts.