The Power of Olive Oil in Anti Aging Skin Care

Olive oil has been used for many years as a delicious ingredient in making sauces and salads, but do you know the same extra virgin olive oil in your kitchen can become your strongest ally in fighting aging, dry skin and skin problems? Yes, olive oil has large amounts of antioxidants and the compound linoleic acid which is a component of skin that prevents water loss through evaporation.

Strangely enough linoleic acid is not naturally made by the human body. It has to be applied through topical creams and lotions, or absorbed through one's diet. So eating olives, or using olive oil in cooking can greatly help. You can also use olive oil as moisturizer through direct application or as a bath oil.

Using extra virgin olive oil is better than classic or mild olive oil because of the greater amount of antioxidants in it. This is because extra virgin olive oil is a result of the first extraction in the process.

Aside from that olive oil comes from a fruit and not from seed or grain. Seed or grain oil is more difficult to extract and will have undergone a variety of filters before being finally bottled or packed. By then there wouldn't have any substantial benefit to be had from the end-product.

Olive oil also has squalene, a nutrient often extracted from shark's fin and is believed to regulate oil production by the skin and to build a barrier that inhibits growth of microorganisms on skin. This nutrient is very much a natural herbal solution for severe acne which is more commonly caused by over-production of oil in skin which, when combined with skin toxins can cause acne to become uncontrollable.

Another beneficial component in olive oil is chlorophyll, a photosynthetic pigment found in plants and algae believed to fight aging and promote healing of skin problems and wounds.