Why olive oil in skincare?

Why olive oil in skincare?

Hippocrates called olive oil “the great healer” and Homer “liquid gold”

 [Pictured: Our latest batch of the Olive Oil Beeswax Salve, containing only two ingredients: Organic Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil and 100% pure Northwest USA beeswax]

Our skin is our body's largest organ and it deserves the gentle care of time-tested ingredients sourced straight from nature.

Such a time-tested high quality ingredient is olive oil. Let’s see why you can trust olive oil with the health and beauty of your skin. 

  • An ancient remedy. The olive oil was used in ancient times for its healing properties. The Hippocratic Corpus records over 60 medicinal uses for Olive Oil. Among other uses it was suitable for the treatment of skin diseases, as healing and antiseptic in wounds and gynecological diseases.
  • Moisturization. Olive oil is an effective natural moisturizer as it increases the skin's ability to retain water and support moisture retention.
  • Antioxidant protection.  Being rich in antioxidants, when topically applied, olive oil will protect skin and hair from environmental damage as well as provide protection against premature skin aging. 
  • Doesn’t clog pores. Unlike industrially produced cosmetics and products based on animal fats that can clog pores and exacerbate current skin conditions, olive oil penetrates deeply into the skin while providing a cleansing effect. 
  • Ancient ingredient for beauty. For the ancient Greeks who loved beauty and body virtue, olive oil was a key element in personal grooming. They spread olive oil over the body to protect from the sun and cold. After the bath they covered body and hair with aromatic olive oil, which was a main component of many fragrances. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods olive oil served as a base for highly prized perfumes and cosmetics.
  • Due to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties olive oil will help to heal wounds and damaged skin.

Through the slow infusion method we can alter olive oil’s properties using herbs without harming it’s integrity. Infusing olive oil with fresh or dried herbs can lend the olive oil the beneficial properties these herbs carry. This enriched/altered olive oil can then be used either on its own as a soothing herbal oil to gently massage a certain area of the body, as is the case with our St. John’s wort oil, or as an ingredient in preparations, as is the case with the Greek olive oil beeswax salves.

You can find Herbacea Botanical’s beeswax salves, here

Almost all of them are salves prepared with herbal oils. 

There are two exceptions to this in our line: 

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