Olive oil in cosmetology

Olive Oil in Cosmetology: In fact, the first uses of olive oil were for the appearance of the body through external rather than internal use, which is indeed remarkable. In ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, olive oil was infused with herbs and aromatic herbs for the production of cosmetics and medicines. For generations, olive oil has been the source of many beauty treatments, from the top of a man’s head to the soles of his feet. Many ancient historians were the ones who appreciated its value both for health and for improving the condition of the skin.

Homer, speaking of it, characterized it as the liquid gold of the Mediterranean. Hippocrates, on the other hand, mentions in the Hippocratic Code a series of applications of olive oil in skin diseases. “It’s our medicine, it’s our gold.” Olive oil has been considered a luxury item since ancient times and was mostly owned by those belonging to the highest social classes. They were used in various moments of people’s daily lives, both men and women.

Thanks to its content of valuable ingredients, olive oil leaves the skin clean and soft, so it can be found in history as a cleaning agent, which was often perfumed with various essential oils that masked its strong smell and gave it a soft pleasant aroma.

But not only! Athletes used olive oil to anoint their bodies before a match as they believed in its relaxing properties but also because they thought it gave the muscles elasticity. Women on the other hand, in many areas throughout the centuries, applied it to their hair to make it more shiny and strong. The goddesses of Olympus used a type of olive oil ointment, which they believed had miraculous properties for the body as well, while the women of Rome used olive oil to fight acne and stretch marks after a pregnancy and the ancient Indian holistic Ayurveda technique suggests the use of this element of nature and water in order to bring the skin to maximum hydration and beauty. We should also emphasize that olive oil, apart from the above, was also often used for make-up. In some areas around the world, for example, women made a kind of paste by rubbing a coconut root, which they had left in the ground for 40 days, with olive oil and dyed their hair this way. Its uses are many and its history is long. A story that touches us to this day. Researchers continue to look for evidence of its healing and cosmetic properties.

In fact, not long ago, archaeologists excavating Mycenae uncovered a list listing various ointments composed of olive oil and various aromatics, such as fennel, rose, sage, and cardamom. The development of a science that deals exclusively with human beauty, Cosmetology, revolutionized the use of olive oil.

It is treated today as an autonomous cosmetic or as a basic ingredient in various creams, masks as well as many other cosmetics. Modern Cosmetology provides all the information and knowledge related to the field of beauty and contributes to the rational design of cosmetic products that stand out for their safety and effectiveness. Thus, this science chooses olive oil, an oil with a multitude of beneficial properties, to be a key component of many of its cosmetic preparations. Shower gels, day and night face creams, body creams, and oils, sunscreens, lotions, and soaps are some of the endless products produced based on olive oil.

The next time you add olive oil to your salad or food, this update will definitely come to mind!