When I was in Colorado a couple of weeks ago, we stopped into an Olive Fusion in Breckenridge. Inside, they handed us locally made artisan bread and told us to go nuts trying different varieties of olive oils. They even had a grocery store brand sitting in the center of the room so that we could compare flavors. Holy canolies people! This olive oil was soooo tasty. I had no idea what a difference there could be in flavor!
I went home with olive oil on the brain. I guess I didn’t realize its uh-mazing health benefits. I mean, I knew it was a healthy fat, yada, yada, yada, but did you know it also has been shown to improve memory, decrease risk of breast cancer, reduce risk of stroke and heart disease, and improve texture and appearance of skin? If we are what we eat, then olive oil is where it’s at!
Plus, it turns out, there’s tons of cool uses for olive oil, besides tasting awesome. Here’s a couple for you to try:
- Use as a moisturizer for your skin.
- Use as a deep conditioner for your hair. Massage into hair and scalp, leave on for 20 minutes, and wash.
- Clean greasy hands. Wash hands with olive oil after working on a greasy car {can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that–ha!} or painting.
- Unstick a zipper. Use a little bit of olive oil to free a stubborn zipper.
- Shine stainless steel. Forget the expensive toxic appliance cleaners. Just dab a little olive oil on a cloth and wipe clean.
- Condition leather. Use olive oil to recondition leather shoes all the way to baseball mitts.
- Prevent diaper rash. Use in place of harsher ointments.
- Cure an earache. Using a cotton swab, gently dab olive oil in the ear. It helps to breakdown waxy build-up.
- Prevent mosquitoes from invading your rainwater barrels. Pour a little olive oil in the barrel, it will settle on the top, deterring the mosquitoes.
- Use for squeaky doors in place of WD-40.
- Use in place of mascara. Dab some olive oil on lashes to darken and condition them.
- Use as a shaving cream.
- Use to treat lice. Coat hair and scalp in olive oil and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Repeat daily.
- Keep the cat healthy. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to cat food to prevent hairballs and keep their coat shiny.
- Use to remove stickers. Apply a thick coat of olive oil to sticker, let sit, and wipe off.
Do YOU use olive oil for anything besides eating?
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Jen says
It’s actually also a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.
Works wonders for hemorrhoids (that’s what you get for having kids!) 😉
cptacek says
As a non-sperm destroying lubricant. My natural fertility doctor recommended it.
Sorry if TMI.
cptacek says
Also, you can use it for oil pulling (swish it gently in your mouth in the morning for 20 minutes to pull out bacteria and other gunk, then spit it out to the toilet, lest you bacteriaize the sink)
Madam Chow says
You can also use it as lamp oil.
Amy says
I use it to wash my face– it feels like a spa treatment!
(Oil Cleansing Method- OCM) 🙂
teri s. says
I use it to wash my face too, with a mixture of caster oil. I have found that I use a ton less moisturizer which is a bonus.
Sakura says
I love Breckenridge, I haven’t been there in a couple of years. I used some in the lotion bars I made along with some coconut oil.
sharon says
can you share your recipe?Thank you!
Sakura says
I can’t remember where I found it but I use a pound of beeswax, a jar of coconut oil, a jar of pure shea butter, 2 to 3 teaspoons of olive oil or vitamin E oil. Put it in a crockpot for about an hour, then pour it into whatever shape you’d like. I used an old muffin tin that I marked for crafts. I also have a small 4 quart crockpot I use for crafts. Let it set up and then use them. I did use cupcake papers, then I just stacked them in a ziploc bag and I keep them under my bathroom sink. They work great, it feels kind of greasy when you first put it on but in about 10 minutes or so your skins just soaks it all in. I’m sure you could change out some of the items for what you might have on hand. I think it’s the beeswax that keeps it together like a bar of soap. This makes a ton, I made mine last summer and we still have plenty for the rest of the year.
Jan says
Could you tell us where you buy your beeswax? I’ve only found it at Michael’s in the candle-making supplies for $18 per lb. Wasn’t sure if it would be good for lotion bars and seemed expensive.
Kris says
A teaspoon of olive oil on an empty stomach can relieve gas. Unfortunately, my household thinks it’s gross. Which is worse?!
mandy says
I love to use it on my face and hair. Also on my lips! It works like a charm. It’s really nice to put it on your hands too. I also cover my face, neck and shoulders with it when I color my hair. Any color drips just wipe right off and don’t stain your skin. Whenever my sony sees me using it he calls me a greasy italian 🙂
Penelope says
I use it in my homemade bar soap
And since it is an oil, it will get gum out of hair
sharon says
I love all these ideas!!Could you share your recipe too? Thank you 🙂
Elena says
When I’m in the desert I apply to the insides of my nose as a moisturizer. I also mix olive oil with sugar to make a face scrub.
Shereen Travels Cheap says
This is genius. My nose always gets so dry when I’m in hot, arid places. Thanks for the tip!
Diana kirwan says
Olive oil and sugar mixed together also make a great hand scrub for gardeners.
Karina says
I recently had a friend tell me she takes it before drinking to avoid a hangover . . . and she’s a nurse! It seemed to work for her at our recent college reunion.
Teresa Yb. says
I am grateful for my midwife’s generous application of olive oil during the homebirth of my 9 1/2 pound baby. another TMI 🙂
Jen J says
I love all the comments and extra uses! I had no idea olive oil had so many good benefits, etc. But honestly, I’m more excited about #9 (keeping mosquitos out of rain water barrels) than anything. I live in VA, land of humidity and mosquitos. This is the first year we’ve had rain barrels and I was worried about creating a breeding ground. Now I have a solution!
Mavis says
Me too! 🙂
Angie says
Olive oil mixed with just a tad of sugar , rubbed into the hands gently and then washed off under the tap with soap and water is a great exfoliant for “garden hands” and leaves them really soft.
Helen in Meridian says
Mix a little tea tree oil in with the olive oil to cure an ear infection, or ear ache.
Sarah says
A easy fix for rain barrels is to put a goldfish in it. They live off of the mosquito larvae.
Christi says
Love the idea of using goldfish in rain barrels!!
Linda says
Thanks for all of the cool ideas everyone!!! Sorry I don’t have anything to add, I just cook with it… But not anymore
Knitting with Olof says
I use it as a moisturizer after a shower. I have a skin condition called keratosis pilaris and it works like a charm.
jubob says
my daughter used it to get the permanent marker off of her daughters’ face, arms,legs, they started their own tattoo parler in the bathroom, lol i can laugh but she wasnt when
she got home from work
Shereen Travels Cheap says
I’m excited to try this for my stainless steel appliances. I hate cleaning those things and it seems like you always have streaks when you’re finished, no matter what you use to clean it. Even that SS cleaner.
Christi says
Mavis, If you use olive oil on your rain barrels to deter mosquitos (as I did this spring) is it ok to use the water to water plants? Will the oil harm the plants? I’ve been afraid to use the water on my plants, but it sure did the trick to kill larvae!!
Pam says
The oil will always remain on top. If your barrel is getting empty just dump it on the lawn or on gravel. It’s not an environmental contaminant, but I don’t know how plants would like olive oil.
Amy W says
They have a balsamic vinegar place in Rockbrooke village in Omaha, Nebraska like this. They are probably 30 + flavors. They will recycle the bottle if you bring it back to them as well and give you a dollar off.
Teckla says
My P.A. recommended it for eczema on my scalp! Worked like a charm! These are all great ideas. Thanks for sharing, Mavis, et. al.
Kat says
I have long, curly hair. A dime sized amount as a leave in to towel dried jair is amazing. I use orange infused. Smells great. It’s also the only moisturizer I use.