Olive Oil from Olea europaea, for dry or aging skin

In this post, I explore the oil known as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Abbreviated to EVOO, it’s the highest quality of oil from the fruit of the olive tree. One of the uses of this fruit is in formulas for skin lotions.

Olive oil, specifically Extra Virgin Olive Oil, is one of the best oils to soften and moisturize skin—if applied immediately after washing. In my own personal lotions and body oils, olive oil is an amazing accessory to formulas for skin wellbeing, or to help hydrate dry skin.

Olive Oil from an ancient tree

Olive oil comes from the fruit of a tree with ancient beginnings. We often cling to the notion that fruit from trees is a sweet, eaten out of hand, or prepared as sweet pastry, etc. Yet, the fruit of olive trees is savory, rather than sweet, and is pressed for its life-giving oil. Savory on the tongue, healthy as food, and accessory to the skin’s health are three reasons humans prize the olive tree we know as Olea europaea.

Upon first encountering an olive tree in California, I was not impressed by its appearance. Its bark was dark grey, the trunk and branches gnarled. To be brutally honest, I recall it as a short, stunted, unattractive tree. Encountered between seasons, the tree appeared somewhat shabby. A real olive tree, I wondered? Looking so worn-out, the tree was likely gathering strength for its next blooming season.

Not exactly majestic in the typical sense, we’ve depend upon olive trees for ages for their fruit crop. There are many species of olive, but the one we know is cultivated, not found in the wild. Age and pedigree aside, this tortured being is one of the oldest, most precious trees known to us for about 100,000 years! (see below & in NOTES) This tree crop adapted to our needs yields lamp fuel, table food, and medicine, and is one of our most valuable cultivated plants.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Historical & Factual

Old_olive_tree_in_Karystos,_Euboia,_Greece_small

Common name – botanical name: Olive – Olea europaea

Plant family: Oleaceae; see other Oleaceae family plants such as Jasmines, Forsythia, Lilac, Osmanthus, Fringe Trees, etc.

Plant Origins: Scholars differ. Certainly the olive tree is very, very old; recorded history says humans began using the fruits of this tree 100,000 years ago. Researchers describe the use of the fruit for lamp oil, predating its food value by thousands of years. Managed or cultivated olives and oils were common about 3,000 years ago in the Levant. (The Levant is geographically the eastern part of the Mediterranean, including Cypress, south to Egypt, Libya, Morocco and west to the Azores). Pressing olives for oil began in Asia Minor (geographically the Mediterranean basin, including the Atlantic Coast of Africa).

Part pressed: fruit is mechanically pressed for extra virgin olive oil, the quality we are interested in as medicine and for the skin

Adulteration: is common, especially due to lack of control over quality from country to country. The olive oil product we purchase must be labelled by an olive oil council, such as the Commission on California Olive Oil. When a label displays the words, “extra virgin olive oil”, then the quality of the oil is the highest quality, mechanically cold-pressed and pressed only from the fruit, without the use of solvents, or chemical additives.

Season: Olives are harvested in early spring

Energetics: although little known in China, the oil has medicinal value

Flower symbolism: protection, peace, fertility, lust

In Rituals: A basic version of the oil was made and used thousands of years ago as lamp oil in rituals, for worship in pagan times and up to today in churches and temples. Later, Olive oil was a massage and skin care oil in Egyptian cosmetics and Greek and Roman times.

In medicines: for Western herbalists, olive oil is frequently chosen as a carrier for herbal medicines, usually in a formula with herbs and other oils. The oil has a high percentage of lubricating components, slowly absorbed, a carrier oil for herbal constituents close to the skin.

Modern studies confirm that olive oil is a healthy fat that can reduce cholesterol.

Perfumes: Botanical perfumes composed in oil rather than alcohol historically include Olive Oil.

Composition & Features

Chemical composition: fats, both monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and other components which give its characteristic:

55 – 83% oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat.

3-21% linoleic acid, 0-1.5% alpha-linoleic acid, 0.5-5% stearic acid, 7.5 – 20% palmitic acid, all polyunsaturated fats.

Other components: phenols, squalene, vitamin E, vitamin K

Unusual characteristics: Due to the high percentage of a single fatty acid, olive oil typifies the monounsaturated fatty acid known as “oleic” in most oils.

Olfactive features: slightly fruity with strong herbal top notes

Aromatic character on the skin: Olive Oil and its fragrance is absorbed by the body slowly (minutes to hours, depending on the skin, temperature and other factors). Fragrance is considerably mitigated by infusing the oil with highly aromatic herbs, or by diluting with other oils. (See next.)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a Body Oil Formula

Olive Oil (EVOO or Extra Virgin Olive Oil) is gentle enough to use at full strength (100%), however Olive oil is also excellent as part of a formula.

EVOO or Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be used without modification. However, when EVOO is infused, it is enriched for topical application. Infused EVOO appears to modify its scent with an aromatic layer, dressing up the plain oil a bit with herbs. Without infusing it, extra virgin olive oil can be slightly diluted by the addition of Jojoba oil.

The basic formula combines infused EVOO, Jojoba oil, and Vitamin E (tocopherols) to protect against rancidity. A synergy blend of essential oils at 2% of the final amount can add a beautiful aromatic experience to the body oil. This formula is meant for skin that will enjoy a bit of extra nourishment from applied oils in everyday use.

Maker’s Notes: if you purchase food grade oil, make sure the label says “extra virgin olive oil” to get the best quality for skin care. You can acquire extra virgin olive oil from other sources. Please write and ask me for suggestions. See “Contact” page.

For 1 – 2 ounce / 60 ml bottle of body oil or lotion. With aroma from essential oil blend, optional.

Essential Oil blend: 12 drops True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), 2 drops Rose absolute (Rosa damascena), 5 drops Frankincense (Boswellia carterii), and 8 drops Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) essential oils. Place drop by drop in a small bottle with tight-fitting lid. Twist the cap on and swirl the contents. Set aside.

Ingredients for Body Oil/Lotion:
2 parts infused EVOO
1 part Jojoba oil
27 drops essential oil blend, optional (see above)
3 capsules Vitamin E or tocopherols

Equivalent ways to measure the oils:
For 3 parts to equal the whole formula in a 60 ml blend, each part is 20 ml, or 1/3 of the total. If using measuring spoons, 20 ml is about 1.5 tablespoons. If using a kitchen scale, the equivalent of 20 ml of oil is 17.8 (or 18) grams.

Equipment:

For mixing — one clean, small jar that holds 4 ounces of liquid
A means of measuring the oils (choose from measuring spoons, kitchen scale, or 30 ml glass beaker)
70% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle

Final product container:
2-ounce glass bottle with pump for easy delivery of your finished oil

Method: spray your work area, containers and measuring or mixing spoons with 70% rubbing alcohol before beginning to make this oil.

Combine the measured oils in your clean glass jar. Cut open the capsules of Vitamin E and squeeze the contents into the oil mixture. Discard the empty capsules. Swirl with a clean spoon to thoroughly mix. If adding scent, add in after oils are mixed. Swirl again to incorporate the essential oils.

Pour your combined and scented oils into your 2-ounce glass bottle. Replace the cap or pump and secure tightly. Shake gently upside down to be sure ingredients are mixed. Write a label and adhere to your glass pump bottle.

Now your body oil is ready to use!

Infused Olive Oil

Beautiful olive oil can be made even more attractive as a “skin lotion”. To do this, olive oil is infused with aromatic plant parts. Infusions combine oil and flower petals, for instance, lending their characteristics to the oil. Imagine how Lavender, Rose petals, or Chamomile with their sweet aromas would dress up olive oil! See more about infusions in Recipes.

Illustrations above are sourced, top to bottom, from:

Wikipedia article, Olive
Vangogh’s olive trees from wikipedia, (Museum of Modern Art); Wikipedia (article on Olives), and Unsplash: photo of olives and olive leaves by John Cameron from Unsplash.

Sources of information on Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Wikipedia (article) on Olive trees.

Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils by Tzu-Kai Lin, Lily Zhong, and Juan Luis Santiago in International Journal of Molecular Sciences, December 27, 2017

Extra Viginity by Tom Mueller, 2011. Published by W.W. Norton & Company
The 7 Wonders of Olive Oil by Cecile Le Galliard, 2017. Published by Famillius (famillius.com)

Olive Oil – Olea europaea