What Are the Benefits of Using Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Soap?
Olive oil has many nourishing properties and can be used for many things besides cooking. Soaps made from extra-virgin olive oil have been used for centuries. They suds up well and wash off easily. Olive oil soap can replace toiletries such as shampoo and shaving cream. Although extra-virgin olive oil soap costs more than most soaps found in grocery stores, it lasts longer and has many benefits. Does this Spark an idea?
History
Olive oil has been used as a cleanser as far back as ancient Egypt. The Egyptians rubbed olive oil on their skin. They found that dirt clung to it and could then be scraped off. Mesopotamian people experimented with putting soap ash (a substance similar to lye) in olive oil to create something like soap. The French combined the ashes from sea plants with locally pressed olive oils in the 6th century and made olive oil soap that would become famous worldwide to make the world's first olive oil soaps.
Features
People with skin sensitivities like to use extra-virgin olive oil soap because it is very mild, even at full strength. You can safely use it to clean babies' skin without a risk of rash. Olive oil soaps can contain other oils, such as coconut oil, in addition to extra-virgin olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil soap can be produced with or without lye. Lye must be handled with care by someone with soap-making experience, but it is used in many natural living products. Combining lye, water and oil results in a chemical change called saponification. This change creates the soap. Soap containing olive oil and lye is also called castile soap.
Skin Softeners
Olive oil is a natural emollient, so olive oil soap is recommended for dry skin. It can also help people with eczema or psoriasis. Olive oil also contains linolenic, alpha-linolenic, and oleic acids, which encourage the production of prostaglandins in your body. These prostaglandins smooth and firm the skin.
Antioxidant Benefits
Antioxidants found in extra-virgin olive oil provide a protective barrier for the skin and help fight skin degeneration. Olive oil contains polyphenols, which help your body prevent skin damage caused by overexposure to the sun. Olive oil soap contains vitamins that nourish the skin. Vitamin E helps your body produce collagen, and vitamin K can help reduce the appearance of under-eye circles and spider veins.
Non-comedogenic Benefits
Because olive oil has a lower oxidation rate than the natural oils of the skin, it will not clog pores when applied to the skin. This will help reduce breakouts and maintain skin's balance. The non-comedogenic properties make extra-virgin olive oil soap a suitable alternative to shaving cream because it will not cause excess dryness.
Environmental Benefits
Extra-virgin olive oil soap does not contain phosphates. When phosphates enter the water supply, they encourage the growth of algae. The algae turn the water green, deplete it of oxygen and can harm fish and other marine life.
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