Quality Carrier Oil For Skin Care
Olive oil (Olea Europaea) is a good carrier for essential oils due to its lubricity. It is commonly used in soaps, hair care formulas and all types of skin care products such as shampoo, face powder, hair coloring, lipsticks and anti-wrinkle creams. Traditionally it has been used for rheumatic conditions, hair care, inflamed or irritated skin, bruises and sprains. It is a great treatment for dandruff, and also helps get rid of lice. It is the oil of choice for making macerated oils.
Olive oil moisturizes dry skin and can relieve itching. It is an excellent conditioner for hair and nails. It is often used for making salves, suppositories and infusions. It helps in the synthesis of collagen, elastin, proteoglycans and glycoprotiens. It can be used for massage but since it is so heavy, it is best blended with a lighter vegetable oil for that purpose. It is filled with chlorophyll, protein, minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids. If not carefully used or used in a small dilution with another carrier, it may overpower a blend.
Olive oil is produced from a fruit obtained from the Mediterranean Basin. It is used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps, and is used as a fuel for traditional oil lamps.
According to Wikipedia, the several oils extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:
· Virgin meaning the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment.
· Refined meaning that the oil has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes and acid content. Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil; the retail labels extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil cannot contain any refined oil.
· Pomace olive oil meaning that the oil is extracted from the pomace using chemical solvents (noteably hexane) and by heat. A pomace is a paste formed by grinding olives to tiny bits, mixing with water, and then processing by centrifuge.
Olive oil vendors choose the wording on their labels very carefully.
· “100% Pure Olive Oil” is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have “virgin” on the label.
· “Made from refined olive oils” suggests that the essence was captured, but in fact means that the taste and acidity were chemically produced.
· “Light olive oil” actually means refined olive oil, not a lower fat content.
· “From hand-picked olives” may indicate that the oil is of better quality, since producers harvesting olives by mechanical methods are inclined to leave olives to over-ripen in order to increase yield.
· “First cold press” means that the oil in bottles with this label is the first oil that came from the first press of the olives. The word cold is important because if heat is used, the olive oil’s chemistry is changed. It should be noted that extra-virgin olive oil is cold pressed, but not necessarily the first oils.
· “Bottled in Italy” or “Packed in Italy” does not necessarily mean that the olive oil originated in Italy. Back or side labels indicate the origin of the olive oil which is often a mixture of oils from several nations.
