Olive oil benefits for skin and hair.

Olive oil has been known for generations not only for its internal healing qualities but also as a natural, deep penetration moisturizer, regenerating skin cells and softening the tissue. Extra virgin olive oil is the preferred grade for moisturizing the skin care and can prove quite beneficial, since it is rich in all kinds of nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins which are great for the body, whether you choose to eat it, or use it on your skin. In human beings ageing leads to gradual structural and functional skin damage. Skin tissue goes through a number of changes. Some of the chief ones are that the inner and outer layers of the skin (dermis and epidermis) grow thinner, elasticity is lost, the area joining the dermis to the epidermis becomes less cushioned, fibrosis occurs with the accumulation of collagen and the tissue is less able to fight against and repair damage.

External factors, such as the sun's rays, speed up ageing by generating free radicals. Though cells are equipped with mechanisms that neutralise their action, it is possible to reduce cell damage by using inhibitors that lower the risk. One such natural inhibitor is olive oil, whose lipid profile is very similar to that of human skin.

Olive oil has a large proportion of vitamins A, D and K, as well as vitamin E, the main source of protection against the free radicals that produce cell oxidation. This makes it a good aid in specific therapies to treat skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis and seborrheic eczemas.

It has also been suggested that because of its pronounced antioxidant effect, olive oil could play a choice part in the prevention of continuous oxidation, one of the processes that influences the development of certain types of skin cancer. Vitamin E studies have begun, but these kinds of observations take a long time, which means that conclusive data are not yet available. However, the theory is that oleic acid is believed to play a major part in counteracting continuous oxidation.
Olive oil also contains a natural moisturizer, called squalene. Sebum is what makes our skin too greasy, but squalene has the incredible ability of regulating its secretion. This means that, when used on your skin, the sebum will be reduced, and you will experience less skin problems than before.

Olive oil's and olive leafs extract’s essential fatty acids are a natural Rx for rough elbows, hands, and cuticles, says dermatologist Lisa Donofrio, MD, of the Yale University School of Medicine. Fatty Acids in olive oil are essential to cellular membranes. These monounsaturated fatty acids are less easily damaged by oxygen than other types of fat. And when the skin’s fatty acid content declines due to aging, environmental and free radical damage, elasticity of the skin will decline as well and at the same time water loss will increase resulting in skin roughness and scaliness. Therefore topically applied olive oil provides fatty acid content to be absorbed by the skin, normalizing the cell lipid layer and improving the water-retention capacity.

Cosmetics with an olive oil –olive leafs extracts base nurture your skin by maintaining a moisture balance that both soothes dry skin and absorbs easily to nourish deep beneath the surface. This therapeutic quality is especially important to those who suffer with skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis and allergies. Products with natural essential oil bases and high quality extra virgin olive oil , may be a little expensive but the long term benefits are well worth the price .

Olive oil soaps and shampoos that are rich in pure, extra virgin olive oil can contain the moisture and nutrients your skin and hair desires. Stress, dietary choices, environmental pollutants, medications and exposure to ultra-violet rays all take a toll on the health of your skin and hair. Olive oil replaces the moisture and elasticity lost to these elements because it is naturally rich in vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants that have tremendous healing and preserving properties.
Olive oil can help restore and retain hair and skin`s health, youthfulness and beauty. Dandruff sufferers find products containing high concentrations of olive oil to be very effective. The purer the olive oil, the more favorable the results. Olive oil helps reduce the buildup from largely synthetic hair care products and environmental contaminants that leave your hair feeling brittle and dull.
Olive oil shampoos, conditioners and hot oil treatments deeply condition and moisturize hair from strand to scalp, returning natural strength, luster and overall health to your tortured tresses without weighing it down.
When taken by mouth olive oil helps prevent wrinkles, thin skin and other signs of aging, it can also help increase skin density and help the skin heal from damage. Olive oil applied on the skin may protect the skin from external irritation. Olive oil helps to slow down the aging process of the whole body.

SKIN CANCER AND OLIVE OIL

A 2001 study from Japan found that hairless mice exposed to damaging doses of sunlight then soothed with olive oil developed fewer skin cancers. We don't know if people's skin will react the same as hairless mice, but it is likely that the antioxidants in olive oil could help prevent cancer in humans too.
Sunlight damages DNA and creates free radicals that cause oxidative damage. Olive oil has polyphenols and other natural antioxidants that could prevent the type of damage that leads to cancer. Cheaper refined olive oil didn't seem to help the mice as much as fresh, extra virgin olive oil. The utility of this study is unclear, as no amount of olive oil would undo all the damage caused by the sun. A wiser course would be to avoid the sun, use a hat and sunscreens and save the olive oil for a salad.
A more recent study from Ireland demonstrated the role of olive oil in an anti-cancer diet. It seems that the lycopene of tomatoes is more effectively utilized to prevent skin cancer when combined in the diet with olive oil. These foods eaten together provided the equivalent of a low factor sunscreen of protection to the study participants. Again, it should be noted that the best protection from sun is afforded by hats, clothing and minimal exposure.

Links:

Wikipedia
Oxford Journals
International Olive Oil Council