The Five Fantastic Beauty Secrets To… Olive Oil

It’s always interesting to pick up a few beauty tips from different cultures around the world and, according to us, the Portuguese have it sorted.

A big part of any Portuguese lady’s beauty regime is a bottle of olive oil. A kitchen staple in Ireland, extra virgin olive oil is the ultimate beauty cure-all in the Mediterranean country.

We’re sharing five fabulous uses for the ultra-nourishing beauty secret that you very easily slip into your get-gorgeous routine.

1. Shiny, Happy Hair

Apply olive oil to shampooed, damp hair and wrap in a warm towel.  Allow oil to sit for 20 minutes then rinse. If you have frizzy hair, finger-comb extra virgin olive oil through styled strands to tame fly-aways.

2. DIY Spa 101

Simply add a few of drops of olive oil to your bath water to soften skin. For a one-of-a-kind scrub, create a paste of olive oil and salt or sugar as an all-over body scrub. For the more adventurous, you could use olive oil instead of shaving cream. Your legs will look extra silky!

3. Treat Your Feet

Rub olive oil into dry, cracked feet before bed then cover them with socks for an overnight softening treatment. Mimic the pros and keep cuticles healthy by soaking nails in olive oil during your next at-home manicure. For yellow-stained nails, add lemon juice to olive oil and rub into your tips.

4. Clean And Condition

Warm a couple drops of olive oil with your fingertips and rub on skin to dissolve makeup, then tissue off. Use it in place of your night-time moisturiser on extra dry days. The fine layer of oil (it’s packed with vitamin E and antioxidants) will hydrate and heal skin while you sleep. In the mornings, dab a small drop of olive oil under eyes to de-puff, it’s a natural anti-inflammatory.

5. Lip Luscious

Slick a little olive oil on your pout before going out in the cold to keep from flaking. Already dry? Add a little sugar to olive oil and create a lip scrub.