Celebrity Nutritionist Backs Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Healthy Skin
Updated October 12th 2022
- Extra Virgin Olive listed by celebrity nutritionist in Vogue as key nutrient for healthy skin
- Nutrients such as Omega 3 Fatty Acids can improve your skin health by boosting your gut health
- Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants, including polyphenols, can reduce toxins and blemishes and help skin to glow
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil is packed with antioxidants, polyphenols and Omega 3 Fatty Acids – all super powers for skin health.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the best food choices for healthy skin, according to a top celebrity nutritionist. Speaking in style and beauty magazine British Vogue, Rosemary Ferguson has listed olive oil as a source of one of the most important nutrients for skin health. She says it’s possible to achieve healthier, more luminous skin “by taking control of your diet, and being more discerning with what you ingest.”
And, according to Rosemary, better skin health all starts with improving your gut health. She explains:
If your gut microbiome is unhealthy, then gut function can become unbalanced, which can cause so many bodily issues, poor skin being one of them. I often say that we are not what we eat, but what we digest and absorb, which couldn’t be more apt when it comes to the skin. If the gut isn’t functioning optimally, then not only can it not absorb the vital nutrients, vitamins and healthy fats the skin needs to thrive, but it can also lead to toxin build-up in the body – cue a dull complexion and blemishes. Not to mention that when gut flora is unbalanced, inflammation builds up, which results in redness, swelling and breakouts.
At Morocco Gold, we are big fans of promoting strong gut health. Did you know that following the principles of The Mediterranean Diet is a great way to build your defenses from the inside out?
Your large and small intestines are essential for digesting your food and getting the nutrients throughout your body. Eating extra virgin olive oil in place of less healthy oils can improve the efficiency of your intestines. Extra virgin olive oil also encourages your intestines to absorb more of the vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat, which makes it beneficial for individuals suffering from digestive disorders, reports the 2004 study in “Gracas y Aceites.”
New research is also showing that polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil may help balance the bacteria in our digestive tract; slowing the growth of unwanted bacteria. On this list of polyphenols are: oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and ligstroside. Some of these polyphenols are specifically able to inhibit the growth of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium; the bacterium that leads to stomach ulcers and other unwanted digestive problems. Yet another category of polyphenols called secoiridoids, continues to be a focus in research on prevention of digestive tract cancers.
Five Key Nutrients For Better Skin Health
According to Vogue, the five key nutrients to promote better skin are:
Antioxidants, Vitaman E, Vitamin C, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Zinc, explaining that:
The foundation of a good skin diet is abundant in vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, good quality proteins and good hydration.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Omega 3 fatty acids
Rosemary Ferguson says Omega 3 Fatty Acids are: ‘great for calming the skin and especially helpful for those with conditions such as acne and eczema. Find it in extra virgin olive oil, flaxseeds, walnuts, free range organic eggs and oily fish sources, such as salmon and mackerel.’
Why Celebrities Love Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Healthy Skin
The beauty industry can be fickle and yesterday’s ‘must have’ product can quickly become today’s old news but, for a beauty treatment that has never gone out of fashion, look no further than extra virgin olive oil.
Who are the most high-profile endorsers of this ‘liquid gold’ and why do they have such loyalty to this age-old superfood?
Cleopatra
Known for her beauty and her strength, the most well known of all Egyptian queens included the use of extra virgin olive oil in her vast self-care repertoire which also including milk baths and honey facials. It was also used by the Egyptians and the Minoans for many varying reasons, from soap to tanning.
Sophia Loren‘s Skincare
Widely accepted as one of the greatest beauties of our screens, Sophia Loren (now 84) credits the secret of youth is to include at least two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in her food every day. Loren also takes virgin olive oil baths and uses it as a moisturiser. Because the oil’s fat composition is very similar to that of human skin, it rarely causes allergic reactions. In addition, extra virgin olive oil is absorbed quickly and helps lock in moisture in the skin. The high percentage of unsaturated fat and vitamins A and E, helpful in preventing sun damage, also work on the outside to soothe and replenish, particularly sensitive skin. It is also pure, and unmixed with anything but water, unlike other oils.
Explains Loren: “ I get several compliments that my ‘skin is glowing’ and I am always excited to share my secret. There is only one ingredient in extra virgin olive oil…extra virgin olive oil.”
Jamie Oliver & Healthy Skin
Many think the British celebrity chef, restaurateur and media personality, Jamie Oliver, is responsible for the skyrocketing popularity of extra virgin olive oil in the U.K. over the past ten years. For instance, there are even those who complain he uses it too much (we beg to differ).
Awarded the TED Prize for his campaigns to “bring attention to the changes that the English, and now Americans, need to make in their lifestyles and diet.” Here, here.
Jamie also told old Closer magazine: “I use Clinique moisturiser on my celebrity face and then I’m a massive believer in olive oil for the body. “You just rub it in vigorously – it’s what the Romans used to do and it’s what I did with River and Petal and Buddy.
“Why spend a fortune on creams when extra virgin olive oil is the purest thing? My legs are all lovely softness.” He added: “I’ve been moisturising for the past five years or so, ever since I looked in the mirror one day and s**t myself.”
Jamie is not the only famous chef to be vocal supporters of using quality extra virgin olive oil such as Morocco Gold.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts follows a very simple skincare regiment
One of the most famous actresses on the planet, Julia Robertsfollows tried and true skincare principles such as staying hydrated, using sunscreen, and never going to bed with makeup on.
In an interview with Viva she said she was low maintenance and then added: “On a regular day, I’ll just brush my teeth, wash my face, and apply sunblock. I’m a busy mom, and sometimes I just sunblock my kids and run outside and get my nose burned. So I’ve made a stronger effort to take care of myself.”
When it comes to other beauty secrets, Vogue Italia reports that she uses extra-virgin olive oil on her hair, skin, and nails. And that trademark smile? She told InStyle that she brushes her teeth with baking soda, just like her grandfather.
Cipriana Quann
Cipriana Quann And Tk Wonder
One half of the identical twin fashion model duo, Cipriana Quann leads a long list of celebrities who turn to the wonders of extra virgin olive oil to maintain their luscious locks.They have talked in the past about the moment they embraced their role as queens of natural hair.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil As Part Of Cipriana’s Haircare Regime
Ciprana says “My hair continually stays in loose twists no matter what the style, so I will take down my loose twists at night from whatever style I am wearing at the moment and braid it into six or seven large braids or Bantu knots, placing a little extra-virgin olive oil on the strands as I braid. Then I wrap it with a silk scarf. In the morning it just consists of undoing my night-time routine and placing back into my updo style.
So there really is no shortage of candidates willing to stand by the wondrous Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a simple, natural and versatile product to help keep us feeling and looking our very best.
And who would blame them?
Is Olive Oil Good for the Skin?
Nowadays what many people don’t realise is something that people living in ancient Egypt and Greece took for granted; that extra virgin olive oil, all by itself, is one of the best beauty secrets.
What Makes Extra Virgin Olive Oil So Good For Healthy Skin? Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a key component in extra virgin olive oil and are considered to be one of the best health enhancing benefits within the oil. Many of the fruits and vegetables we consume contain a large number of compounds critical for life. One such type of compound is known as antioxidants. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants.
Why are antioxidants so important for our health? Oxidation is a natural process our cells use to create energy from the oxygen we inhale. As energy is being produced in our cells, some oxygen molecules (known as oxygen free radicals or reactive oxygen species) are produced as a by-product of these processes. These oxygen free radicals can damage your cells and DNA when in high concentration. Continuous damage by oxygen free radicals, most often termed oxidative stress, can lead to various conditions including wrinkling associated with age.
Extra virgin olive oil has other properties that can improve the health of your skin to help you be glowing and confident as you eat right. Because extra virgin olive oil’s fat composition is very similar to that of human skin, it rarely causes allergic reactions. In addition, extra virgin olive oil absorbs quickly into the skin and after 15 minutes there is no trace of it. It also helps lock in moisture in the skin. Simply put some extra virgin olive oil in your hands and start rubbing it over your entire body and face.
The high percentage of unsaturated fat and vitamins A and E in extra virgin olive oil are helpful in preventing sun damage, also work on the outside to soothe and replenish, particularly sensitive skin. Extra virgin olive oil is also pure, and unmixed with anything, unlike other oils.
One of these antioxidants, hydroxytyrosol, is a very rare and extremely potent polyphenol compound found in the highest concentrations in the best olive oils. Hydroxytyrosol is believed to play a significant role in the many health benefits attributed to olive oil. Studies have shown very strong anti-inflammatory activity from this compound in high quality extra virgin olive oils.
Olive oil is found in shampoos, soaps, face powders, salt scrubs, hair conditioners, lipsticks, brilliantines, anti-wrinkle lotions, moisturisers, eye make-up remover, cuticle & nail treatments and even eyelash oils. Adding oil to your skin will not necessarily add lots of moisture, but it will however create a barrier effect which prevents moisture from being lost. The oil traps water beneath it and prevents the loss of water through evaporation thereby making your skin feel softer and smoother. For that reason many people use facial oils on top of their moisturisers or serums.
Source: Herb & Hedgerow
