DIY Beauty: 9 Ways to Use Olive Oil For Your Body and Face

The Greek poet Homer called olive oil "liquid gold"–and with good reason. Olive oil has been used for centuries in the Mediterranean region for not only food, but also for rituals, medicines, lamp fuel and beauty. Now you can use this common kitchen ingredient to have a glowing face, soft skin and shiny hair–all for extremely cheap. Here are 9 creative ways to incorporate olive oil into your daily beauty regimen.

For all of these tips, be sure to only use extra virgin olive oil.

Hair

• If you have dry hair and split ends, give your tresses a hot-oil treatment. Heat olive oil in a cup sitting in a saucepan of hot water. Massage a few tablespoons of heated olive oil into scalp and hair. Cover your hair wth a plastic bathing cap and leave on for 30 minutes or more. Remove bathing cap and shampoo as usual. Your hair will be noticeably softer and shinier than usual.
  

Face

• Massage a few drops of olive oil onto face. Once the oil is completey rubbed in, take a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and rub all over face to exfoliate dead skin cells. Wipe sugar off your face with a warm face cloth.
• You can also use olive oil as shaving oil. Apply olive oil to face and shave as normal.
• Add a few drops of olive oil to a cotton ball or Q-tip to use as a make-up remover.

Hands and Feet

• For brittle nails and dry cuticles, soak your fingernails in a cup of warm olive oil for 30 minutes.
• For an overnight spa treatment, rub olive oil on your hands and feet. Wear white cotton gloves over your hands and white socks over your feet. You will wake up with luxuriously soft hands and feet.

Body

• Massage olive oil onto any dry or cracked areas of your body, such as your elbows and knees.
• Mix olive oil and sugar together for a body exfoliating scrub when you are taking a shower.
• Add several tablespoons of olive oil to your bath along with a few drops of your favorite essential oil for an overall moisturizing effect.

Check out these other DIY beauty articles on Intent: 

• Magic Ingredient: 10 Ways Apple Cider Vinegar Can Help Your Home, Health and Beauty
• Baking Soda Beauty: 13 Reasons to Move It From Your Fridge to Your Medicine Cabinet
• 11 One-Ingredient DIY Face Masks for Perfect Skin

Got other DIY beauty secrets up your sleeve? Share them with the community in the comments below!