Where Art Thou Olive?

I wonder how many people actually look at the ingredients in the products that they buy? I have to admit that before i started making my own products i didn't really take a huge amount of notice about what was in what? Nowadays that has all changed though and i am very fussy about what i put on my skin, in my bath and on my hair.

I have found a new love and appreciation of different oils and butters and when you look into the benefits of each single oil its no wonder that so many people are turning back to nature.

One of my favourite oils is good old Olive Oil. Now i say old because its the first oil i ever used as a beauty product. Being half Italian i was taught from being about 11 years old that the best way to condition long hair was to warm a little olive oil up in a pan and massage through the hair. Wrap in a towel and leave for or a few hrs and shampoo out. It works like a dream and my Nana & Great grandmother always had the most gorgeous shiny hair from years of doing this. 

So i guess it was natural for me to have a love of this gorgeous oil not only as a beauty product but of course in cooking as well.

Olive oil naturally contains Vitamins A & E which are often added into expensive Face creams as an ingredient which helps to repair and renew skin damage. Olive oil penetrates the skin easily and moisturises exceptionally well without clogging pores. Its good for all skin types and best of all you can buy it at your supermarket.

If you have a bottle of olive oil lying about and you fancy a little bit of DIY beauty then here are a few ways to use it:

Deep hair treatment: As i said before warm a small amount up in a sauce pan so its nice and warm (Not hot) about 3 tablespoons depending on hair length. Wash your hair and rinse then massage this through the hair. Its great for a dry scalp or dandruff and brilliant for dry ends. Wrap in a towel and leave for a good few hrs, the longer the better and then just shampoo out. It leaves hair silky soft and so shiny.

Zesty Body Scrub: I'm not going to give amounts as its easier to do this by feel just throw them in together mix well. Juice of a lemon or lime, good swig of olive oil, natural brown sugar. Mix them well so it makes a nice paste and then massage over wet skin and rinse. This will leave the skin super soft and moisturised but if you don't like the feel of oil on your skin then you can just rinse off with your usual shower gel.

Lip Scrub: If your lips are feeling a bit flaky then add 2 teaspoons of olive oil with 2 teaspoons of white sugar and 1 teaspoon of honey. Mix well then gently massage over the lips and wipe off with a soft cloth. Apply a dab of lip balm (Works Wonders)

Do you look at what ingredients are in your products that you use or are you happy to use something without reading the label? Would you be interested in more DIY Posts?