Description
As you may know, olive oil, one of the ingredients we trust for our natural soaps, is a liquid fat obtained from olives, a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by pressing whole olives. It is commonly used in cooking, whether for frying or as a salad dressing, but also in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and soaps, due to its properties that body and skin can benefit from.
History
Olive oil came a long way. Homer once described it as ”liquid gold”, but fortunately did not lead to wars and endless rushes, like the original gold did. Wild olives were collected by Neolithic peoples as early as the 8th millennium BC. The wild olive tree originated in Asia Minor or in ancient Greece. Archeological evidence shows that olives were turned into olive oil by 6000 BC and 4500 BC in Israel and until 1500 BC, eastern coastal areas of the Mediterranean were most heavily cultivated. Evidence also suggests that olives were being grown in Crete as long ago as 2,500 BC.
Properties
We added olive oil to the composition of our natural soaps due to many reasons. First, olive oil contains antioxidants that protect your skin from premature skin aging, it helps restore skin smoothness and protects against ultraviolet light. Then, olive oil penetrates deeply into the skin, providing a cleansing effect. Because of the many skin benefits olive oil provides, organic skin care products often use it as a key, active ingredient. Olive oil creams, cosmetics, and body lotions are more popular than ever for self-administered skin care and more people are finding that it works better than commercial moisturizers.