Should You Drink Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Better Skin?

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most popular condiments in the world, if not the most popular of all. Thankfully, ingesting it regularly can help you stay healthier and look younger. While it's easy to sneak in a serving in salad dressing or other cooking, some say the best way to reap its benefits is by drinking EVOO straight. Here, L'OFFICIEL takes a look at this practice and how it can affect your skin, hair, and general health.

The yellow nectar from Mother Nature is known for its healthy fats and vitamins, among which we can find monounsaturated fats, such as oleic acid; polyunsaturated lipids, such as linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid; and vitamin E and compounds such as squalane and olecanthal, which are valuable antioxidants against cellular aging and damage.

Several scientific studies have highlighted how consuming olive oil can help with cardiovascular health and blood circulation, favoring the proper functioning of the endothelium, the thin membrane that lines the inside of the heart and blood vessels, and help with reducing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, also known as the "bad" cholesterol.

An anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory wonder, olive oil is also a potent antibacterial and digestive agent. Thanks to its antimicrobial qualities, it can be used to improve skin conditions such as dermatitis. Even Cleopatra used olive oil in her ancient beauty routine and Hollywood star Sophia Loren is known to bathe in it. While antioxidant-rich olive oil may have some topical benefits, its real improvements are seen by ingesting it. Because olive oil molecules are fairly large, they won't effectively penetrate the skin. When you see olive oil-based skincare products, like Furtuna Skin's luxury face oil or J.Lo Beauty's serum, these are formulated with complexes that deliver its benefits to the skin. It's not as simple as rubbing olive oil onto your face. But it can be as simple as sipping on it. 

The antioxidants, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory agents in olive oil can have an effect when ingested. A study showed that burn patients that consumed olive oil daily healed faster than the control group, suggesting that it delivered visible results through taking it orally. 

To try for yourself, start by ingesting a spoonful of olive oil first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, opting for extra virgin olive oil made from pure, cold-pressed olives. The cold-pressed process ensures that maximal nutrients are preserved during manufacturing, as heat can break these down. This is also why it's recommended to consume the EVOO on its own, rather than in cooking. By ingesting olive oil, you may experience a moisturizing and softening effect on your skin and hair over time, plus an overall healthier heart.