It's a popular cooking ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine. But other than being used in your food and salad dressing, olive oil is an excellent skin care product. With its natural benefits, it's worth a dive.

As the year comes to an end, the chilly cloak of winter descends at its own pace and along with it comes the ghastly grip of dry skin. Even though some people experience it throughout the year, skin tends to be the driest in winter. Dry skin occurs when skin does not engage sufficient moisture. This can happen as a result of frequent bathing, use of harsh soaps, or aging. Whatever the reason is, dry skin is top of the undesirable list. And olive oil can be a prominent solution to that. 

Olive oil is an excellent occlusive agent. That is to say, it does not itself add moistures to your skin, but it seals the existing moisture into your skin. The mechanism is very similar to petroleum jelly. This makes it very useful in winter seasons, especially in a tropical country like Bangladesh. It's best to use the oil on damp skin — preferably after shower. That way it can be more effective.

As a personal care product for your skin, olive oil has multiple uses besides locking the moisture to your skin. For example, you can use olive oil to create different types of homemade exfoliates, and let's face it, exfoliations are imperative. The secret to having a healthy skin is to have a clean skin and you get that from exfoliation. Regular exfoliation takes effort but the end result is worth it.

Another common yet frustrating problem is eczema. Olive oil is very mild and one of the least irritating oils to use on eczema, saving you from the annoyance. Same for cracked heels. As much as we loath the idea of a cracked heel, it's not very unlikely in winter and once again — olive oil can be your saviour.

As a known source of antioxidants, olive oil can decrease premature aging of the skin. It's also rich in vitamins A, D, K and E, as well as squalene. Together they protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays and decrease oxidative stress on the skin, reducing cell damage. The natural anti-inflammatory ingredients found in olive oil may aid in healing of wound and it is believed that they even help to fade scars by helping the skin regenerate.

Of course, there are a lot of olive oil brands out there and it is important to remember that because olive oil is a heavy oil, the blends are very important. Poor quality can do more damage than good because of the chemicals and additives that they might contain.

Last but not least, everyone has different skin and therefore get different reaction from different products. Which is why you should find the one that suits your skin; especially if you have sensitive skin.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Model: Mohini

Make-up: Piya's Beauty Essentials

Styling: Sonia Yeasmin Isha