Information on Olive Oil
Olive oil (Olea europaea) as a massage oil.
Olive oil has a strong “food” smell, but also has good medicinal properties, soothing and healing the skin, especially when it is dry.
Olive is a very stable oil and does not go rancid easily and can be stored without refrigeration for a year.
The oil is made from the pulp and not the kernel and different qualities are available and range from extra virgin, virgin and pure. Extra virgin is obtained from the first pressing, while virgin oil comes from the second pressing and is normally lighter in color and less aromatic.
This oil contains good levels of essential fatty acids, alpha linolenic acid and when taken internally is said to assist with heart disease.
Applied externally, Olive oil is useful for dehydrated, sore and inflamed skin and is also used as a remedy for arthritis when rubbed onto the affected parts.
We personally do not prefer to use Olive oil in aromatherapy, since we find the oil a bit too heavy and the aroma too overpowering, but you could add Olive oil to a blend when massaging a mature or dry skin.
Olive oil was used as an anointing oil in biblical days and is the base of most of our anointing blends – click here to have a look at our gift pack and view our product list for various options.
Blends well with
Grapeseed Oil
- has a fine texture and is almost odorless, light in texture and is easily absorbed by the skin.
Jojoba (Golden) Oil
- In reality jojoba oil is not an oil but a liquid wax, and is pronounced “ho-ho-ba” and became important in the 1970s when whaling was banned, since it has almost the same properties as the oil obtained from the sperm whale.
Apricot Kernel Oil
- is a fine textured carrier oil, easily absorbed by the skin without leaving it feeling oily and is high in poly-unsaturated fatty acids, that is specifically beneficial when doing facial massage.
Wheat Germ oil
- is very high in vitamin E and essential fatty acids and because of its high vitamin E content, which is a natural antioxidant which helps to prevent rancidity, it is often added to other carrier oils to help lengthen their shelf life and to prevent them going off.
For information on massages and tips on various massaging techniques, please click here.
