Summary: The Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Skin Health and Appearance
Beneficial Fatty Acids: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is rich in the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, which has been shown to reduce inflammation, protect the skin against sun damage and help maintain the integrity of the skin barrier.
Squalene: It also contains squalene which has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant function in the body and when applied topically, can improve skin moisture.
Rich in Polyphenols: EVOO contains a high quantity of beneficial plant polyphenols, like oleocanthal, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, which act as antioxidants in the body.
Enhances Other Foods: Cooking vegetables and herbs in EVOO can increase the absorption and bioavailability of the polyphenols found in the vegetables and herbs.
Beneficial Fat-Soluble Vitamins: EVOO contains the fat soluble vitamins, E and K, and can also help to increase the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins from other foods.
Topical Use: Topical application of EVOO has been shown to assist with wound healing and skin repair.
Consideration for Topical Use: It has been shown to impair the skin barrier when applied topically in neonates.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Skin Health
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), not to be confused with virgin or regular olive oil, is a staple in the revered Mediterranean diet and this extends beyond its culinary applications. EVOO is a powerhouse when it comes to its positive effects on overall health and skin health in particular. Here we will explore the biochemical and physiological mechanisms behind EVOO’s role in maintaining and enhancing skin health and vitality.
Before we delve in, there are two things I want to note:
EVOO is less processed than virgin or regular olive oil, and this ensures that it retains its important nutrients and antioxidants. With this in mind, throughout our website and in this spotlight, we are referring to EVOO only.
There is a misconception that you cannot cook with EVOO due to a lower ‘smoke point’. However, this is very much a myth and numerous studies have shown that smoke point is not a good indicator of its stability when heated. One such study found that EVOO was the most stable oil out of the ten most common cooking oils.
Why and How is Dietary Extra Virgin Olive Oil Beneficial for the Skin?
Rich in Monounsaturated Fats and Squalene:
The different dietary fats found in foods include monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats and trans fats. Monounsaturated fats are highly beneficial for the health and are found in high amounts in EVOO, avocado and some nuts. EVOO is rich in the monounsaturated fatty acid known as oleic acid and intake of these monounsaturated fatty acids have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which are both responsible for accelerated skin ageing.
A study even found that dietary intake of monounsaturated fatty acids through EVOO, protects the skin from photoaging (i.e. damage and ageing caused by the sun). This study also reported that the protective effects of EVOO against sun damage may also be due to the presence of squalene. EVOO contains up to 300-fold more squalene than other vegetable oils. Squalene is an important component of fat-soluble vitamins, hormones and cholesterol and has been shown to be a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Squalene is also a major component of our skin’s sebum and is believed to help protect against free radical damage and skin dryness.
The membrane of our skin cells (as with all cells in the body) is composed of a lipid (fat) bilayer that helps to maintain the structure of the cells and skin barrier. Dietary fat through beneficial sources like EVOO is therefore vital for the composition of healthy cells. The presence of fat in the skin cell membrane assists with keeping certain substances out and keeping others in. This therefore assists with maintaining skin integrity, as well as skin moisture and hydration.
Contains High Quantities of Polyphenols:
Polyphenols are beneficial plant compounds naturally found in a range of plant-foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, etc. They play an important role in anti-oxidation, offering protection against a range of chronic diseases and accelerated cellular ageing. There are many different types of polyphenols with EVOO containing approximately 36 different polyphenols, most notably, oleocanthal, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein.
Oleocanthal has been found to be a potent anti-inflammatory compound. Inflammation is central to cellular ageing and chronic disease development, including skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Anti-inflammatory nutrients and compounds like oleocanthal, therefore assist with the prevention and management of various skin concerns. Interestingly, oleocanthal has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in a similar manner to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Hydroxytyrosol is a powerful antioxidant as it scavenges free radicals that accelerate cellular ageing. Oleuropein is also anti-inflammatory and has been shown to positively influence other physiological processes, including lowering bad cholesterol, providing protection against disease-causing pathogens and protecting against insulin resistance which is a major player in skin ageing.
Enhances the Antioxidant Capacity of Other Foods:
EVOO is rich in various polyphenols, and as mentioned above, is substantially higher in polyphenols than virgin or regular olive oil due to the reduced processing. Interestingly though, EVOO has been shown to not only contain its own levels of important polyphenols, but also to enhance the absorption and bioavailability of polyphenols and carotenoids in other foods like vegetables and herbs when they are lightly fried in EVOO. For example, it enhances the absorption of lycopene in tomatoes. Polyphenols and carotenoids are plant chemicals that exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities, therefore playing an important role in skin and overall health. Cooking your vegetables in EVOO can therefore provide a substantial amount of antioxidants and even increase their absorbability.
Contains Certain Fat-Soluble Vitamins and Assists with their Absorption:
EVOO contains the important fat-soluble vitamins, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant vitamin and helps to mitigate the oxidative damage caused by free radicals. As mentioned, oxidation is one of the key mechanisms behind accelerated skin ageing and overall cellular ageing. Dietary intake of vitamin K has also been shown to possess antioxidant capacity and is suggested to play a role in wound healing. Moreover, similar to the ability for EVOO to increase the absorption of polyphenols, it also has the ability to increase the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) from other foods.
Why and How is Topical Extra Virgin Olive Oil Beneficial for the Skin?
Rich in Plant-Based Squalene:
Squalene is a component of human sebum that helps to lubricate and moisturise both the skin and the scalp. It helps to support the health of skin through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity. EVOO contains squalene and this can also be isolated and processed to form a commonly used skincare ingredient, squalane. Topical application of squalane can help to moisturise the skin as well as prevent water loss and protect against environmental irritants and pollutants. Given that squalene is naturally a part of our own sebum and excess sebum can be involved in the pathophysiology of acne, you may find that excessive use of squalene/squalane may exacerbate your acne symptoms (if you experience acne of course).
Contains Nutrients and Compounds Involved in Wound Healing and Skin Repair:
Hippocrates mentioned that EVOO use can be beneficial for around 60 health conditions, including many skin concerns, and based on the research, it appears he is right at least when it comes to skin health. Topical application of EVOO to the skin has been shown to promote wound healing and skin repair. The polyphenols in EVOO, when applied topically, have been shown to help repair damaged epithelial skin cells and increase blood supply to the area through a process called angiogenesis. Moreover, they have also been shown in an in vitro study to increase the number of fibroblasts. These cells are responsible for producing collagen and elastic fibres - essential for wound healing and the overall skin structure. The improvement in wound healing from the topical application of EVOO may also be due to the presence of vitamin K which has been shown to speed up skin healing.
Contains Nutrients and Compounds that Assist with the Management of a Certain of Skin Concerns:
In addition to assisting with wound healing and skin repair, EVOO also contains various antioxidants, such as the oleic acid, squalene, antioxidant vitamins and polyphenols which have been shown to minimise oxidation and inflammation in the skin. Inflammation is a hallmark feature of many skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema and rosacea.
In one particular study, they compared the effects of a cream containing olive oil and aloe vera with topical steroid cream (betamethasone) on atopic dermatitis. The results of this study showed that the recovery rate of the group using the aloe vera and olive oil cream was 64.5% whilst the recovery rate of the steroid group was only 13.5%. Interestingly though, one study looked at the impact of topical application of different plant oils on the skin in neonates and found that olive oil compromised the skin barrier. The study mentions ‘olive oil’ so it is unclear if the same result would be obtained with EVOO. If you are wanting to apply EVOO topically, we would recommend that you source a good quality product and ensure that it is EVOO not virgin or regular olive oil and avoid using it on infants.
