OLIVE OIL

When I had lunch at the Olive Shed a few weeks ago, I read about using Olive Oil for more than just cooking... 

Olive Oil Skin Treatment... Straight From the Bottle

You can create simple skin care recipes right in your kitchen. Try the mini beauty treatments below...

Bath: For a moisturizing soak, add about ¼ cup olive oil and several drops of essential oil to your bathwater. Lavender oil will help you relax before going to bed. (Careful - the tub will be slippery!)

Dry Skin: Gently massage a small amount of olive oil on extra dry areas such as elbows or heels.

Hands: Whip up a quick sugar scrub for rough, dry hands. Combine two tablespoons of oil with two tablespoons of sugar. Rub on hands until sugar begins to dissolve. Rinse with warm water. Voilà! Silky-smooth hands.

Feet: Apply a liberal amount of oil to feet at bedtime. Cover with cotton socks. Not sexy... but oh-so-soft feet in the morning! The magic works for hands, too. Cover with white cotton gloves (hmm, even less sexy).

Face: Create a moisturizing facial mask with olive oil, honey, and an egg yolk. Beat until well blended and apply to face... then relax! Leave on for 15 minutes; rinse with warm water.

Nails: Warm a small dish of olive oil (not too hot) with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Soak nails for 5- 10 minutes. This softens cuticles while it strengthens nails.

Hair: For a simple oil treatment, warm several tablespoons of olive oil (again, not hot). Rub into scalp and hair. Cover with a shower cap or small plastic bag. Leave on for 20-30 minutes.

For extra conditioning, mix an egg yolk with the olive oil... but do not warm. This is great for dry hair and split ends. It may even heal dandruff. Shampoo twice after this treatment or you'll smell like raw egg!

Lips: Alleviate chapped lips with straight olive oil. Dab on lips... especially helpful at bedtime.

I'm off to the kitchen to try it out!