Debating the Effectiveness of Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a Moisturizer

Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil an Effective Treatment for Dry Skin?   

The Jury Hasn’t Returned Yet

Evelyn Smith
 

Popular culture and folk medicine advocates the use of extra virgin olive oil as an emollient or moisturizer, but unfortunately few medical studies actually prove its usefulness since it is often tested under extenuating circumstances—such as in the treatment of chemical warfare wounds or in the easing of dermatitis caused by diaper rash in premature infants. While these studies establish that olive oil when used with another ingredient helps alleviate dry skin, they do not necessarily establish its complete effectiveness when used alone.  Similarly, the olive-oil potions recommended in the sampling of self-help blogs summarized below also often pair olive oil with another ingredient, such as shea butter, castor oil, or pineapple.  This may suggest a trend that perhaps cashes in on the current popularity of the Mediterranean diet, but it may indicate the need for future randomized, double-blind trials that study the benefits of olive oil’s use as a topical agent especially when treating the dry skin of the elderly.  

Popular Cultural References to Olive Oil 

as a Moisturizer or Emollient

Hardyal, S. (2011, June 14).  What is the benefit of olive butter for skin care?  Livestrong.  Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/305014-what-is-the-benefit-of-olive-butter-for-skin-care/

Hardyal counsels the use of a mixture of olive oil and shea butter since it doesn’t wash off easily like a lotion, and she suggests adding corn starch to the recipe if this is too greasy (Hardyal, 2011, para. 1 & 3). She notes that extra virgin olive oil is hypoallergenic and contains the antioxidants A and E (Hardyal, 2011, para. 4).  However, she also suggests that the olive oil/shea butter mix should only be used on dry skin since shea butter is too heavy for oily skin.  Finally, Hardyal cites the Kiechl-Kohlendorfer trial, summarized in the scholarly references below, as the use of a treatment for diaper rash in premature infants as proof of olive oil’s effectiveness.  

Kartha, D. (2010, January 13). Olive oil as a moisturizer.  Buzzle. Retrieved from
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/olive-oil-as-a-moisturizer.html

Kartha claims olive oil not only keeps skin hydrated, but it also relieves the effects of acne and sunburn (Kartha,  2010, para. 1) since olive oil contains polypherol compounds that protect the skin from damage (Kartha, 2010, para. 1 & 5). She recommends using olive oil as a bath oil, topical moisturizer, and when blended with pineapple as a facial mask.

Ocano, S. C. (2013, March 1).  Ingredient of the week—extra virgin olive oil.  My Valley News. Retrieved from http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/69731/

The moisturizing properties of extra virgin olive oil regenerate skin cells and soften skin tissue.  However, olive oil has a short shelf life since it oxidizes when exposed to air.  Accordingly, it loses much of its effectiveness after two months (Ocano, 2013, para. 8 & 9).

TSH. (2009, October 12).  How to clean your face naturally.  Simple Mom.  Retrieved from http://simplemom.net/oil-cleansing-method/

An un-identified author advocates a 50 percent extra-virgin olive oil and 50 percent castor oil blend since the castor oil draws the dirt out of pores and the olive oil moisturizes the skin (TSH, 2009, para. 6). The user should massage this liquid into dry skin, steam the face, and then wipe off the oil (TSH, 2009, para. 7-9), although admitting that the user won’t need to do this more than once daily, and other oils such as jojoba, grapeseed, and flaxseed may exhibit similarly moisturizing properties (TSH, 2009, para. 12-13).  She also suggests that adding a few drops of tea tree essential oil added to the castor/olive oil blend clears up acne.

Scholarly References to Olive Oil as 

a Moisturizer or Emollient

Kiechl-Kohlendorfer, J., Berger C., & Inzinger, R. (2008, March-April). The effect of daily treatment with an olive oil/lanolin emollient on skin integrity in preterm infants. Pediatric Dermatology.  25(2), 174-178. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1470.2008.00627.x 

This Austrian study randomly assigned premature infants to either water-in-oil emollient cream with a mixture of 70 percent lanolin to 30 percent olive oil, and a control group  that treated neonatal infants for four weeks, comparing the infants degree of dermatitis at the end of each week. Those preemies treated with the lanolin and olive oil creamed showed less dermatitis than those with a water-in-oil Bepanthen diaper-rash cream, and both did better than the control group. 

Panahi, Y, Davoudi, S. M., Sahebkar, A., Beiraghdar, F., Dadjo, Y, Ferzi, I, Amirchoopahi, G., and Zamani, A. (2012, June).  Efficacy and safety of Aloe vera/olive oil cream versus betamethasone cream for chronic skin lesions following sulfur mustard exposure: A randomized double-blind clinical trial. Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology. 31(2), 95-103. doi: 10.3109/15569527.2011.614669

Iranian physicians performed a randomized, double-blind trial comparing the efficacy of an aloe vera and olive oil cream with a 0.1 percent betamethasone cream for the treatment of skin lesions complicated by sulfur mustard intoxication whereupon both treatments significantly reduced the frequency of itching and burning sensations; however, only the aloe vera/olive oil cream reduced the fissure and abrasions caused by scratching. 

Verallo-Rowell, V. M., Dillague, K. M., Syah-Tjundawan, B.S. (2008, November-December).  Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis. Dermatitis. 19(6), 308-15. doi: 10.2310/6620.2008.08052

Philippines research in a double-blind ,controlled trial compared the treatment with either olive oil or coconut oil of dermatitis patients in two dermatology outpatient clients  and found that coconut oil was more like to kill Staphylococcus  aureus, a staph infection associated with dry skin.

Conclusion: This Topical Treatment Needs Study

While advocates of extra virgin olive oil use as a topical treatment for dry skin tout its use, more study needs to take place to fully establish its value.  In the meanwhile, since most moisturizers list alcohol in their list of ingredients, the elderly might benefit from the use of olive oil as an alcohol-free emollient to treat the dry skin.

The medial links furnished on this Web page represent the opinions of their authors, so they complement—not substitute—for a physician's advice.