Olive Oil Soaps
Traditional olive oil soaps contain exclusively saponofied Olive Oil sea salt and water. Are made with love and care, without using any harsh chemicals leaving skin soft, drated and delicately scented
The tradition of old fashioned soap making goes back hundreds of years and has been passed down through generations. Every batch of olive oil based soap is made using the hot traditional , marseille method,keeping all the natural goodness Olive oil is one of the few oils to be able to penetrate the epidermis of the skin to aid in hydrating and softening dry skin, while allowing the skin to breathe naturally. Our soap, is rich in glycerin, retains all the natural properties of olive oil, is environment friendly and biodegradable.
Olive oil is an important ingredient in any successful skin regime due to it’s ingredients. More specifically, due to the presence of Vitamin A and E, as well as other anti-oxidants. Our soaps are hypoallergenic, replenish the moisture and nutrients to your skin that are removed from daily
cleansing with regular soaps. The benefits of olive oil soap are countless, such as helping with acne, stretch-marks, anti-aging and generally reducing the occurrence of dry skin. No animal testing. No foamers, no additives , parabens , animal fats or harsh chemicals. Just pure and simple olive oil soap made with the finest ingredients Greece has to offer, for total olive skin care.
History Of Olive Oil Soap
Olive oil has been used in soap making for thousands of years. The first testimonial source made a reference to a soap-like product from 2nd millennium BC, in ancient Mesopotamia. Specifically in the Sumer region clay tablets appeared telling of the mixture consisting in the boiling of oils with alkali, potassium, sodium, resins and salt. This mixture was used mainly to treat the textile fabrics such as wool and skin. Legend has it that the first soap was accidentally produced on a site of animal sacrifice. As the goat meat burned, fat dripped down through the fire, bonding to lye leaching out of the ashes. The combination collected from women used the clay to scrub laundry clean. Soap was known and used in the treatment of wounds and in hair-dressing before its cleansing properties were understood. It was not widely known in Northern and central Europe until the Arab invasion of the
Byzantine Empire. The Celts are credited with introducing soap to Britain in 1000 CE.
Although the Arabs used animal fat for their soaps, the abundance of olive trees in the Mediterranean area led to the development of soaps based on olive oil and lye from the ashes of the barilla, a common plant.
Galen of Pergamon (AD 129 – 199/217) a classical author, names and identifies soap as a product used for washing clothes and personal hygiene. The first olive oil soap factory was established in Marseilles in the 6th century. From the VIII – IX century throughout the Mediterranean basin, and even more focused in the regions of Marseilles, Genoa, Savona and Venice, the soap industry began to flourish. The quality of such soaps was not consistent; it was only in 1792 that the purity and quality of the soap was stabilized, using a process developed.
The first olive oil soap factory was established in Marseilles in the 6th century. From the VIII – IX century throughout the Mediterranean basin, and even more focused in the regions of Marseilles, Genoa, Savona and Venice, the soap industry began to flourish. The quality of such soaps was not consistent; it was only in 1792 that the purity and quality of the soap was stabilized, using a process developed. Government of France issued an edict on “Savon de Marseille” (Marseilles soap), ordering that all soap should conform to this manufacturing process. Only soap made in this manner would earn a certification of purity. During the fifteenth century soaps made from olive oil were on the rise, spreading across Europe, becoming the best form of body care. French merchants came to Crete seeking olive oil to supply the soap factories of Marseilles.
Though soap made from olive oil was known as Marseilles soap, for the better part of two centuries a large section of the olive oil soap industry depended on olive oil from Crete. At the same time, soap making became an important industry in Greece (Crete, Lesvos and Volos) in the 18th and 19th centuries, with major exports of soap from these regions. There were 45 soap factories in Crete, using 2,200,000 okes (more than 2800 tonnes) of olive oil per year. Over the centuries, the process of making soap from olive oil was improved, different oils were mixed with olive oil, and additives – from algae to minerals – were utilized. These soaps were the precursors of today’s soaps.
Traditional process of soap making. Mixing and boiling of olive oil ,soda and salt in cauldron and after saponification apply it on floor to dry. One - two days later after soap is solid follows the cutting and stamping of soap, all by hand.
Benefits Of Use Of Olive Oil Soap
Since 500 B.C., the benefits that olive oil on the body have been widely known. The advantages, however, are not just limited to inside the body. Olive oil soap can also be healthful to the skin. Rich in vitamin E and beta carotene, as well as being an antioxidant, it stimulates new cell generation, slows the progression of wrinkles and gives skin a youthful look.
Extremely mild, it also helps people with a variety of skin conditions. Each soap has a slightly different characteristic, this has to do both with the ingredients and the recipe in use – each oil used will contribute certain qualities to the soap. A soap made from olive oil will has same benefits as the olive oil has. There are many kinds of olive oil soap where we see additives such as animal fat or palm and coconut oil. Your skin can absorb 60% of what you put on it so these kinds of soap can hardly be called olive oil soaps due to the low percentage ( in most cases up to 1 % ) of pure olive oil added to them, therefore can hardly contain any benefit of olive oil.
Olive oil soap is a time tested recipe
Used for centuries, natural ingredients have powerful healing and renewing properties for beautiful, healthy skin and hair. Today there are a lot of soaps on the market that contain chemicals to make them smell better, make them feel better on your skin and make them look prettier. Years from now, when the laboratory tests are all complete, these unusual chemicals might prove to do more harm than good. But olive oil soap has been in use for centuries. Olive oil soap is a long lasting hard bar, with low lathering ability. Has been considered to be widely used in many countries worldwide due its numerous skin health benefits such as:
-Relieving dry skin
-Helps reduce scars and dark spots
-Helps minimize wrinkles
-Easily removes makeup
-Helps prevent common skin disease such as psoriasis, eczema and acne
-Treats skin rashes
Is considered to be the best remedy for dry skin as it helps to exfoliate dead cells and flaky skin. Its moisturizing properties help to soften the skin texture, leaving you with beautiful glowing skin. Another great advantage of using olive oil soap is that it helps in reducing scars and dark spots. Regular use of olive oil soap will help you get rid of those ugly looking marks, making your skin look clean and nourished.
Olive oil soap can be very effective in minimizing wrinkles as it penetrates deep into the skin leaving the skin looking healthier and firmer. Recent research has found out that olive oil contains certain natural properties, oleocanthal, which is known to be a great anti-aging and anti-inflammatory agent. Soaps do not only have hygienic benefits but they were also conceived as ointments dedicated to alleviating aches and pains or to relax the body.
How ”natural” and ”pure” is the soap you use for your baby or for your bath?
Always remember to check the ingredients of the soaps and cosmetics you use. By law there should be a mention of all the ingredients which touch the biggest organ of your body, your skin. If you see ingredients like propylene glycol, SLS, mineral oil or parabens maybe it will be wiser to change the brand you use! If you read the ingredients of the soap you use , you may see that major soaps brands still contain “sodium tallowate”, which means soap derived from animal fat! Why? Because tallow fat is extremely cheap, because tallow is typically the cheap fat/bone/hide by product leftover from the commercial meat industry. When you use tallow you will also need to use a paraben (preservative) with it.
Just think that the soap you use is made from animal fat which fed with Commercial feedlots, with the use antibiotics and hormones. Do you really want to bath your baby or wash your face with this Castille soap was only referred to olive oil based soap made from olives in the region of Castile in Spain. Nowadays it has evolved into meaning pretty much any soap made from mostly vegetable oils. Many castile branded soaps still contains olive oil as one of ingredients maybe just 2-3% of the total and the majority of the soaps made just with animal fat or palm oil.
Olive Oil & Skin Care
Olive oil has been known for generations not only for its internal healing qualities but also as a natural, deep penetration moisturizer, regenerating skin cells and softening the tissue. Extra virgin olive oil is the preferred grade for moisturizing the skin care and can prove quite beneficial, since it is rich in all kinds of nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins which are great for the body, whether you choose to eat it, or use it on your skin. In human beings ageing leads to gradual structural and functional skin damage. Skin tissue goes through a number of changes. Some of the chief ones are that the inner and outer layers of the skin (dermis and epidermis) grow thinner, elasticity is lost, the area joining the dermis to the epidermis becomes less cushioned, fibrosis occurs with the accumulation of collagen and the tissue is less able to fight against and repair damage. External factors, such as the sun’s rays, speed up
Olive oil and olive leafs are rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are well known for their ability to postpone aging. By taking out free radicals, freed in the body, these special agents are guaranteed to prolong your life, as they contribute to cell repair. The same thing is valid when you apply olive oil on your skin. As you may well know, our skin is many times exposed to pollution and other factors that cause it to grow older. By caring for skin with olive oil, you will limit the actions of these factors, and enjoy a beautiful skin for a long time.
Olive oil has a large proportion of vitamins A, D and K, as well as vitamin E, the main source of protection against the free radicals that produce cell oxidation. This makes it a good aid in specific therapies to treat skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis and seborrheic eczemas.
It has also been suggested that because of its pronounced antioxidant effect, olive oil could play a choice part in the prevention of continuous oxidation, one of the processes that influences the development of certain types of skin cancer. Vitamin E studies have begun, but these kinds of observations take a long time, which means that conclusive data are not yet available. However, the theory is that oleic acid is believed to play a major part in counteracting continuous oxidation.
Olive oil also contains a natural moisturizer, called squalene. Sebum is what makes our skin too greasy, but squalene has the incredible ability of regulating its secretion. This means that, when used on your skin, the sebum will be reduced, and you will experience less skin problems than before.
>Another nutrient that exists in olive oil is chlorophyll. This helps a great deal in healing wounds and other scars. Acne blemishes will be nothing but a bad dream, after you apply plenty of olive oil on your skin.
Olive oil’s and olive leafs extract’s essential fatty acids are a natural Rx for rough elbows, hands, and cuticles, says dermatologist Lisa Donofrio, MD, of the Yale University School of Medicine. Fatty Acids in olive oil are essential to cellular membranes. These monounsaturated fatty acids are less easily damaged by oxygen than other types of fat. And when the skin’s fatty acid content declines due to aging, environmental and free radical damage, elasticity of the skin will decline as well and at the same time water loss will increase resulting in skin roughness and scaliness. Therefore topically applied olive oil provides fatty acid content to be absorbed by the skin, normalizing the cell lipid layer and improving the water-retention capacity.
Cosmetics with an olive oil –olive leafs extracts base nurture your skin by maintaining a moisture balance that both soothes dry skin and absorbs easily to nourish deep beneath the surface. This therapeutic quality is especially important to those who suffer with skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis and allergies. Products with natural essential oil bases and high quality extra virgin olive oil , may be a little expensive but the long term benefits are well worth the price .
Olive oil soaps and shampoos that are rich in pure, extra virgin olive oil can contain the moisture and nutrients your skin and hair desires. Stress, dietary choices, environmental pollutants, medications and exposure to ultra-violet rays all take a toll on the health of your skin and hair. Olive oil replaces the moisture and elasticity lost to these elements because it is naturally rich in vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants that have tremendous healing and preserving properties.
Olive oil can help restore and retain hair and skin`s health, youthfulness and beauty. Dandruff sufferers find products containing high concentrations of olive oil to be very effective. The purer the olive oil, the more favorable the results. Olive oil helps reduce the buildup from largely synthetic hair care products and environmental contaminants that leave your hair feeling brittle and dull.
Olive oil shampoos, conditioners and hot oil treatments deeply condition and moisturize hair from strand to scalp, returning natural strength, luster and overall health to your tortured tresses without weighing it down.
When taken by mouth olive oil helps prevent wrinkles, thin skin and other signs of aging, it can also help increase skin density and help the skin heal from damage. Olive oil applied on the skin may protect the skin from external irritation. Olive oil helps to slow down the aging process of the whole body.
Skin Cancer And Olive Oil
Sunlight damages DNA and creates free radicals that cause oxidative damage. Olive oil has polyphenols and other natural antioxidants that could prevent the type of damage that leads to cancer. Cheaper refined olive oil didn’t seem to help the mice as much as fresh, extra virgin olive oil. The utility of this study is unclear, as no amount of olive oil would undo all the damage caused by the sun. A wiser course would be to avoid the sun, use a hat and sunscreens and save the olive oil for a salad.
A more recent study from Ireland demonstrated the role of olive oil in an anti-cancer diet. It seems that the lycopene of tomatoes is more effectively utilized to prevent skin cancer when combined in the diet with olive oil. These foods eaten together provided the equivalent of a low factor sunscreen of protection to the study participants. Again, it should be noted that the best protection from sun is afforded by hats, clothing and minimal exposure.
Links
Natural Olive Cosmetics Vs Common Cosmetics
The fact is that most of the ingredients in the products we use are absorbed by the skin into the body. Large cosmetic companies are continuing to use synthetic and petrochemical ingredients in personal care products. Pick up any bottle of lotion, cream, shampoo, conditioner, or toothpaste in your house right now and see how many natural ingredients they contain.
Based on the FDA’s personal care products packaging standards, the further the name of an ingredient is down the list on a products’ label, the lesser of that ingredient the product contains. If this is true how much synthetic material
Clear, glowing, dewy-looking skin, free of blackheads, pimples, cysts, and other imperfections seems to be an elusive goal. The booming skin care industry would have you believe the same with their claims of the need to rid your skin of oil completely and apply burning chemicals in order to avoid these imperfections. Modern society has been so strongly influenced by these marketing claims that some find themselves washing the delicate and easily-inflamed tissue of their facial skin with “grease cutting” or “antibacterial” dish and hand soap only to find that their skin condition worsens. Why is it that if something works for a few days, or if you get lucky, a few weeks, the long term brings the blemishes back? The cycle seems endless. It’s exhausting. It’s painful. It’s embarrassing. It’s expensive!
The reasons we have so much trouble with mainstream skin care products are numerous, but two reasons, in particular, lead the pack. These products strip the oil out of our skin, leaving our largest organ trying to repair itself by replacing the oil stripped away. This leaves us in a cycle of being tight and dry followed by the inevitable oil slick. Each time we strip the oil away, our skin over-compensates for the lack of moisture by creating more oil. On top of the drying effects, these products are highly-scented. Fragrance is one of the top skin irritants and strangely enough, even the so-called “unscented” products usually contain fragrance. See for yourself and check the labels. Dry, irritated skin replaced by oily skin, inflamed and trapping debris?
If we know what our body is going to do and understand the process, we can then understand what it takes to control it and achieve the results we want. Clear skin is attainable.
Getting right down to basics, when cleansing and moisturizing your skin, it is imperative that you keep in mind that oil dissolves oil. Your skin naturally lubricates itself with oil, and as we are creatures of adaptation, one can believe
that if this weren’t the appropriate built-in care for ourselves, our bodies would have adapted to suit the need. If you’ve been battling your skin for long, you’re probably recoiling at the mere thought of applying oil to your face. You can imagine the slick, greasy, clogging feeling of smearing sludge all over your face. Do not be afraid of applying oil to your face. Oil, alone, will not bring you blemishes. Pimples, cysts, zits, blackheads, whiteheads…these are a result of several different factors including hormones, bacteria, dead skin cells and the buildup of these factors. Your skin naturally produces oil because it needs it. It is not a malicious force to be reckoned with; it is there for the benefit of your skin, allowing your largest organ to function properly. It is naturally occurring. Not only does your natural oil help lubricate, it also heals, protects, and moisturizes your skin so that it may function properly. Properly functioning skin is beautiful, clear, and glowing. Learning to work with your skin, not against it, will save you tremendously.
Natural Olive Cosmetics Vs Common Cosmetics
Mineraloil (baby oil) is a common petroleum derivative (refined crude oil petrochemicals containing neurotoxins which damage the nervous system) The same stuff you put in your car engine! Mineral oil has absolutely no nutritional value. It is a known carcinogen (cancer causing agent) and yet the cosmetic industry still uses them in lip gloss, lotions, creams, oitments and shampoos.
First we will explore mineral oil, a common ingredient in commercial lotions, creams and baby care products. Mineral oil is clear, liquid oil with no scent and will not spoil. It is produced as a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. Mineral oil is leftover liquid, and because it is abundant, it is very inexpensive. In fact, it is more expensive to dispose of mineral oil, than to purchase it.
Mineral oil is the main ingredient in may baby care items as well. Baby oil, Vaseline (petroleum jelly), baby wash liquid soap, and baby lotions all contain mineral oil as a key ingredient. As mentioned above, manufacturers can buy it very inexpensively and it will not spoil.The problem is that mineral oil is foreign to the human body and has many harmful effects, especially in infants. Some of the effects of mineral oil may be a little surprising.
Mineral oil acts as a thin layer on the skin. It is difficult to absorb and clogs the pores, which slows the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins. Remember, the skin is the body’s largest organ and plays an important role in maintaining overall health! Once the oil is absorbed, it is broken down by the liver and passes through the intestinal tract, it will absorb all of the fat-soluble vitamins found there. It is essentially stealing important vitamins from the body, which the body will not be able to replace. This can eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies. Studies have also shown forms of pneumonia caused by mineral oil decreasing lung function, known as lipoid pneumonia. Because of these dangers, the medical community has condemned the use of mineral oil taken orally or as an ingredient in medications.
An unbiased study released by the Cancer Prevention Coalition in June 2002, contained the following: “Cancer and health experts just concluded reviews that indicate mainstream cosmetics and personal hygiene products including lotions, soaps and shampoos, pose the highest risk exposures to the general public. This risk is higher than smoking.”
From the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), March of 2001: “In a study of environmental toxins found in the blood and urine, there were surprisingly high amounts of toxic chemicals found in everyday products like perfume, soaps and cosmetics in the people tested.”
Mineral oil in cosmetics and moisturizers is the number two cause of aging.Next to the sun, mineral oil ages the skin the most. Premature aging of the skin also increases health risks. Ninety eight percent of skin care products sold in the United States contain mineral oil and other petrochemicals.
You may not be able to find mineral oil on your label because it has hundreds of different names. Mineral oil may also cause allergic reactions and dryness. It traps dirt and bacteria and blocks the absorption of vitamins/minerals/botanicals that may be in a product.
Many products on the market day are formulated to moisturize the skin. Unfortunately, most of these products contain mineral oil which not only inhibits these moisturizers but dehydrates the skin. Mineral oil also slows the rate of cell reproduction, which damages collagen, elastin and connective tissues which leads to fine lines and wrinkles.
Do a comparison test: Take two glasses, fill one with baby oil (mineral oil) and the other with water. Put a cracker in each of the glasses and let them sit for a few minutes and see what happens. You will find that the cracker in water completely absorbs the water. The cracker in mineral oil does not. It creates a very hard barrier on the surface of the cracker. Mineral oil and other harmful ingredients are found in 98% of all cosmetics in North America. It is popular with manufacturers because it is inexpensive and makes skin smoother and softer to the touch and more attractive to the eye. Unfortunately, the price you pay is accelerated aging of the skin.
The long term damage caused by mineral oil makes it an undesirable ingredient in any skin care product. Fortunately, there are a few high quality anti-aging skin treatment systems available today which contains only pure, safe and beneficial ingredients.
To give you additional information regarding mineral oil you can use the links below.
This is one of the most interesting recent articles we found regarding mineral oil:
Pub Med article regarding mineral oil:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17162411?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.
Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=31
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18349735?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.
Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=14
FDA information regarding mineral oil although some information where the FDA had cited issues with mineral oil use on infants can no longer be located:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=178.3570
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/toxic_cosmetics.cfm
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