In case you missed it, I realised recently that almost everyone I know with great skin swears by a certain basic oil. On that occasion, it was argan oil that turned out to be the skincare secret weapon, but it got me thinking about what other purse-friendly oils I was overlooking. Turns out there's one in particular that celebrities like Emma Stone and Kylie Jenner are always raving about: olive oil. Yes, that classic kitchen cupboard staple isn't just for dressing your lunchtime salad—it actually boasts a multitude of beauty uses too.
"I'm really allergic to a lot of stuff, so I can really only use products with a single ingredient in it," Emma Stone told Marie Claire. For sensitive skin types, there's no doubting that sometimes keeping things basic is best—and you can't get more basic than straight-up olive oil. "I have a big bottle of olive oil on my sink, so I just put it on my face and I smell like focaccia. And it’s really sexy," Stone joked. But really, what's better than focaccia?
Similarly, when Stone's skin is feeling dry, it's olive oil that she relies on to bring her skin back into balance. When Glamour asked what her skincare routine is for caring for dry skin, Stone explained that it changes constantly. "I'm super-promiscuous. It depends," she said. "The thing I like the most is just straight oils—olive oil, argan oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil—but... a lot of that stuff is too heavy to wear all over your face all the time, which I'm learning slowly but surely."
Related: I Always Avoided Using Face Oil Until I Spoke to These Skin Experts
It's not just Stone who's a fan: Kylie Jenner also declared her love for olive oil in a YouTube video with her sister Khloé Kardashian. After shampooing and conditioning her hair, and exfoliating her body with a loofah, she'll drench herself in organic oils she got on Amazon when she gets out of the shower. Her oils of choice? Almond oil, olive oil and jojoba oil.
While olive oil is great as a moisturiser for your face (according to Vogue Italia, Julia Roberts uses a few drops mixed with warm water and massaged in), it can be used for other beauty benefit. In fact, Roberts reportedly uses the same method of mixing extra-virgin olive oil with water to nourish her nails and hair. "For her feet, she rubs in neat extra-virgin olive oil, and after pulling on a pair of old bed socks, leaves it on all night," she told Vogue.
Celebs love using olive oil in their hair too. Cipriana Quann told Byrdie that she applies it to her hair at night: "I braid it into six or seven large braids or Bantu knots, placing a little extra-virgin coconut and olive oil on the strands as I braid. Then I wrap it with a silk scarf," Quann explained. "When it comes to hair products, I am very minimalistic, but I love all-natural oils like … extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil."
Continuing down the haircare path, Miranda Kerr revealed to Elle that she uses olive oil as a DIY hair mask. "I sleep with olive oil in my hair once a week as a treatment—it nourishes the scalp and leaves my hair super shiny," Kerr said. Naturally rich in vitamins A, D, E and K, there's no doubt that olive oil is an affordable product that can genuinely do good for your skin and hair. However, its rich texture might be too much for some skin types (leading to clogged pores and congestion), so I'd recommend using it sparingly or looking out for products that contain olive oil for that moisture hit.
Shop the Best Olive Oil Beauty Products
It's no surprise that olive oil is a key ingredient in Kerr's own beauty brand, Kora Organics. This rich formulation is packed with fatty acids to nourish and soothe dry complexions.
Mineral-rich salts slough away dead skin cells while organic extra-virgin olive oil, alongside moringa and rosehip oils, nourish the skin.
Related: Everyone We Know With Great Skin Uses This Basic Oil
Make like Stone and keep a bottle of pure olive oil in your bathroom to use as a moisturiser, hair mask and body conditioner.
Dissolve this solid blend of extra-virgin olive, almond and avocado oils in hot water; then apply it to your hair as an intensive treatment to repair dry, damaged strands.
Enriched with olive oil, shea butter and jojoba seed oil, this hydrating balm will soothe even the most parched lips.
Next up, I was dubious about natural skincare, but these 15 products actually work.
