Olive Oil - Not Just for Salads

My hair has been suffering from dry ends recently. I'm not sure why, it might be that I'm using a hairdryer and hair straighteners on it every day now combined with the fact that it's cold outside now so on goes the central heating!

For a long time I've heard about the benefits of olive oil on skin, hair, nails - you name it. To cure my dry ends I'm using olive oil to work through my hair from my scalp to the tips. Here's a quick how-to and a rundown of the uses of olive oil when it comes to your beauty regimen...

What you'll need:

• Half a cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or a little bit more if your hair's quite long). Now it must be Extra Virgin Olive Oil as this is olive oil in its purest form. Any other variants are likely to have additional, unnecessary nasties in them that might irritate or cause problems, plus if you can find organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil then all the better!
• Shower cap/plastic bag
• Comb
• Shower

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on the hob or heat it in the microwave in a mug. Don't let it get too hot, you want it warm so that it's soothing, you don't want to burn your scalp! Check the temperature and if you can keep your finger in the oil for longer than a few seconds it's jus

t right. If not, let it cool...

2. On dry hair take your comb and dip it in the oil and then run it through your hair in sections. Make sure you get all the ends well and truly smothered as these are the parts that really need the benefit most!

3. Don on your sexy shower cap/plastic bag over your hair* and have your normal shower. The steam and heat from the shower will allow the oil to fully sink in and condition your hair, much like when you have a deep heat conditioning treatment at the salon when they wrap your hair in a towel.

4. After 5-10 minutes take off your shower cap/plastic bag and pour shampoo your hair as normal (don't rinse out the olive oil yet). It may take an extra wash to remove traces of the olive oil but the results are well worth the effort! Et voila - sexily soft hair that you won't be able to stop touching!

*Hairbrush/loofah for singing purposes is entirely optional ; )

And for other beautifying purposes...

Nails

Not only does olive oil soften the cuticles (making them tidier and easier to shape and trim) it strengthens your nails. Strong, fracture-free nails and tidy cuticles - yes please! Either use olive oil like a handcream before bed rubbing into nails as well as your skin and don on a lovely pair of silk gloves. Or use it as part of your manicure when prepping your nails before painting.

Skin

Cleanse: Olive oil makes a very effective and cost efficient makeup remover. If you've got tough eye makeup on or can't get away with using most cleansers on the market as they're too harsh on your skin - try olive oil. It's gentle, won't sting if you get a bit in your eye and dissolves makeup a treat! It certainly saves you from scrubbing at your skin over and over as with some cleansers which in the long run only causes premature ageing and wrinkles (and in the short term makes your skin angry and red).

Moisturise: Not only that but it has very good moisturising properties. Many women from the Mediterranean swear by olive oil as Mother Nature's very own moisturiser - and the results show! It's better on drier skins but if you have combination skin it might be better to use this on areas of your skin that are drier rather than the oilier patches. It's also best to use it at night as it may be too heavy to sit underneath your makeup during the day.

Exfoliate: Combine with natural rock salt (for body scrub) or sugar (for hand and facial scrub) and you can make your very own natural and fantastic exfoliating scrub - perfect for soft hands, a polished body and a glowing face. Everyone will want to know your secret...

Face Mask: Mix the olive oil with honey and an egg yolk, beat together until all are mixed well, apply to face, grab magazine, glass of wine and lay back for 15 minutes - let nature do the hard work for you!

And of course to eat:

Include it in your diet and feel the benefits too - olive oil is abundant in anti-oxidants and vitamins ideal for optimum health. Replace your normal margarine/butter with olive spread, your vegetable/sunflower oil with olive oil for cooking and baking, drizzle it on salads, and use it with balsamic vinegar when eating a good crusty bread for a delicious starter to any 3 course meal!

Olive oil - the possibilities are ENDLESS! ; )