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Olive Oil - how do I love thee! You can say that at Olive Handmade Soaps, our sister company, we’ve built our brand on one of nature’s most powerful and versatile ingredients—extra virgin olive oil. My love for this liquid gold began in the kitchen, where I first experienced its unmistakable green, peppery flavor with a hint of bitterness. Once you taste real extra virgin olive oil, there’s no turning back! But what started as a culinary delight soon became a skincare revelation.
Before 2011, when I began making soaps, I had no idea that olive oil was more than just a nutritious ingredient—it’s also a skincare powerhouse. Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins E and K, and antioxidants, olive oil is one of the oldest natural remedies for dry skin. It not only provides deep nourishment but also rejuvenates and protects the skin, making it an essential ingredient in our skincare formulations.
Not all olive oils are created equal. The quality and source of your olive oil significantly impact its skincare benefits. To get the full range of nutrients and antioxidants, extra virgin olive oil is the best choice.
At Isivuno Naturals, we source our olive oil directly from growers in South Africa’s Western Province, ensuring the freshest, award-winning oil with the SA Olive Association stamp of approval.
Olive oil is best when fresh, so proper storage—protecting it from light and air—is crucial.
The Skincare Benefits of Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is packed with monounsaturated fatty acids that create a protective barrier on the skin, locking in moisture and preventing dryness. It soothes irritation, transforms rough skin into a soft, supple texture, and provides long-lasting hydration.
Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant in olive oil, helps combat free radicals and reduces oxidative stress, preventing premature aging. Vitamin K enhances skin tone and can reduce the appearance of dark circles and blemishes, making olive oil an excellent choice for a radiant complexion.
With natural squalene, olive oil closely mimics our skin’s natural oils, helping to balance oil production and reducing the risk of breakouts. Its anti-inflammatory properties soothe redness and irritation, making it perfect for sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Olive oil deeply penetrates the hair shaft, providing moisture and strengthening hair to reduce breakage. It tames frizz and enhances shine, making it especially beneficial for curly or coarse hair. My daughter's 4 c hair loves it!
How to Use Olive Oil in Your DIY Skincare
Facial Moisturizer: Apply a few drops of olive oil to clean, dry skin for moisturing. A few drops are sufficient to cover the face, providing sufficient coverage without leaving a greasy residue.
Spot Treatment: Use olive oil on dry patches or rough areas to soften and smooth.
Custom Skincare Blends: Mix cold-pressed olive oil with essential oils or other skincare products to enhance their efficacy.
Deep Conditioning Treatment: Warm olive oil and massage into scalp and hair. Leave on for at least 30 minutes or overnight before washing.
Leave-In Shine Boost: Apply a small amount to damp hair to tame frizz and enhance shine.
Nourishing Face Mask: Blend olive oil with other ingredients like honey powder and clay for skin hydration and nourishment.
Exfoliating Body Scrub: Mix olive oil with sugar or coffee grounds for a rejuvenating scrub.
Soothing Massage Oil: Use alone or mix with essential oils for a luxurious experience.
Handmade Bar Soaps: Olive oil is a key ingredient in handmade soap formulations, offering excellent moisturizing, conditioning, and gentle cleansing properties. It creates an ultra-gentle, conditioning and mild bar of soap with low lather and creamy feel. Olive oil can be used up to 100% oil contribution in soaps - this soap is known as castile, while bastile is any soap that contains 72% to 99% olive oil. Olive oil can also be used at lower percentages with other oils (like coconut, palm, castor, shea butter) to create a harder and more sudsy bar of soap. Higher % olive oil soap require a longer cure time - at least 6 months.
Liquid Castile Soap: Olive oil is the main ingredient in traditional Liquid Castile Soap, making it gentle, moisturizing, and suitable for all skin types. Liquid castile soap can also be scented with essential oils blended with other natural ingredients such as aloe vera gel.
Olive oil shines in this simple hair oil blend that works as a hot oil treatment, pre-shampoo oil, or seal & protect oil.
20% Argan Oil
20% Castor Oil
10% Squalane
Mix all ingredients and store in a dropper bottle.
Hot Oil Treatment: Warm a small amount, apply to scalp and hair, and leave on for a few hours or overnight before washing.
Seal & Protect: Apply lightly to hair after conditioner and moisturizer.
Conditioner Booster: Mix a small amount into your leave-in or rinse-out conditioner.
Extra virgin olive oil isn’t just a staple in the kitchen—it’s a game-changer for skin and hair care. Whether you’re using it in soaps, moisturizers, or DIY treatments, its deeply nourishing and restorative properties make it an essential ingredient in any beauty regimen. At Olive Handmade Soaps and Isivuno Naturals, we take pride in using the highest quality, freshest olive oil to ensure you get the maximum benefits from this natural wonder.
Try incorporating olive oil into your beauty routine and experience the magic for yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): The highest quality, cold-pressed, and unrefined.
• Virgin Olive Oil: Slightly lower in quality than EVOO but still unrefined.
• Pure or Refined Olive Oil: Processed and blended for a milder flavor.
• Pomace Olive Oil: Extracted from olive pulp using solvents, mostly used for industrial applications.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is preferred for its purity and nutrient content. However, for soap making, pure olive oil or pomace olive oil can be used.
Olive oil can provide moisture and relief, but like all natural products, it may not work for everyone. Some people with eczema or psoriasis may find it too heavy. It’s best combined with other soothing oils like jojoba or unrefined shea butter.
Green olive oil comes from unripe (green) olives. It is rich in chlorophyll, giving it a deep green hue.
Yellow olive oil comes from riper (yellow) olives. It has lower chlorophyll and higher carotenoids, which gives it the yellowing colour.
Isivuno Naturals offers award-winning South African Extra Virgin Olive Oil, perfect for both culinary and skincare use.
Sourced from top-rated local growers, this premium olive oil is the same high-quality product found on retail shelves, proudly bearing the South African Olive Oil Association stamp of approval.
Simply put— Isivuno Natural's olive oil is local, premium, and 100% food-grade.
Olive oil has an 18-24 months shelf life if stored properly. Exposure to air, heat and light will cause olive oil to go rancid over time.
Olive oil is best stored in a cool, dark place and away from direct sunlight and heat.
Refrigeration will cause olive oil to become cloudy or form solid particles. Left at room temperature, the oil will return to normal.
Author: Zikhona Tefu
Zikhona wears many hats, but the one she proudly puts on every day is that of a skincare formulator. A self-taught artisan, she has been creating natural skincare products since 2011 and is the founder of Isivuno Naturals & O’live Handmade Soaps. When she’s not running her businesses, you’ll find her deep in research and development, experimenting with oils, butters, and other raw ingredients to craft new formulations.
Beyond skincare, Zikhona is a passionate collector of rare plants and finds joy in both her indoor and outdoor garden. She also loves spending time in the kitchen, creating delicious meals and baked treats. Whether she’s formulating, gardening, or cooking, creativity is at the heart of everything she does.
