31 Surprising Uses for Olive Oil

Olive oil is a well-known oil used worldwide for cooking.  It’s been known the reduce cholesterol levels as well as reduce the risk for heart disease.  However, there are MANY other uses for olive oil besides actually consuming it.  Check these out!

Uses for Olive Oil:  Health and Beauty

• Mash up avocado and blend it with olive oil to make a homemade facial mask.
• Try making homemade lip gloss with olive oil and beeswax.  There are several ideas and recipes HERE.
• Gently apply to eye lashes for a clear coat mascara.
• Mix olive oil, water, and dish soap to clean your make-up brushes.
• Help reduce acne by blending olive oil with salt to make a scrub.
• Combine olive oil with sugar and lavender oil to make a sugar scrub.  Here are more homemade sugar scrubs  (hint: The make great gifts!)
• Regularly rubbing olive oil into your skin can help keep your skin moist and firm to prevent premature aging.  It also helps stop it from sagging.
• Try mixing olive oil with used coffee grounds and apply it topically to cellulite (careful because that could get messy). 
• Rub olive oil into mild sunburn to help your skin retain moisture and fight the burn.
• Run out of shaving cream?  Use olive oil instead. Apply generously, rub into skin and leave it for a couple minutes. After shaving and rinsing your skin, Thoroughly rub more olive oil into your skin to prevent razor burn.
• Dip your razor into olive oil to prevent rusting.
• Olive oil and a cotton ball can be used to remove make-up.
• Olive oil can help remove nail polish or paint from your skin
• Condition hair and prevent dry scalp by rubbing olive oil into your hair.  Leave it in for awhile and then wash it with your regular shampoo.
• Add olive oil and lavender essential oils to your bath water to help sooth and moisturize your skin.
• Does your kid have lice?  Generously apply olive oil to your child’s hair.  Cover it with a shower cap and leave it in for 40 minutes.  The Olive oil should smother and kill the lice.  Then rinse it with your regular shampoo, more than once if needed until all of the oil is out.
• Prevent and treat diaper rash by applying olive oil to baby’s bottom.
• Heat up a little olive oil and rub it into your ear to help sooth and ear infection.
• You can use olive oil to make Homemade Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline).

Uses for Olive Oil: Household

• Polish brass and stainless steel with olive oil and a soft cloth.
• Combine olive oil with vinegar or lemon juice to polish furniture.  Check out these other earth friendly homemade cleaning products.
• Rub olive oil into wooden cutting boards to keep them from splitting and cracking.
• Shine your shoes with olive oil and buff them.
• Remove stickers or chewing gum from surfaces with olive oil.
• Rub the hinges of your doors with olive oil to get rid of the squeaky sound.
• Rub olive oil along a stuck zipper to loosen it up.
• Make a cool little oil lamp with an orange and olive oil! Seriously, check it out HERE. 
• Prevent mosquitos from laying eggs in your rain barrel by pouring a little olive oil over the top.
• Prevent dirt from getting into your finger nails by rubbing them down with olive oil before gardening.
• Spray your gardening tools with olive oil to prevent dirt build-up and rusting.
• Mix a tiny bit of olive oil into cat food to help with hair balls.

It’s really amazing to think of all of the ways you can use regular household products!  Check out hundreds of other ideas HERE. 

*Note:  All of these ideas may not work for everyone all of the time.  Please let us know what does and doesn’t work for you HERE.