Olive oil: taken internally
Raw olive oil is considered extremely beneficial for those suffering from gallbladder and gastrointestinal tract disorders, and especially for ulcers. Olive oil should always be on the list of dietary products for those who have a peptic ulcer. It should be taken on an empty stomach, one tablespoon per day. The systematic intake of olive oil promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder, and is also an excellent prophylactic against cholelithiasis.
The most useful for health and also the most delicious is the so-called first cold-pressed oil, or so-called Virgin (EVOO). In second place in terms of usefulness is the second cold pressed oil – Virgin olive oil… If the olive oil bottle says olive, refined olive or finally pomace, we are not talking about any particular usefulness of such oil.
Olive oil: we use it externally
The Greeks rub olive oil into the skin for muscle pain, arthritis and rheumatism. In Greece, it is believed that for the proper development of bones and muscles, immediately after the birth of a child, he needs to rub with olive oil warmed up with Fascomil leaves (this is the name of the herb growing in Crete, a close relative of sage).
Olive oil is considered to be an excellent remedy for the prevention and elimination of skin diseases, which are very common in newborns. Therefore, starting from the first days of a child’s life, parents must coat the baby with olive oil from head to toe.
However, rubbing with olive oil is useful not only for children, but also for adults. A drop of warmed olive puree has a beneficial effect on acute pain in the ear. And for diseases of the glands, crushed green olives, applied to the sore spot, help.
Olive oil in natural cosmetics
Olive oil is an excellent base for ointments and creams for dry and aging skin. Therefore, whole cosmetic lines are created on the basis of olive extracts and extracts. However, you can prepare a hair mask or olive soap yourself.
In the old days, Greek women, before putting their luxurious resin hair into their hair, smeared it with olive oil. Thanks to the oil, the hair burned out less in the sun, did not split, and the hairstyle was preserved for the whole day. A modern woman in a metropolis is unlikely to use this recipe, but it is worth taking note of it – as, for example, a weekend recipe or a “country spa” for hair.
Massaging hair roots with olive oil has a very beneficial effect on hair growth and preservation. It is enough to grease the tips of your fingers with olive oil and lightly massage the scalp under the hair.
Depending on the purpose, the oil can be used in combination with other herbal ingredients. So, to give the hair a beautiful dark tint, a mixture of olive oil with crushed leaves or the root of a walnut tree is used. At the same time, the hair is obtained not only in a beautiful shade, but it becomes stronger and easier to comb.
Greek homemade olive oil soap
3 parts olive oil
1 part potash *
2 parts water
1. In a large saucepan, stir the potash with water. Place the saucepan over medium heat.
2. Heat to a boil, but do not boil. Reduce heat to low. Add olive oil in small portions, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. When the mixture is smooth, viscous and creamy, and the soap begins to separate, rising to the surface, remove the pan from the heat.
4. Separate the soap from the water by passing it through a colander or large perforated spoon.
5. Pour the soap into a cooling mold (you can use any container).
6. Once the soap has thickened, divide into separate pieces. Allow to cool to room temperature. Wrap in paper or film.
* Potash – potassium carbonate, one of the most ancient salts known to people. It is easy to obtain from lye by leaching ash from cereals or algae with water: potassium is just the most contained in the soluble part of plant residues (white “ash” from a fire is mainly potash). Potash is registered as a food additive E501.