How Olive Oil is about so much more than cooking

Olive Oil is a blessing for the health-conscious. Studies reveal how its regular use in cooking provides incomparable health benefits. Since Indian cuisine is still heavily-reliant on extensive use of oil, olive oil is the best way to have your cake and eat it too, culinarily! But there are many lesser-known uses that this deliciously-healthy oil can be put to. 

From use in health food preparations to beauty treatments and now, to make your work around the house easier – there are as many uses of olive oil as you can think up. A versatile product, the olive oil can be employed in myriad chores. From furniture polish to a substitute for shaving cream and from floor polish to leather conditioner, the olive oil is the solution to all your household woes.

Furniture Polish: Take 2 small measures of olive oil and 1 measure of lemon juice or white vinegar. Pour this into a spray bottle, shake well before use and spray on furniture that needs polishing. Let the mixture stay on for a minute or so. Wipe off with a clean paper towel or soft cotton cloth. This homemade variety is as good as any expensive commercial furniture polish and pocket-friendly, too! 

Shaving Cream Substitute: Most people try to make do with just soap and hot water when they run out of shaving cream. But take heart, because olive oil is a glamorous substitute for shaving cream. Here’s how. Use a few drops on the skin while shaving. It will have two effects – made it easier for the blade to glide over skin and moisturize it, as well. 

Leather Conditioner: Want to give your often-used pair of shoes a ‘new’ feel? Still, treasure that old leather bag that your sister gifted you? Look no further than that bottle of olive oil. Apply a few drops onto the leather that needs conditioning, with a soft cloth, leave it on for a while and wipe off any extra oil. The leather will take on new life and you will be flooded with compliments!

DIY Skin and Hair Care: Of course, where skin and hair care solutions are concerned, there are a plethora of uses you can put olive oil to. From a natural way to condition hair to moisturize cuticles and remove dry skin around toes and fingernails, olive oil can also be put to good use as an exfoliant and acne-remover. A great bath moisturizer, add a few drops to your bath water and see the marked difference in your skin, as you towel-dry.