What is it?
The oil pressed from the ripe fruit of the olive tree, Olea europaea. It is made mostly of glycerides of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, with smaller amounts of palmitic and linoleic acids. Best known as a cooking oil, it is also used in cosmetics to soften and condition skin and hair, in body lotions and butters, skin salves, hair oils and conditioners, and makeup. The EU cosmetic ingredient database also lists it as a fragrance ingredient.
Key information
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded that olive oil is safe as used in cosmetics, where it was reported at concentrations up to 100 percent.
- In figures compiled by CIR, oleic acid makes up 53 to 86 percent of olive oil's fatty acids and linoleic acid 3.5 to 20 percent.
- Allergy to olive oil is rare; most reported cases involved people with eczema or damaged skin, or exposure at work.
- In a 2013 study, plain olive oil applied twice daily for four weeks weakened the skin barrier, and the researchers advised against using it for dry skin or infant massage.
More information
Olive oil is pressed from the fruit of the olive rather than from a seed. In figures compiled by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), oleic acid makes up 53 to 86 percent of its fatty acids, palmitic acid 7.5 to 20 percent and linoleic acid 3.5 to 20 percent. It also contains more than 200 other compounds, including sterols, carotenoids and phenolic compounds.
The CIR Expert Panel reviewed olive oil together with 243 other plant-derived oils and concluded, at its March 2011 meeting, that it is safe as used in cosmetics. Olive oil was reported in 915 products, at concentrations up to 100 percent. Products containing 0.16 to 69.6 percent olive oil caused no irritation or allergy in human repeat-insult patch tests, and undiluted high-purity olive oil did not irritate rabbit eyes. CIR notes that allergy to olive oil is considered rare: the case reports mostly involved people with venous eczema or other damaged skin, or exposure at work, and when the question was investigated, olive oil behaved as a weak irritant rather than a sensitizer.
The caveat concerns plain olive oil used as a skin oil. In a 2013 randomized study, 19 adults with and without a history of eczema applied six drops of olive oil to a forearm twice a day. After four weeks it had significantly reduced the integrity of the skin’s outer layer and caused mild redness, while sunflower seed oil did not. The authors advised against using olive oil for dry skin and infant massage. A 2017 review notes that oleic acid, olive oil’s main fatty acid, can disrupt the skin barrier when applied continuously. The study tested the plain oil, not finished products.
On labels, look for Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil or Olea Europaea Oil.
Sources: CIR: Final Report on Plant-Derived Fatty Acid Oils as Used in Cosmetics (Expert Panel meeting, March 2011); Pediatric Dermatology (2013), via PubMed: Effect of olive and sunflower seed oil on the adult skin barrier: implications for neonatal skin care; International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2017): Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils
