Uses for Olive Oil

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Are you using your olive oil to its fullest potential? Check out all the different Uses for Olive Oil so that you get the most out of this household staple.

Are you using your olive oil to its fullest potential? Check out all the different Uses for Olive Oil so that you get the most out of this household staple. #usesforoliveoil #oliveoil #oliveoiluses #usesfor #frugalliving 

Uses for Olive Oil

Finding multiple uses for a product is really fun and exciting! One look on Pinterest, and you can see the crazy amount of uses for coconut oil, plastic spoons, and even dryer lint! The alternative uses that people can come up with are insane!

Today, we’re going to explore a bunch of different uses for olive oil. This pantry staple can be used for so much more than just salads! Check it out!

Olive Oil Uses for Skin

Treat a sunburn. The oil can soothe a mild sunburn by keeping it moisturized. Chilling in the fridge makes an even bigger impact!

–Here are more sunburn remedies?

For dry skin. Mixing equal parts olive oil and beeswax will make an excellent balm. No beeswax? Just slather the oil on your lips.

–(You can also check out this recipe for Homemade Lip Balm.)

Cuticle Oil. I have horrible cuticles, especially during the winter. This is a great way to keep them moisturized and from cracking.

Get paint off of your skin. Rub the olive oil into the paint and wipe it away!

Sugar face scrub. Mix olive oil and sugar to make an awesome exfoliate for your face.

–Here’s a great Sugar Scrub Recipe.

Cleansing oil. Wash your face with equal parts of olive oil and castor oil. Rinse and wipe off with a warm rag.

Eye makeup remover. Massage into closed eyes and rinse to get remove eye makeup (even waterproof mascara!).

Alternative to shaving cream. Slather onto skin for a super close, yet moisturizing shave!

–Here’s a great recipe for Homemade Shaving Cream too if you want to go a step further!

Olive Oil Uses for Hair

Cradle Cap. Put a little on the baby’s head and gently exfoliate it with a warm rag. Rinse it out well with warm water.

Hot oil treatment for hair. Warm-up a container of olive oil. Massage it into hair and wrap with a towel for 30 minutes. Rinse well!

Kill lice. Warm your olive oil and comb it through the scalp. Wrap it in a towel for at least 30 mins. Repeat every ten days until the problem has completely cleared up.

Remove gum from hair. Massage olive oil into the area where the gum is present and leave on for five minutes. The gum should slide right out.

Olive Oil Uses in the Kitchen

Use instead of butter in recipes. Olive oil is a great substitute for butter! Just use a bit less than what’s called for in your recipe.

Clean measuring cups. Coat your measuring cups with olive oil to allow sticky stuff to slide out easier. (like peanut butter!)

Condition your cutting board. Rub a little olive oil into your cutting board with a cloth to condition a dried out, wooden board.

Other Uses for Olive Oil

Carrier for essential oils. Most essential oils can not be used topically without a carrier. Olive oil works perfectly as a carrier oil!

Prevent mosquitoes from breeding. If you have a rain barrel, add some olive oil to create a layer on the top that prevents mosquito larvae from contaminating the water.

–Here are more ways to prevent mosquitoes.

Use as Goo Gone. Saturate a sticker (or other sticky substance) and rub it in. Peel the sticker off to remove.

Ease an earache. Warm olive oil and drop in the ear. Massage for relief. For an ear infection, infuse the oil with garlic.

Shoe polish. Rub olive oil into shoes with a cloth to bring back the shine without the horrible smell or storebought shoe polish!

Help kitty pass hairballs. By adding about 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil to your cat’s food every day, it may help ease hairballs through their system.

Make Candles. Want to make some quick and easy candles? Head over to this Olive Oil Candles Tutorial.

There are so many uses for olive oil! If you have even more olive oil left after doing some of the things on this list you might want to consider making Olive Oil Oven Baked Potatoes to go along with your dinner- delicious!

Looking for more uses for common household ingredients? Check these out:

What do you do with olive oil besides cooking?
Do you have any more uses for olive oil to add to this list?

dombio

This post on Uses for Olive Oil was originally published on Little House Living in October 2013. It has been updated as of October 2019.

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20 Comments

  1. Great list! I have also made a little paste of olive oil and table salt to remove water marks from wood furniture. I love it when simple household items are so versatile!

  2. I use olive oil as a moisturizer. My son has terrible ezcema breakouts when he eats corn or wheat. I use olive oil on him after his bath with epsom salts and it clears right up. It also seems to help my acne rosacea. I put it on after my shower and it helps calm the red down.

  3. For severe diaper rash that you don’t want to touch because it will hurt baby too bad, a squirt bottle with olive oil allows you to saturate baby’s bottom and clears up the rash quickly.

  4. I use most of what is listed and here is another one, you can polish wood furniture with it. I also use even amounts of olive oil and distilled vinegar in a spray bottle and then I spray on wood floor then steam mop for a great clean shine.

  5. On Olive Oil Uses one of the best is for Oil Lamps and Home made Candle type light so much better than Kerosine that is typically used in homes. Just a thought.

  6. great post! i also use olive oil for give an extra shine and treatment for my plants. i gave a great massage into the leaves!

  7. Awesome list. I just read somewhere you can use olive oil on dogs for fleas. Has anyone else heard this? Does it work?
    Sharon:)

  8. These are unique uses indeed. 🙂 I especially find the 18th tip interesting, I think I’m going to give it a try. By the way, do you have similar posts with other oils?

  9. Wow! I am definitely going to try it as the hairball remedy. I will let you know how it works – that will save me tons of money of Catlax! I am following you from Lets Be Friends – you can follow me back at Annster’s Domain.
    Have a great day!

  10. Hi Merissa – Thanks so much for sharing with the Let’s Get Real Party. This will be my featured post at this week’s party.

  11. Thanks for sharing this at What’d You Do This Weekend? I use it for cuticles all the time.

    Wishes for tasty dishes, Linda