What is Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil?

This is part of our ongoing series helping consumers better understand chemicals, chemistry, and product formulations. We translate the science, bust the myths, and give you an honest assessment, so you can make informed choices for your family!

Ingredient:

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil (aka olive oil)

What it is:

An edible oil created by the crushing of the ripe fruit (olives) of Olea europaea.

What it does:

Olea Europaea actually translates to “oil of Europe” and people have been using it for thousands of years (1). Way back when, olive oil was primarily used as a lamp fuel, but over time it became a key component for rituals like the anointing of royalty and warriors, making offerings to the Gods, as pharmaceutical ointments, and to make the skin and hair appear healthier (1). Today, it’s used in personal care products, as well as for culinary purposes (perhaps you have a bottle in your pantry?). It’s especially well known for being the healthy fat at the foundation of the Mediterranean diet (2).

Why we use it:

We love using ingredients made from plants that take relatively little processing to become a usable raw material. Even more so, we love ingredients with long histories of safe use. You’ll find Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil in many of our body care products where it serves as a nourishing moisturizer and helps comfort delicate skin (3-7).

References:

1. Vossen, P. (2007). Olive oil: history, production, and characteristics of the world's classic oils. HortScience, 42(5), 1093-1100.
2. La Lastra, C., Barranco, M. D., Motilva, V., & Herrerias, J. M. (2001). Mediterrranean Diet and Health Biological Importance of Olive Oil. Current pharmaceutical design, 7(10), 933-950.
3. Budiyanto, A., Ahmed, N. U., Wu, A., Bito, T., Nikaido, O., Osawa, T., ... & Ichihashi, M. (2000). Protective effect of topically applied olive oil against photocarcinogenesis following UVB exposure of mice. Carcinogenesis,21(11), 2085-2090.
4. Puerta, R. D. L., Martinez-Domínguez, E., & Ruíz-Gutiérrez, V. (2000). Effect of minor components of virgin olive oil on topical antiinflammatory assays.Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C, 55(9-10), 814-819.
5. Rutter, N., & Hull, D. (1981). Reduction of skin water loss in the newborn. I. Effect of applying topical agents. Archives of disease in childhood, 56(9), 669-672.
6. Viola, P., & Viola, M. (2009). Virgin olive oil as a fundamental nutritional component and skin protector. Clinics in dermatology, 27(2), 159-165.
7. de la Puerta, C., Carrascosa-Salmoral, M. P., García-Luna, P. P., Lardone, P. J., Herrera, J. L., Fernández-Montesinos, R., ... & Pozo, D. (2007). Melatonin is a phytochemical in olive oil. Food Chemistry, 104(2), 609-612.