NATURALS
Beneficial skin properties of olive tree leaves
Sara Gonçalves, Isabel Gaivão - University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
Our skin is a beautiful mystery, shrouded in feelings, opinions and questions. It has a multitude of functions not covered by others, from survival to social communication. The skin is both a barrier against the outside world and a bridge to our own being. How our skin is perceived by others can
affect our mental health. The skin is essential for our survival and daily functioning.1 In daily life, people are exposed to a variety
of chemicals, most of which occur naturally in the environment, but others originate from human activities and are present in food, water and various products of daily use. Since our skin is the largest surface area of the body that interacts with the external environment, it is exposed both involuntarily to abiotic and biotic factors, and voluntarily, through the use of personal care and cosmetic products. Everyday use and constant exposure of
humans to a wide range of personal care products and different types of chemicals coming from different sources can cause the so-called ‘cocktail effect’ due to the synergistic interaction of different substances, and also the ‘additive effect’ due to the presence of the same ingredient in many products.2
Therefore, the
use of natural and organic cosmetics becomes important.
Olives Olives (Olea europaea) are the fruits of the olive tree, a species of the Oleaceae family. The olive tree is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees, and the use of olives has been documented as early as the late Stone Age at the site of Kfar Samirin in Israel. In the Greco-Roman civilisation, olive oil and
wine were closely linked due to the similarities in their processing and economic importance. They were used not only in daily life but also in trade, religious rites and art. Since prehistoric times, the olive tree has been of great cultural importance in this region and still has symbolic and religious significance today. Olive trees are generally found in the
coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean, the adjacent coastal areas of south-eastern Europe, northern Iran at the southern end of the Caspian Sea, western Asia and northern Africa. The best olive oil should be acidic, from the first cold pressing, preferably from organic farming.3 Olive oil is rich in molecules with
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, such as polyunsaturated ω-3 fatty acids,
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monounsaturated ω-9 fatty acids and phenolic compounds.5
Olive oil is recommended in the
diet of pregnant women as it promotes the healthy development of the baby’s brain and nervous system before and after birth. It also allows for better mineralisation of the bones. Olive oil prevents the accumulation of fats
in the liver, lowers blood pressure, prevents arteriosclerosis and prevents thrombosis. Olive oil may benefit another group of dementias, the tauopathies. It could also prevent diseases related to oxidative damage, such as coronary heart disease, stroke and various types of cancer. Olive oil could also have an anti-ageing
effect. Olive oil is often used in soaps and massage oils.5
emulsion system.6 It is excellent for macerating
aromatic plants and flowers for therapeutic and culinary purposes. Virgin olive oil provides a safe and stable The antioxidant activity of
olives makes them a candidate for moderating the effects of the aging process on the skin by limiting biochemical consequences of oxidation due to their high content of squalene and β-sitosterol and its richness in oleic acid (a skin emollient).7 As such, virgin olive oil is ideal for the direct protection of the skin.8
Oleuropein is
used in cosmetics for its antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, skin- protecting and anti-ageing properties. Fatty acids increase hydration, softness and elasticity and act as a protective barrier.10
Everyday use and constant exposure of humans to a wide range of personal care products and different types of chemicals coming from different sources can cause serious problems. Therefore, the use of natural and organic cosmetics becomes important. The olive tree is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees and has been in used in cosmetics for centuries. This study aims to present a method for easy preparation of an olive tree leaves tincture that can be incorporated into a cosmetic product and reproduced in a domestic environment.
Herbal tinctures Herbal tinctures are alcoholic or aqueous- alcoholic solutions prepared from fresh or dried plant substances. Two basic processes are used in tincturing: maceration and percolation. In the maceration method, one can use the ‘folk method’, which does not require measurement. However, since the substances are not
measured, the result is inaccurate in terms of the strength of the tincture. The strength of the tincture refers to the amount of herbs that have been concentrated in a certain amount of solution. The other method is the ‘weight to volume’ (w/v). The weight of the herb, and the volume
September 2023 PERSONAL CARE ABSTRACT
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