Spring's Almost here, bloom into great skin & Get Free Shipping $99+

Trusted Physician Skin Care. Only the Best from Science and Nature

SHOP ALL SKIN CARE

Does Eating Olive Oil Prevent Wrinkles?

does olive oil prevent wrinkles

Does olive oil prevent wrinkles and skin aging? Results of a new scientific study suggests that it might. Olive oil may be unique among dietary oils for its anti-aging benefits to your skin. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating a high-oil diet, but when you do use oil in your food, olive oil may be the best choice for your skin.

Olive oil is the best choice of dietary oil to fight wrinkles and skin aging.

Results of a recent large French scientific study showed that the signs of skin photoaging were significantly lower in people who consumed olive oil. The study surveyed almost 3,000 French men and women aged 45-60 and correlated dietary information with photographic ratings of skin photoaging.

The study's investigators removed confounding factors that impact skin aging (such as smoking, sun exposure history, body mass index, menopausal or hormone replacement status, home geographic location, etc.) and olive oil consumption was still correlated with younger looking, less sun-damaged skin.

The study proved that eating olive oil helped prevent wrinkles

olive oil prevents wrinkles

Olive oil was uniquely beneficial for wrinkle prevention. Consumption of dietary fats from animal sources (i.e., dairy and meat) was not associated with this protective phenomenon, nor was consumption of the other most frequently used vegetable oils in the French study population (safflower and peanut oil).

Olive oil as a dietary oil choice is uniquely beneficial for skin. I find that olive oil is easy to incorporate into your diet. I make my own salad dressing by mixing olive oil with lemon and salt. Alternatively, I mix olive oil with a scant amount of balsamic vinegar, agave syrup and Herb de Provence or Italian Herbs. I also roast veggies with olive oil. We eat a lot of olive oil in my house - and this study fortefies my resolve to continue this choice. 

How does eating olive oil prevent wrinkles?

The study's authors hypothesize that olive oil may be uniquely beneficial to skin because it is rich in polyphenol antioxidants and squalane. Both of these act as antioxidants to help fight oxidative free radical damage. Sun damage of skin is caused by oxidative free radical reactions. The authors note,

Squalane is to a large extent sequestered in the skin (sebum is reported to contain 12%), where it is believed to exert a major protective effect against free radical damage and skin dryness. Polyphenols are also known to be powerful radical scavengers. Both squalane and polyphenols have been assumed to be primarily responsible for the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet.

does olive oil prevent wrinkles

So, the next time you’re about to melt some butter on your green beans or spread butter on a piece of bread, stop. Use olive oil instead. Make it your salad dressing oil too. The polyphenols and squalane may help bolster your skin’s defenses against stray UV rays. Simply substituting olive oil for other dietary oils may give you a slightly better edge over wrinkles, sun spots, and skin cancer - helping to keep your skin healthy and attractive.

Of course, you still need to protect your skin from the outside too by wearing a high-quality, mineral-based, broad spectrum sun screen on your exposed skin 365 days a year.  It's the single most important skin care step for preventing wrinkles, premature skin thinning (solar elastosis), uneven pigment, and skin cancer.

Best Skin Care Routine to Prevent Wrinkles

Use the best skin care routine with squalane, polyphenol antioxidants and mineral sunscreen to prevent wrinkles and support healthy skin from the outside in while you support it from the inside out by using olive oil in your diet. 

squalane rich skin care routine

My Complete Skin Care Kit combines squalane-rich Daily Moisturizing Face Cream with polyphenol-rich Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy. Top it with the best mineral SPF technology to harness the best that skin care science has to offer for healthy skin.  I take the guess work out of picking synergistic skin care products that build healthy skin. 

If your skin is already wrinkling, you can do something about it without resorting to surgical procedures. Learn which products work the best to reduce the appearance of your skin's fine lines and wrinkles. These products also help boost the collagen in - and health of - your skin. Click here to get my Anti-Aging Skin Care Tips. 

Over the years I have written many articles on diet and natural health to promote a healthy complexion and well-being. Click here to find:

Dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey's articles on Diet and Natural Health

If you would like to receive skin health and wellness info straight from a Board Certified Dermatologist with over 35+ years of experience, I invite you to sign up for my free eNewsletter here.

 

Reference:

Latreille J, Kesse-Guyot E, Malvy D, Andreeva V, Galan P, et al. (2012) Dietary Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Intake and Risk of Skin Photoaging. PLoS ONE 7(9): e44490. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044490