OLIVE OIL SOAP ORIGIN

OLIVE OIL - ELIXIR OF HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Olive tree has been present in our life from time immemorial - a precious and
irreplaceable gift of nature. Olive tree is believed to have originated in some
lands in South-West Asia, from where it was transplanted it spread in Egypt, in
Greece and its islands, and finally in Italy. Since we know that colonies of
Magna Grecia were founded between the end of VIII Century B.C. and the
beginning of VII Century B.C., probably the olive tree cultivation in Italy dates
from this period; furthermore here Phoenician navigators dealt in olive oil
called "liquid gold".

During VI Century B.C. Etruscans and Umbrians already practiced olive
growing (cultivated olive tree ): Etruscans were great consumers of olives, we
can deduct it from the stones found, yet they preferred to use olive oil to make
fine cosmetics as revealed in archeological studies.

Several legends tell the origin and spread of the olive tree, one of the most
famous tells the dispute for the Acropolis possession between Poseidon and
Athena. Zeus put an end to it, deciding the winner would be the one who
would invent something useful for humanity. The goddess gained the victory:
she gave birth to (created) the first olive tree. Another legend tells that the
shepherd Aristeo, going along Thessaly, Arcady, Sicily, Sardinia taught
people of Mediterranean lands the secrets of growing this plant.

Ever since the antiquity olive oil was not used only for alimentation, but also
like remedy medicament, for example to mitigate sores or to disinfect, and
even more frequently in cosmetics: to create perfumes, creams, ointments,
balsams, to soften the skin, to massage, refresh and rub body.

As for this specific field the use dates back to millenniums ago: Egyptians, who
considered it a gift of goods used it as anti aging anti wrinkles, mixing it with
milk, cypress berries, wax and incense grains and put it on hair to make it more
beautiful, softer and brighter. In Greece they used olive oil for body care,
hygiene and massages. Homer in Iliad and Odyssey besides referring to olive
trees growing and to their fruits, describes these other functions; for example
when Hellen narrates Hodysseus' washing and oiling or when he says to Feaci
how Circe washed and copiously greased him to relieve him from fatigue.

Athletes strewed their body with oil to warm muscles or avoid the adversary's
hold: we need only to remember the Apoxyomenos - Youth scraping himself
clean - the Lysippo's famous statue representing the athlete removing his
sweat after competition. Also in Rome olive oil was a basic product both in
alimentary and in cosmetic fields. Romans constrained subjugated
populations to pay yearly tributes in olive oil, improved its conservation
systems and built new instruments for squeezing, such is that one permitting
not to break olives stones. Virgile in Georgiche (II, line 86) writes about
different olives typologies: " orchades et radii et amara pausia baca.." " that
ones oval, long, pausia with berry bitterish .."); Horace in a satire praises the
excellent olive oil from Venafrum and Cato, Columella and Gaio Plinio
Second give testimony on different quality of this tree. During the imperial
epoch Umbrian olive oil sent to Rome from "the port of the oil" of Otricoli, a
town in South Umbria, was largely praised.

Olive oil is present in Roman diet as dressing of different plates, as ingredient
of delicious recipes and also to preserve olives usually eaten at the beginning
of meals. It holds an important function also in cosmetics: it is the base of
perfumes, ointments, and, like Ovid writes, of feminine depilatory creams. It is
irreplaceable with rose, nard, jasmine fragrance for massages, to keep teeth
white and to clean body: during long lasting sessions to baths skin was strewed
of oil and sand with an instrument called strigil. Soap, in fact, was not yet
known and they say it was imported in Rome by Julius Cesar after having
conquered Gallia, its initial formula with saw and ashes was after replaced by
that one with olive oil. It was certainly favoured/encouraged by the presence
of the tree and natural soda on all the Mediterranean area. However in
Metamorphosis by Apuleio detersion/cleansing is still made with water and oil:
"…vapore recreati calidaque perfusi et oleo peruncti…" (IV, 7).

After that it would be enough the "ancients' suggestion" to convince us to use
olive oil not only in diet but also in cosmetics. But it would not be sufficient
this subject was recently studied in depth further following the past knowledge.
Now we know the importance given to natural products in cosmetics, on which
popular beauty centres based always more considerable their programs:
massages and whole treatments for body, hear and nails, all realized with olive
oil.

Olive oil acidity is compatible with the skin, consequently this millenary
product is perfect to make the skin soft and velvety. Its softening and protective
qualities make it a good ally of epidermis against free radicals, which cause
skin aging. After bathing, it is an excellent skin toner and revitalizes dried skin
by calcareous hard water making it smooth and radiant. It should never lack in
the summer during the long exposures at sun, it is perfect for an impeccable
tan, excellent as after sun lotion; recent studies even demonstrated that it lets
ultraviolet rays to penetrate, but thanks to its antioxidant properties it protects
from their damages.

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The health benefits of olive
oil have been known by
mankind since the time of
the father of medicine,
Hippocrates.

Olive oil has long been used
as a skin moisturizer and is
reputed to remove wrinkles
and stretch marks.

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