Acne is one of the most disgusting problems that a human can face. If you think that you are only one who is facing a severe acne breakout, then think again!
According to a study, in 2015, as many as 633 million people across the world had acne, and millions of them had pretty severe issues. Thankfully, help is not far away. It is right in your kitchen pantry!
Olive oil, a staple in most kitchens across the globe, can help you fight against acne. Using olive oil for acne has shown to give excellent results. So, if you want those pimples to go, you might want to try out using olive oil for acne treatment.
However, is olive oil good for acne as much as they say it is? What are the olive oil benefits for acne? You might have plenty of questions like this running in your head right now. So, let’s take a look at some of the answers.
So, why do people recommend using olive oil for acne? Well, olive oil’s benefits have been known since ages. People have been using olive oil for skin ailments for centuries.
The basic principle is simple. Your skin naturally produces sebum (oil). Acne is caused when your skin produces excessive sebum. The sebum clogs the pores and also acts as a culture medium for the bacteria P.acnes. P.acnes and certain other forms of bacteria cause the skin to react, and as a result, you have pimples and blackheads.
Now, when you apply olive oil to your skin, it keeps your body from getting dry. If your body gets dehydrated, your skin shifts into overdrive and produces excess oil. So, by preventing that, olive oil prevents acne. This is called oil cleansing, and this is what makes using olive oil for acne the right choice.
Apart from that, there are other olive oil benefits for acne as well. For example, a recent study has shown that olive oil has antioxidant properties. This might help olive oil to eliminate the microbes that cause acne(1) in the first place.
However, using olive oil for acne is not entirely free from its shortcomings. When you are looking to use olive oil for acne, you should also look at the possible ways in which olive oil might contribute towards acne.
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Well, specific research findings have indicated that olive oil might cause particular symptoms that are associated with acne. A recent study has noted that olive oil(2) might help acne-causing bacteria and allow them to attach to the skin follicles.
Another research paper published in 2012, has found that olive oil might weaken the skin barrier and increase the chances of acne infection.
The good news is that none of these research papers and no other research anywhere has definitively proven that olive oil causes acne. So, when you are planning to use olive oil for acne, you are probably safe.
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If you want to reap the benefits of olive oil for acne, then you should use olive oil for acne treatment in the right way. There is nothing complicated about it. You need to follow the given steps:
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If you are susceptible to allergies, then you might want to perform a patch test. To do that, all you need to do is apply a little bit of olive oil on a different part of your body. Keep the oil on the area for a day. If you get rashes on the area, then you should avoid using olive oil for acne treatment.
It usually takes about 2-3 weeks after you start to use olive oil for acne, for it to have any effect. In some cases, it might take even more.
Olive oil is not known to cause any severe allergies. However, some people might be allergic to olive oil. You can get in touch with your physician/dermatologist to know about possible allergies.
Drinking olive oil or using it in your dishes might have some effect, but in most cases, it would not be significant. So, topical use i.e., using it directly on the affected areas, would be of more substantial help.
Using olive oil for acne has delivered compelling results in the past, and it continues to do so. Research has also helped to establish olive oil as a helpful way of treating acne.
However, there are certain shortcomings, as well. That’s why we recommend that you talk to your doctor to know about how it might help. Now that you know about the olive oil benefits for acne, we hope you would use it the right way to eliminate all the acne issues.