Olive Oil
Olive Oil Benefits
- Contains antioxidant polyphenols
- Traditional emollient use
- Rich in vitamin E
- Better suited to hair or body than facial barrier care
Olive Oil Description
Olive oil is a plant oil rich in oleic acid and antioxidant compounds like polyphenols and vitamin E. Despite its long folk history as a skin moisturizer, controlled research has actually found that applying olive oil to skin can weaken the skin barrier rather than strengthen it.
A clinical study comparing olive oil to sunflower seed oil found that olive oil significantly damaged the skin's barrier function and increased redness, while sunflower oil did not, likely because oleic acid can disrupt the orderly structure of barrier lipids in the outer skin layer.
Because of this, most dermatology researchers now caution against using olive oil as a leave on facial moisturizer, even though it remains a popular kitchen ingredient turned skincare myth.
Olive Oil References
Effect of Olive and Sunflower Seed Oil on the Adult Skin Barrier: Implications for Neonatal Skin Care, Pediatric Dermatology, 2013
Effects of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Petrolatum on Skin Barrier Function and Microtopography, Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025
Written by Elle Layne
Ingredient Ratings
Our team reviews ingredient research and uses up-to-date evidence to rate ingredients based on the categories below.
Best
Ingredients with the most rigorous and convincing evidence. These are the standouts backed by consistent findings across independent, peer reviewed clinical research.. When we call an ingredient Best, it has earned that distinction through genuine, reproducible proof that it improves skin.
Good
Reliable, well tolerated ingredients that do their job without complaint. They may not carry the headline benefits of a Best rated active, but they hydrate, stabilize a formula, or support the ingredients around them in ways that make a real difference in how a product performs and feels.
Average
Ingredients that are perfectly safe and serve a clear function, typically as an emollient, thickener, or filler, but do not offer any meaningful skin benefit beyond that basic job. Not a red flag, just not a reason to choose one product over another.
Bad/Worst
Ingredients with documented potential to irritate skin, disrupt the barrier, or trigger sensitization in some users, often synthetic fragrance, drying forms of alcohol, or certain essential oils. Not automatically a dealbreaker for every skin type, but worth knowing about before you commit to a product.