Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most universal of all of the vegetable oils because not is it only great for culinary use, but it is also a wonderful base oil for soap and other body care products. Being gold-green in color and with a mild fruity aroma, extra virgin olive oil is high in oleic acid. It is known to be a skin rejuvenator, a great humectant in that it attracts external moisture to the skin and is also known to soothe tender, irritated skin. The term "virgin" refers to the grade of olive oil, which means that the oil is produced by mechanical means only without the use of any solvents or chemicals. The term "extra virgin" together is a rating assigned to olive oil by the International Olive Council, which means that it is a high quality oil with low acidity (no more than 0.8%) and is judged to have a superior flavor compared to other types of olive oil.

Botanical Name

Olea europaea

Country of Origin

Argentina, Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey or Spain

Extraction Method

Expeller Pressed

Refinement Process

Food Grade

Yes

Suggested Uses

Extra virgin olive oil has a wide variety of uses, including culinary applications as well as in the body care industry to make soap, creams, lotions, massage oils, balms, body butters and hair care products. When used as the main base oil in soap, the finished soap is commonly known as "castile soap." Extra virgin olive oil is known to give soap a whiter bar compared to commonly used pomace olive oil. Olive oil soap in general will produce a bar of soap with a creamy and dense lather. It takes olive oil soap longer to cure and harden, sometimes up to 8 weeks, so it requires a certain amount of patience when using olive oil as your base fat in soaps.

Shelf Life & Storage

Product shelf life is dependent on storage conditions and is highly variable. Products should be stored under ambient, dry conditions and in a humidity controlled environment. Industry standard for product, when stored under optimum conditions, is 24 months from the date of manufacture.

Note

Due to the pure nature and minimal processing of this oil, there may be sediment at the bottom of the container or a slight cloudiness to the oil if stored at lower temperatures. This does not diminish the quality of the oil. Warming the oil gently will return the oil to a clear state. 

Saponification Value

184 to 196 mg KOH per gram of fat
Conversion Value for NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide) = 0.135 oz
Conversion Value for KOH (Potassium Hydroxide) = 0.190 oz

Disclaimer

Please note that this information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is for educational purposes only. 

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.