Olive oil is a household agent that you most likely have in your pantry at this very moment. Even though olive oil is known for its use in the kitchen, it can be used for more than just cooking. As a mom-to-be, you and your baby can experience numerous olive oil benefits!
Mustela’s baby experts will show you what benefits you can expect when you add olive oil into your pregnancy diet and when you use it topically.
But you’re not the only one who will benefit from olive oil. We’ll show you a few ways you can use olive oil for your baby, too!
Olive Oil Benefits For Moms-To-Be
As a mom-to-be, you probably often wonder if what you’re eating and drinking and what you’re putting on your skin is safe for your unborn baby.
We’re here to tell you that olive oil is completely safe to consume and apply while you’re pregnant, so you can confidently add it to your diet and your skin care routine!
1) Helps Your Baby’s Development
Olive oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which, as you probably know, are essential because of their amazing benefits for your baby’s heart.
But as your little one grows inside your womb, your consuming olive oil can also improve their brain function and development.
2) Reduces Stretch Marks
A pregnant woman is no stranger to stretch marks!
Most women carrying their sweet bundle of joy experience the common phenomenon. This is because your body grows and stretches to accommodate your growing baby, so your lines are completely worth it!
Applying olive oil to your abdomen and hips early on in your pregnancy is one of the best ways to ward off any stretch marks coming your way!
3) Strengthens Your Immune System
It’s no secret that pregnancy leaves you tired 99.9 percent of the time! Your body is working overtime to create another human inside of you.
This means your immune system may be a little weaker, making you more prone to illness or just plain not feeling like yourself. That’s why it’s especially important to eat a healthy diet and maintain some kind of exercise routine during your pregnancy.
Getting the right amount of vitamins daily is an important part of a healthy diet. Vitamin A, for example, plays a crucial part in keeping up your immune system and promotes good eye health.
Fortunately, olive oil is rich in vitamin A! Consume olive oil in moderation, adding it to your diet during your pregnancy to reap its many benefits!
4) Helps Heal Your Skin After Surgery
Olive oil is packed with Vitamins K and E and can help with your post-surgery scarring if you delivered your baby via cesarean section.
Vitamin K is essential in aiding the body's process of blood clotting, which helps your body heal wounds, bruises, and areas affected by surgery. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and, if applied topically, may help nourish and protect your skin from damage.
5) Shines Up Your Home
This isn’t necessarily a physical benefit that you’ll reap, but definitely a benefit all the same.
When the nesting phase kicks in and you start cleaning and organizing everything in sight, don’t forget to grab the olive oil!
We know you want to keep your house spick-and-span for your baby, and we also know you don’t want your baby around harmful chemicals. Olive oil is a natural cleaning agent free of any potentially dangerous ingredients.
Use olive oil on things like furniture and appliances to keep them shining like new! It’s perfect to use on stainless steel appliances or even your kitchen skillet!
6) Takes Off Eye Makeup With Ease
Need a gentle yet effective way to remove eyeliner and mascara after a long day? Try olive oil!
Dip a cotton pad or cotton ball in olive oil and wipe it beneath your eyes and on your eyelids to remove stubborn makeup, moisturize your skin, and prevent puffiness.
Then, rinse with warm water followed by a gentle scrub with a soft washcloth (if necessary), and finish with your favorite face wash and hydrating cream.
7) Soothes Chapped Lips
For a quick and easy solution to dry, chapped lips, apply a dab of olive oil to the affected area. It’s an all-natural alternative to solid balms that may contain extra ingredients, and it’s even safe to use on your little one’s chapped lips!
Olive oil has a bitter taste, so try mixing some coarse sugar into a teaspoon of olive oil to improve the flavor. You can also add a splash of lemon juice for even more aroma and flavor.
Believe it or not, you can also try our Nursing Comfort Balm on your chapped lips! Made with olive oil and other natural ingredients, it helps to restore and replenish skin and has a neutral smell and taste.
8) Prevents Razor Burn
If you’re out of shaving cream for your legs, try olive oil instead of soap. This natural lubricant offers a close shave without drying your skin.
You can even reapply olive oil after you shave to moisturize your skin and prevent razor bumps and burn. Olive oil is a true all-in-one shaving solution!
9) Repairs Cracked Heels
You work hard to keep your skin smooth, soft, and healthy. Don’t forget to give your heels some attention, too!
The skin on your feet takes a beating every day, leaving your heels tired, rough, and cracked. Prevent cracks and calluses by exfoliating your heels with a pumice stone and massaging olive oil into the dry areas.
To lock in even more moisture to repair cracked heels, wear cotton socks while you sleep.
10) Unsticks Zippers
Stuck zippers are a hassle for everyone, but especially for moms trying to remove their little one’s pajamas or retrieve a clean diaper from the diaper bag.
Don’t let a zipper jam ruin your day. Use a little olive oil to unstick that zipper fast!
Apply a drop of olive oil to a cotton swab and rub it on the teeth of the zipper being sure to avoid the fabric (olive oil does stain). Wait a few seconds and try the zipper again. It should go up and down easily.
11) Quiets A Squeaky Door Hinge
There are few things as frustrating as finally getting your little one to sleep and making it out of the room only for the door to squeak as you close it.
Don’t let this happen to you! Grease that squeaky hinge so the door closes softly every time.
Olive oil is an ideal lubricant for these situations because it reduces the friction between the metal in the hinges, allowing everything to move freely and without noise.
Plus, it’s all-natural and non-toxic, so your toddler won’t get industrial grease on their hands should they discover the shiny hinges.
12) Removes Stickers
Moms around the world can agree that little ones of all ages love stickers. They’ll put them on everything in reach — including themselves!
If you find your toddler has decorated the walls, furniture, and other hard surfaces with stickers that won’t seem to come off, try olive oil as a solution.
Using your finger or a cotton swab, apply a bit of olive oil on the spot in question, let it sit for a few minutes, and then try to remove the sticker. It should peel off easily without leaving any residue behind.
If some of the adhesive is still stuck after the sticker comes off, apply another dab of olive oil and try again.
13) Helps You Remove Your Rings
Swollen fingers and feet are a common occurrence when you’re pregnant, and even after giving birth. This can make it hard to remove your rings when you want to.
Don’t panic. Soak your hand in cold water for a minute or two and then rub some olive oil onto your finger and the ring itself. If possible, try to get a bit of oil onto the inside of the band as well.
Twist the ring around your finger a few times to loosen it up and then try to slide it off. Add more olive oil as needed.
14) Adds Shine To Your Hair
A shiny head of hair is just a few drops of olive oil away! Rub a bit of the oil onto the ends of your dry hair for a gloss and shine that rivals any shine serum on the market today.
Olive oil benefits for hair even include taming those pesky flyaways that appear at the most inopportune times.
Olive Oil Benefits For Babies
15) Keeps Your Baby’s Skin Soft
Once you’re no longer a mom-to-be but a mom, olive oil can be a catalyst in your parenting journey to keep your baby happy and comfortable.
Known for its many uses for your skin, olive oil can also be used to keep your baby’s skin healthy, hydrated, and soft!
16) Helps Your Baby Relax
Bond with your baby in a special way by giving them a massage. Massages help your little one calm down and promote peaceful sleep.
One way to give your baby a massage is by mixing some olive oil with water. Rub their little arms, fingers, legs, and toes for about 15 minutes and then clean your baby’s skin with water.
Regularly giving your baby massages helps to maintain their skin tone by keeping their skin healthy, shiny, and smooth. And, obviously, it moisturizes their skin!
If your baby suffers from sensitive skin, you know what a pain it can be trying out different products and waiting to see if their skin is going to react. Our Organic Hydrating Cream with Olive Oil and Aloe is another safe option for moisturizing and massaging your baby’s skin!
This natural, fragrance-free formula is specifically designed for babies and children with very sensitive, rashy, or reactive skin so you can care for your little one without worrying about harsh chemicals.
17) Soothes Your Baby’s Diaper Rash
A diaper rash irritates your baby’s skin and can make them uncomfortable. Your little one might be so bothered by their rash that it leaves them in tears.
Combine one tablespoon of water and two tablespoons of olive oil and gently rub it over your baby’s diaper rash. (Expert tip: Don’t forget to try our Diaper Cream With Olive Oil And Aloe to prevent, relieve, and recover your baby’s skin at each diaper change!)
If the rash continues even after treatment, reach out to your little one’s doctor.
18) Loosens Stubborn Ear Wax
If your baby has some troublesome earwax that’s clogging their ears, grab your olive oil! The olive oil can help loosen earwax and also provide soothing relief should your baby suffer from ear pain.
Simply put a few drops of lukewarm olive oil into your little one’s ear for pain relief or to clean the ear out.
Olive Oil Benefits: Summing Up
As you’ve just read, you and your baby can reap many benefits from using olive oil!
When added to your pregnancy diet, it helps your baby’s growth and development in the womb. And should you deal with pregnancy stretch marks or scarring from a C-section, it’s an effective topical treatment.
Adding olive oil to your diet and skin care routine, in addition to using Mustela’s maternity products, sets you up for success during and after your pregnancy. And not only can you use olive oil, but your baby can use it and reap the benefits as well!
So, shuffle some things around in your pantry and find your olive oil. Or, better yet, check out Mustela’s organic olive oil products for even more benefits. Your skin (and your baby!) will thank you!