What is it? |
A liquid oil pressed from olives, commonly used in cooking but it’s also awesome for DIY projects! |
Appearance |
A greenish-yellow liquid oil. |
Texture |
Smooth |
Scent |
It varies by grade and variety, but it ranges from a fairly characteristic “green” scent to little to no scent. |
Absorbency Speed |
Average |
Solubility |
Oil |
Why do we use it in formulations? |
It’s an inexpensive, easy to obtain, carrier oil. |
Do you need it? |
I use it almost exclusively in soap, though it has made it into a few other recipes. |
Refined or unrefined? |
Buy the cheapest stuff you can get for DIY recipes—this is usually pomace grade. Save the beautiful extra virgin variety for cooking and eating! |
Strengths |
Easy to purchase, versatile. |
Weaknesses |
The colour and scent can carry through to final products, which may or may not be desirable. |
Alternatives & Substitutions |
Rice bran oil and soya bean oil are good swaps, as are other average-to-absorb carrier oils, though it can be hard to find options as inexpensive as olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada)! |
How to Work with It |
I love it in soap, where it tends to make up about 40% of any bar soap recipe. |
Storage & Shelf Life |
Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) should last at least two years. |
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks |
Olive oil is primarily composed of Oleic Acid. |
Recommended starter amount |
100mL (3.3fl oz)—unless you’re planning on using it in soap, in which case I’d start with at least 1L (34fl oz). |
Where to Buy it |
Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon. Costco also sells a two pack of olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) jugs that’s a great deal. |