| 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. |
