Celebrities' Best Kept Beauty Secret: Olive Oil

It may come as no surprise to some that olive oil isn't just recommended in the kitchen for cooking or as a food enhancer.  Believe it or not, many of the world's most glamorous use this fresh pressed juice in their homes as a beauty treatment or even as a quick home remedy.  Read below to find out what your favorite celebrities are doing with their olive oil.

American singer and actress Selena Gomez, best known for her role in Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, claims that she drinks pure olive oil right before she takes the stage.  Selena says that she first heard the idea from American Idol star Kelly Clarkson who uses this tactic to soothe and loosen up her vocals in order to have a better performance for her fans.

"Pretty Woman" star Julia Roberts's secret to soft hands and nails is apparently as easy as mixing a tablespoon of olive oil with some warm water.  Julia tries to soak her hands in this simple and low cost oil and water solution on a weekly basis.

American actress Gwyneth Paltrow says she uses olive oil as a hair treatment for natural conditioning and extra shine rather than spending a fortune on salon treatments and products.  Gwyneth recommends using a half cup of olive oil and slowly working it through the hair, concentrating on the drier areas first while avoiding the roots.



Italian actress and Oscar winning film star legend Sophia Loren, voted as world's most naturally beautiful person in 2006 (who successfully managed to beat desirable male contenders George Clooney and Johnny Depp) attributes her long withstanding beauty to "a love of life, spaghetti, and the odd bath in virgin olive oil."   Unfortately bathing in a tub full of virgin olive oil may be quite impractical to many of us.  As an alternative, adding a few drops of olive oil to your bath water can help soften skin.

Top Chefs on Olive Oil

For many, olive oil is a culinary staple and by far one of the most important ingredients to any great chef's kitchen.  Read below to find out what some of the world's most famous and well known chefs have said about this delicious and heart healthy nectar.

Well known Italian-American born chef and restauranteur Mario Batali believes that olive oil is as precious as gold. Mario Batali has recently partnered up with Joe Bastianich to open the Italian restaurant and mega market known as Eataly in Manhattan's Flatiron district.  Having its very own olive oil and vinegar tasting bar, Eataly is a great place to visit as it currently has a large selection of over 100 varietal and artisanal olive oils imported from Italy available for olive oil tasters to enjoy.

American restauranteur, author and Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives television host Guy Fieri claims that his top three kitchen ingredients are fresh cracked pepper, garlic and apparently he can't decide between soy sauce or olive oil as his third!

"Olive oil for me is precious but also an easy ingredient in the kitchen.”  Yiannis Tsivourakis

"Extra virgin olive oil is my favorite eating and cooking oil and the most important ingredient in my kitchen pantry. All fats have loads of calories, and if I'm going to consume them anyway, they had better have the depth of flavor that a great extra virgin olive oil brings to the table."  Cathy Whims

Paco Roncero claims that olive oil is, without a doubt, the most important ingredient in his kitchen.  "It has a host of utilities, where not only the flavors and aromas are the key, but the textures are the protagonists."

"Oils that are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats and low in artery-clogging saturated fats are the healthiest.  Olive oil has one of the highest concentrations of monounsaturated fats, which may help reduce LDL, or "bad," cholesterol."  Martha Stewart