Can Olive Oil Help Clear Acne?

A Compelling Argument

When I first heard someone say that washing with olive oil could help clear acne, I laughed. However, when they started explaining the scientific reasons behind it, I began second-guessing myself. The argument is that like matter attracts like matter and by rubbing olive oil all over your face, you’re actually dissolving the “bad” oils in your skin. After hearing this for about the third or fourth time, I decided to conduct my own “study” on the matter.

The Brave Acne Warriors

Okay, first of all, let me admit, I am a coward. I personally didn’t participate in the experiment. I guess I really didn’t have that much faith in this olive oil thing. I did, however, get four of my close friends – all with past acne problems – to give it a go. For a week, they each washed their faces with olive oil and thoroughly rinsed it off in the morning and at night. We anxiously waited to see what would happen.

An Army Wounded

For all of you who like happy endings, you’re not going to like this one. At the end of the week all four of our heroes had blemishes they hadn’t had before trying the olive oil treatment. And no, we didn’t use the wrong kind of olive oil. We used the purest extra-virgin olive oil money can buy.

The fact of the matter is this – oil clogs pores. If you go rubbing oil all over your face, you are going to get zits. Maybe not the first day, maybe not even the second day, but it is going to happen eventually. The next thing you’ll hear is that “snake oil” is good for acne too. The only “oil” that I have ever known to be safe for the skin of acne-prone people is tea tree oil, and that’s because it’s technically an antiseptic.

Trust Your Gut

My instincts were telling me that washing with olive oil is a bad idea for acne-prone people. If I would have stuck to my guns, my four friends probably wouldn’t be so irritated with me right now and I could have saved everyone some aggravation. Well – being able to let all of you know that olive oil isn’t a good acne remedy was worth the frustration. But, then again, that’s easy for me to say because I’m not the one who broke out in zits.