Olive oil healing has little proof
DEAR DOCTOR: Can olive oil be used topically to aid healing?
DEAR READER: The purported benefit of olive oil in healing may come from its fatty acid composition, predominantly oleic acid, but also palmitic acid and linoleic acid. These fatty acids have been thought to have both anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, has been shown to penetrate the upper layers of skin, where it permeates between the cells — seeming to suggest that it’s an effective moisturizer. Anecdotal evidence might seem to bear that out, but note that oleic acid has been found to actually increase water loss across the epidermis, countering the notion that it can help lock in the skin’s moisture.
In a 2013 study published in the journal Pediatric Dermatology, researchers studied volunteers who applied six drops of olive oil to their forearm twice daily for five weeks. They found that the skin treated with olive oil not only lost water, it also experienced a reduction in skin thickness and integrity,
and in some people caused a local reaction. The authors surmised that olive oil’s disruption of the skin may allow for penetration of allergens and increased inflammation of the skin’s layers.
One place where olive oil may hold potential is in its treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders showed a significant improvement of healing and shrinking of ulcers with use of olive oil among people with grade 1 or grade 2 diabetic ulcers. Complete ulcer healing occurred after 4 weeks in 73.3 percent of those who had olive oil placed over the ulcer versus 13.3 percent who didn’t. This healing may be related to olive oil’s potential to dry the lesion, which is linked to its propensity to remove water from the skin.
As for other skin conditions, some case reports have suggested that olive oil may reduce acne and symptoms of impetigo, but no controlled studies have been done. So the evidence for olive oil on its own as a topical agent is not convincing.
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