Becky Striepe, a researcher/writer for a favorite site, www.care2.com, shared some great information on some great things you can do with olive oil (“10 Unusual Uses for Olive Oil).

We all know olive oil is a “healthy fat” and in moderation can help reduce our risk for all sorts of ailments, like heart disease and high blood pressure. But did you know that besides being healthy for our insides, it also has other uses? Olive oil wears SO many hats! For instance:

1. Sugar Scrub. This superb moisturizing, exfoliating sugar scrub is made by mixing sugar with enough olive oil to form a paste. Add your favorite essential oils for lovely scent, and you’re ready to rock. Massage the sugar scrub into your skin in the shower or bath.

2. Hand and Feet Moisturizer. They usually need a little extra TLC in the winter and this is the perfect way to administer it. Just massage a small amount of olive oil into your skin after you take a bath or shower. Put on socks and gloves afterward to help that moisture absorb into your skin. You’ll notice results almost immediately! (I keep a small bottle of olive oil in my shower for this purpose.)

3. Hair Conditioner. Oiling (aka conditioning) hair is a practice that’s centuries-old. While some tutorials suggest using coconut oil for this, olive oil works just as well. Simply massage a few drops into your scalp, then brush or comb to distribute it evenly. Let it sit for about an hour, then wash the excess oil away with your favorite non-toxic shampoo.

4. Hairball Prevention. Even your cats can benefit from olive oil! Depending on your cat’s size, daily feed her 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to help prevent hairballs. The olive oil will help their coats look shinier, too!

5. Zipper Unsticker. Solve the sticking zipper dilemma by dabbing a bit of olive oil onto the zipper’s teeth to help it slide along smoothly. Note: a little oil goes a long way.

6. Makeup Remover. Store-bought makeup removers are typically loaded with toxic mystery ingredients. You can skip the polysyllabic guessing game by opting for olive oil instead. Use a warm, damp wash cloth or a cotton ball with a couple of drops of olive oil to remove makeup and moisturize your face at the same time.

7. Sunburn Soother. You don’t want to put oil onto your skin the day that you notice a burn, but start moisturizing with olive oil a day or two later to help prevent peeling and heal your damaged skin.

8. Dry Scalp Treatment. Forget the Head and Shoulders®, with all its mystery ingredients! Instead, massage a small amount of olive oil into your scalp to moisturize and fight those flakes.

9. Wood Furniture Revitalizer. Blend 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. Put a small amount of oil on a soft cloth, and wipe down your wood furniture, will keep the wood from drying out, and help hide small nicks and scratches. And it’ll do all this without building up. (Note: olive oil is also a terrific nourisher for leather furniture. Just omit the lemon juice and rub small amounts into the leather. This will keep it soft and supple.)

10. Face Wash. Washing your face with oil may sound counter-intuitive, but many green beauty gurus swear by the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). Natural oils such as coconut and olive have a pH balance that’s perfect for skin. So either oil can cleanse and moisturize at the same time. I mix a smidge of sugar or cornmeal into the oil so that I can exfoliate while cleansing.

These ideas probably just scratch the surface of olive oil’s many uses. How do you use olive oil when you’re not cooking with it? If you have another olive oil use, please do share!