Olive Oil has been known for centuries for having tremendous health benefits. Consuming olive oil has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, reduce blood pressure, aid digestion, and to delay the aging process of our bodies. This "miracle oil" has recently come to the forefront of our modern consciousness as research continues to confirm the benefits of this oil, both when taken internally and when used externally. Olive oil has replaced lard and other vegetable oils as the preferred oil for cooking. It has also been shown to have tremendous anti-oxidant and moisturizing effects when used on our skin and hair.

Along with the resurgence of olive oil for consumption, there has been a renewed preference for natural soaps made with olive oil as opposed to animal fat or other oils. Olive oil soap has better moisturizing properties than other soaps. It makes soap that is creamy and luxurious.

Are we just now learning what ancient people already knew? The olive and its oil were highly valued by our earliest ancestors. The Phoenicians brought olives with them to their colonies on the Mediterranean more than three thousand years ago. The Romans also recognized the value of the olive and started the trade of olives and olive oil throughout their empire. It would be hundreds of years, however, before olive oil would first be used to make soap.

The French were the first to make soap with olive oil. In the sixth century, they used ashes from sea plants and locally pressed olive oil to make the world's first olive oil soap. Many years later, in the sixteenth century, Castile Castle in France was famous for its handmade olive oil soap. Marseille became another soap-making center in France, currently home to more than one hundred soap factories. Many people still refer to olive oil soap as Castile soap or French soap.

In the sixteenth century, soap was a luxury reserved for royalty or wealthy people who could afford it. Now we can all enjoy this opulent experience.

Natural olive oil soap is making a huge comeback and more and more people are realizing that this is the way soap is supposed to be. Commercial soaps are so harsh and full of chemicals that they actually do more harm to our skin than good. Here is a partial list of the additional ingredients you will find in commercial soaps:

• Polyethylene glycols such as PEG-6 methyl ether may be added as either surfactants, detergents, emulsifiers (to make the dyes and perfumes blend evenly), or as thickeners.
• Glycerine is added as an emollient and texture enhancer.
• Sorbitol is another emollient used along with glycerine. It is often added to help make glycerine soaps more transparent.
• Titanium dioxide is added to make the soap opaque.

• Pentasodium pentetate,tetrasodium etidronate and tetrasodium EDTA are added as water softeners, and to protect the dyes and perfumes from the effects of metal ions in the mixtures.
• Cocamidopropyl betaine (a mild amphoteric detergent) is often added to decrease irritation without decreasing suds or cleaning power. Why not make soap that doesn't cause irritation in the first place?
• Benzine sulfonate detergents such as sodium dodecylbenzinesulfonate.
• Other detergents such as sodium isethionate and sodium cocoyl isethionate are also common.
• BHT(Butylated Hydroxytoluene) is sometimes added as an anti-oxidant preservative to keep the oils from going rancid.

Why in the world would you want to put any of this stuff on your skin? Natural olive oil soap contains none of these chemicals, gets you just as clean, and is actually good for your skin!