Olea europea and By-Products: Extraction Methods and Cosmetic Applications

Agro-food wastes, which most often are peels, seeds, shells, pomace, and leaves, can be considered a rich source of chemicals with significant skin-care potential, such as carotenoids, tocopherols, glucosinolates, phenolic compounds, and fatty acids.

“Agro-food wastes, which most often are peels, seeds, shells, pomace, and leaves, can be considered a rich source of chemicals with significant skin-care potential, such as carotenoids, tocopherols, glucosinolates, phenolic compounds, and fatty acids.”

Supercritical CO2 extraction is currently the most effective method to extract nonpolar compounds such as oils.

“Supercritical CO2 extraction is currently the most effective method to extract nonpolar compounds such as oils [79].”

Raw materials extracted from agri-food wastes are often richer in bioactive compounds than their counterparts extracted from fresh raw materials, e.g., waste from the olive industry could be a greater source of polyphenols than the olive oil itself.

“Raw materials extracted from agri-food wastes are often richer in bioactive compounds than their counterparts extracted from fresh raw materials, e.g., the waste from the olive industry could be a greater source of polyphenols than the olive oil itself [79].”

Improvement in the condition of skin with dermatosis, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, and very dry skin, could be observed after applying cosmetic formula containing olive wastes.

“Also improvement in the condition of the skin impact with dermatosis, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, and very dry skin could be observed after applying cosmetic formula containing olive wastes, giving the sensation of soft, elastic, and hydrated skin [79,119].”

Olea europaea is the main source of squalene, which is the most abundant lipid on the skin's surface and possesses emollient, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

“Olea europea is also the main source of squalene, which is a lipid from the family of triterpene, being the most abundant on the skin's surface and possessing emollient, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties [79,119,120].”

Olive wastes are rich in fatty acids, especially oleic acid, and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids, which have anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory effects and replenish the lipids of the skin epidermal barrier.

“Olive wastes are rich in fatty acids, especially oleic acid, and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (EFAs) such as linoleic (C18:2) and linolenic (C18:3) acids, which have anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory effects and replenish the lipids of the skin epidermal barrier [79].”

The main phenolic compounds in olives are hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleuropein, verbascoside, and their derivatives, which have powerful antioxidant activity in both vivo and in vitro studies.

“The main phenolic compounds in olives are as follows: hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleuropein, verbascoside, and their derivatives, which have powerful antioxidant activity in both vivo and in vitro studies [55,79,119,120].”

The waste from the olive industry is a greater source of polyphenols than the olive oil itself.

“The waste from the olive industry is a greater source of polyphenols than the olive oil itself [79].”

Due to the antimicrobial properties of olive derivatives, they can be used in cosmetics as preservative boosters.

“Due to the antimicrobial properties of olive derivatives, they can be used in cosmetics as preservative boosters.”