Figs & olives: for superb skin care, turn to the natural bounty of the Mediterranean

Natural Health, Dec, 2005 by Olessa Pindak

IT'S NO COINCIDENCE that Mediterranean women (ahem, Sophia Loren) are known for their wonderful skin. Their beauty secret might be two little botanicals that have permeated the culture for centuries: figs and olives. "Both fruits are rich in antioxidants, which fight the damaging effects of the sun and environment," says Jeannette Graf, M.D., a dermatologist in Great Neck, N.Y. "Olive oil is also rich in fatty acids that make excellent moisturizers."

Honored since ancient times for their healing properties, figs and olives are making a comeback in modern skin care. Here are a few of the best products to bring home their benefits.

Apivita Express Deep Face Scrub With Olive uses crushed olive seeds to gently remove dead skin, and comes with hydrating Aqua Plus Face Mask With Cucumber ($25; beauty habit.com). Red Flower Hammam Tangerine Fig Butter Creme ($52; beautyhabit.com) is a luxurious cream that contains fig extract along with super-moisturising shea butter.

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figgy faves

FIGS ARE TREASURED for their warm, unique fragrance, which is often used to grace soaps and candles (such as Archipelago Botanicals luscious Linden Wood & Fig votive, $9; spashoppe.com). But even more valued are the emollients that extracting oil from the seed yields. "We incorporated fig oil into our new line because of the natural humectants it contains," says Paul D. Seplowitz, vice president of product development for Coty, makers of The Healing Garden Organics. Antioxidants, moisturizers, and a lovely scent--what's not to like?

Grassroots Seeds of Perfection Invigorating Body Exfoliator ($12.50; grassrootslife.com) uses fig seeds to gently exfoliate as it delivers a light fruit fragrance with musk understones. The Healing Garden Organics Fig & Lavender Body Mist ($8; healing garden.com) recruits hydrating fig leaf extract and cooling aloe extract to soothe irritated or overheated skin. Body Systems Mediterranean Fig & Vanilla Sugar Scrub ($12.50; body-systems.net) used fig extract to make sloughing scaly skin a pleasantly fragrant and hydrating experience.

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outstanding olives

OLIVE TREES CAN LIVE for up to 1,000 years, which may well explain the fruit's long-standing reputation as an elixir of youth. Chock-full of antioxidant polyphenols and extremely moisturizing, olive oil is an excellent beauty treatment on its own. Massage it into nails, cuticles, elbows, or anywhere else you need extra softening. For a more sophisticated (and less messy) solution, look for beauty products that contain olive extract.

DHC Olive Leaf Extract ($45; dhc care.com) is rich in antioxidants and collagen-boosting coenzyme Q10. Kiss My Face Olive & Aloe Moisturizer ($4; kissmyface.com) softens face, body, and hands with olive oil and aloe vera. Jason Olive Oil Hand & Nail Therapy ($8.55; jason-natural.com) has olive oil and shea butter to provide lasting hydration for dry and chapped skin.

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Photography by MINDEE CHOI