# Olive Oil As Shampoo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266 "2015-09-14T21:22:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/1 "2015-09-14T21:22:30Z")
i heard somebody suggest that Olive Oil can be used as a shampoo. True or false? Is it any good? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/2 "2015-09-14T21:33:23Z")
Anecdotal: The girl repeatedly voted as having the most stunning hair when I was in high school used olive oil regularly. I still wanted to run barefoot through her hair at our 40th reunion. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/3 "2015-09-14T21:45:24Z")
It was apparently used in place of soap for cleaning the body, [at least in ancient Rome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldarium): > [@Wikipedia](#): > > The bath’s patrons would use olive oil to cleanse themselves by applying it to their bodies and using a strigil to remove the excess. (A [strigil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strigil) is a scraping tool.) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/4 "2015-09-14T23:38:42Z")
hmmm…anybody here actually use it? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/5 "2015-09-14T23:48:05Z")
No, people don’t use it as a cleaning agent for their hair. They use it as a conditioning agent for dry/damaged hair and flaky scalp, and shampoo it away. Like that “VO5 Hot Oil Treatment” that you may have noticed was popular in the 80s. Olive oil and coconut oil are becoming popular again as natural treatments for healthy hair. [How to Use Olive Oil For Hair Care](http://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/olive-oil-hair-care) [Olive Oil Hair Treatment Put on Wet or Dry Hair](http://www.livestrong.com/article/191063-olive-oil-hair-treatment-put-on-wet-or-dry-hair/) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/6 "2015-09-15T00:18:07Z")
if you tried to use it as shampoo, it might carry away the oils already on your hair, but you’d be left with at least a film of olive oil on you. so what would be the point? ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/7 "2015-09-15T00:34:58Z")
Fekkai makes a shampoo that’s infused with olive oil. It’s called “Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo.” ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/8 "2015-09-15T00:37:32Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > if you tried to use it as shampoo, it might carry away the oils already on your hair, but you’d be left with at least a film of olive oil on you. so what would be the point? Your hair would be good for roasting a chicken? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/9 "2015-09-15T07:24:52Z")
I don’t see how olive oil (or any oil) could work as a shampoo. It can’t mix with water, so you wouldn’t be able to rinse it out of your hair. Even if it dissolved the elements you wanted to wash away (such as dirt and dried sweat), you would be left with oily hair with dirt suspended in the oil. I think people used to use olive oil as a kind of pomade, i.e. a hair dressing. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/10 "2015-09-15T09:30:06Z")
A whole bunch of woo out there: > **[Google](https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=olive+oil+shampoo)** > > Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/11 "2015-09-15T10:42:24Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I don’t see how olive oil (or any oil) could work as a shampoo. It can’t mix with water, so you wouldn’t be able to rinse it out of your hair. Even if it dissolved the elements you wanted to wash away (such as dirt and dried sweat), you would be left with oily hair with dirt suspended in the oil. > > I think people used to use olive oil as a kind of pomade, i.e. a hair dressing. Just like gasoline/petrol/white spirits can be used as a cleaning agent… as a solvent. 5 mL of dirty stuff, 50 mL of solvent… dirt concentration down to 10%… Also the olive oil will also make bubbles too, so it will feel like shampoo. (bubbles don’t actually help with cleaning …) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/12 "2015-09-15T10:58:09Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > if you tried to use it as shampoo, it might carry away the oils already on your hair, but you’d be left with at least a film of olive oil on you. so what would be the point? Does your date have garlic bread? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/13 "2015-09-15T12:32:32Z")
On most of my head I could use WD40 and a squeegee and get a good result. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/14 "2015-09-15T12:46:39Z")
I wash my hair with just water or, every few days, a bicarb of soda solution then diluted cider vinegar. Once in a while I rub over a few drops of a menthol and coconut oil shaving gel I use. According to all report my hair looks great. At my age I’m happy just to still have it. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/15 "2015-09-15T13:51:20Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I don’t see how olive oil (or any oil) could work as a shampoo. It can’t mix with water, so you wouldn’t be able to rinse it out of your hair. Even if it dissolved the elements you wanted to wash away (such as dirt and dried sweat), you would be left with oily hair with dirt suspended in the oil. I think the idea is that instead of removing the dirty oil, you just apply clean oil, let it all mix together, and whatever comes off takes a portion of the dirt with it. It’s not soap, so it doesn’t _all_ come off, but it’s not like your hair will absorb all of the olive oil – most will go down the drain, taking some dirt with it. It’s “constantly dilute the dirt” instead of “periodically remove the dirt”. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/16 "2015-09-16T20:23:07Z")
Olive oil in your hair will make a big greasy mess. Anecdotal evidence from treating head lice on an ~8 year old. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/17 "2015-09-17T14:19:02Z")
I seem to recall Odysseus occasionally getting the olive oil rubdown by the local lasses, Somewhere between a shower and a massage.Add some salt for abrasion and you’d be pretty clean after you scrape or towel off the excess. I’ll stick to what I’ve got on the shelf until the apocalypse comes. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/18 "2015-09-17T15:32:14Z")
Just imagine what all that oil would do to your shower drain… ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/19 "2015-09-17T17:56:01Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Just imagine what all that oil would do to your shower drain… Truth. Olive oil 'poo sounds like a formula for slipping in the shower and busting one’s buns with great frequency. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olive-oil-as-shampoo/731266/20 "2015-09-18T15:51:39Z")
And wouldn’t Popeye object? 🙂