We all want to keep our skin looking and feeling as young and healthy as possible, right? Because the price of many skin care products is so high though, you might think you'll never be able to afford to give your skin the treatment it deserves. Stop thinking that way. You see, one of the best products you can use to improve and maintain your skin's health is also one of the simplest and least expensive. It's olive oil. Here's just a few olive oil skin care solutions you can start using today.

Many name-brand skin moisturizers are not only expensive, but contain many unnatural chemicals in them. If you want to save money and improve the suppleness and glow of your skin, replace these with a simple mixture of one cup virgin olive oil mixed with a half a cup of white vinegar and half a cup of water. You can use this as you would any moisturizing cream. You'll find that the olive oil immediately makes your skin feel softer, while the mild acidic properties of the vinegar help cleanse the skin.

You can use this on your face, your feet and your hands. (Don't get any in your eyes though.) If you use this as an overnight treatment, put cotton gloves or socks on to improve the results.

Keep in mind, olive oil is quite effective straight out of the bottle too, especially when rubbed on dry patches of skin. This is great for particular problem areas such as ankles, elbows and knees. Take your time to rub it gently into these areas, but don't overdo it as excessive rubbing could further crack and damage these dry spots before they have time to moisturize and heal.

Also, some people have reported excellent results in terms of improved skin glow just from adding a few tablespoons of quality olive oil to their bath. A few drops of your favorite oil, such as patchouli or sandalwood added to the mix makes for very relaxing tub time that will further improve your skin with no real effort at all.

There are other areas of your skin that often need extra care and attention and olive oil works wonders for these too. For example, chapped and dried lips will benefit very quickly from the application of a bit of oil. Furthermore, if you have a problem with dried and cracking fingernails, or flaking of the skin around your cuticles, you may find that soaking your fingers in a bowl of oil for fifteen or twenty minutes each day puts an end to these annoyances.

So before you go and shell out any more of your hard-earned cash for expensive skin care products, swing by your local grocery store or natural food store and pick up a bottle of inexpensive virgin olive oil instead. Not only will you save money, you may also discover this natural skin care solution is even more effective.