Sophia Loren Swore By This Old-School Beauty Trick, But Does It Really Work? We Asked An Expert

Sophia Loren is one of the defining actors of Hollywood's Golden Age. As the first actor to win an Academy Award for a foreign-language performance, Loren is admired for her immense talent on-screen as well as her captivating appearance. The Italian starlet has shared a few of her coveted beauty secrets over the years — one of her most well-known involves integrating olive oil into her routine in an interesting way. In addition to her olive oil-heavy Mediterranean diet, Loren regularly used the oil as a moisturizer. The icon, who turned 91 years old in 2025, would apparently use a few capfuls of oil in her baths to keep her skin soft. 

Loren's olive oil obsession actually has scientifically-proven benefits. Olive oil's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds can improve internal health, and it's high in vitamin E, which is excellent for preserving and protecting your skin's barrier (which is perhaps why Loren still looks amazing in her 90s). Olive oil can also improve your overall hair health and be used to treat chapped lips as well. Extra virgin olive oil was even known by people in ancient Greece to be highly effective in beauty treatments; that is to say, Loren's skincare hack has been around for a very long time. But are olive oil baths an Old Hollywood glamour secret we can still use today?

Glam spoke exclusively with Dr. Dara Spearman, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Radiant Dermatology Associates, to find out whether olive oil has a place in modern skincare. According to Dr. Spearman, it definitely can. "Olive oil has many benefits for the skin; it provides deep hydration, fights free radicals, and supports a healthy skin barrier," she says. However, even though it has real, science-backed health properties, Dr. Spearman tells us that olive oil can have different effects depending on your skin type.

Could olive oil be the product your skincare routine is missing? It depends. Stars like Sophia Loren swear by the stuff, and not without good reason. But, for all of its many benefits, olive oil is quite heavy and has the potential to clog your pores and cause breakouts. Therefore, Dr. Spearman recommends that those with oily or acne-prone skin steer clear of Loren's olive oil hacks. That said, if your skin is on the drier side, incorporating olive oil into your routine can bring some much-needed moisture back into your complexion. 

According to Dr. Spearman, the best way to imitate Loren's olive oil baths is to pour 2-4 tablespoons into warm bath water as it's running. "Since the oil doesn't actually mix into the water, it is not fully dilute and will be absorbed into the skin where it can be beneficial," Dr. Spearman explains. "I would recommend soaking for 15 to 20 minutes to allow for the full benefits. This can be done once weekly, or maybe twice if your skin is very dry."

However, adding olive oil to your bath does present a unique logistical issue that shouldn't be ignored. If you decide to try Loren's olive oil bath for yourself, just remember to thoroughly clean your bathtub afterwards — even after you drain the tub, the oily residue left behind is a major slipping hazard.