What Do They Mix Olive Oil With? A Guide to Culinary and Cosmetic Blends

January 1, 2026 •

5 min read

According to a 2021 study, olive oil is the most adulterated food product in the world, often mixed with cheaper oils like soybean or sunflower oil. However, many intentional, beneficial mixes exist for culinary and cosmetic purposes, ranging from herbal infusions to skincare solutions. These blends can enhance flavor profiles, increase smoke points, and boost nutritional benefits, depending on the desired outcome.

Quick Summary

Olive oil is mixed with various ingredients for culinary creations, cosmetic applications, and unfortunately, fraudulent adulteration. Common beneficial additions include balsamic vinegar, herbs like rosemary and garlic, and citrus zest to enhance flavor. Other mixtures involve blending with oils like canola or avocado for higher smoke points during cooking. It's also used in DIY skincare with ingredients such as honey and sugar, contrasting sharply with cheap filler oils found in counterfeit products.

Key Points

Flavor Infusions: Olive oil is frequently mixed with fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, garlic, or citrus zest to create flavorful oils for dipping and dressings.
Dressing Blends: It pairs classically with balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice to create simple and tangy salad dressings.
High-Heat Cooking: For frying, olive oil is often blended with high-smoke-point neutral oils like canola or avocado oil to prevent burning and bitterness.
Skincare Uses: In cosmetics, olive oil is combined with ingredients such as honey, sugar, or other oils like jojoba to create homemade scrubs, masks, and cleansers.
Adulteration: Unfortunately, lower-quality olive oil is also mixed with cheaper oils like soybean, sunflower, or olive pomace for fraudulent purposes.
Identifying Purity: The 'fridge test,' checking for crystallization in cold temperatures, and verifying labels for harvest dates are simple ways to help identify genuine olive oil.
Pesto and Sauces: High-quality olive oil is a critical component of sauces like pesto, binding ingredients together and contributing to the overall flavor profile.

Culinary Combinations: Infusions and Pairings

Olive oil is a cornerstone of Mediterranean cuisine, prized for its robust flavor and health benefits. Mixing it with other ingredients is a time-honored tradition that unlocks new taste dimensions for everything from simple bread dips to gourmet sauces.

Classic Infusions

Infusing olive oil with aromatics is a simple way to create flavorful oils for various culinary uses. The process involves gently heating or cold-steeping ingredients in the oil to extract their flavors.

Garlic and Herbs: A timeless favorite, infusing olive oil with minced garlic and fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano creates a potent, aromatic blend perfect for dipping crusty bread, drizzling over pasta, or marinating meats.
Chili and Lemon: For a spicy, zesty kick, chili flakes or fresh chilis can be infused with lemon zest in olive oil. This is an excellent finishing oil for grilled fish, pizzas, or roasted vegetables.
Caramelized Shallots: Slow-cooking shallots in olive oil until they are soft and sweet produces a rich, savory oil perfect for stirring into sauces or drizzling over roasted green beans.

Flavorful Blends

Beyond simple infusions, olive oil is often mixed with other liquids and ingredients to form sauces and dressings.

Balsamic Vinegar: The classic duo of olive oil and balsamic vinegar is a staple for salad dressings and bread dipping. The fruity notes of the oil and the tangy sweetness of the vinegar create a balanced and complex flavor.
Citrus Juice: Whisking olive oil with fresh lemon, orange, or lime juice creates a bright, acidic dressing for salads, seafood, and vegetables. A dash of salt and pepper is often all that is needed to complete this simple yet refreshing concoction.
Pesto: Authentic pesto combines basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and, most importantly, high-quality extra virgin olive oil. The oil is crucial for creating the perfect consistency and carrying the vibrant flavors.

Cooking Blends: High-Heat Applications

While extra virgin olive oil is ideal for low-heat cooking and finishing dishes, its relatively low smoke point makes it less suitable for high-temperature frying. To achieve the benefits of olive oil while frying, many home cooks and chefs create their own blends.

Creating a High-Smoke-Point Oil Blend

To elevate the smoke point of olive oil, it can be mixed with more heat-tolerant neutral oils.

Avocado Oil: With a very high smoke point (around 520°F or 271°C), avocado oil is an excellent partner for olive oil. Mixing them allows you to retain some of olive oil's flavor while safely sautéing or stir-frying at higher temperatures.
Canola or Grapeseed Oil: These neutral-tasting oils have high smoke points and are often used as a base when olive oil flavor is desired but a higher heat is necessary. A common ratio is two parts neutral oil to one part extra virgin olive oil.
Peanut Oil: For high-heat frying, especially in Asian-inspired dishes, mixing a small amount of olive oil with peanut oil can achieve both a higher smoke point and a unique flavor profile.

Cosmetic and Skincare Mixes

Olive oil is not just for the kitchen; its moisturizing and antioxidant properties make it a popular ingredient in natural skincare. It is often mixed with other components to create face masks, scrubs, and cleansers.

Skincare Recipes Using Olive Oil

Exfoliating Body Scrub: Mix olive oil with sugar or ground oats to create a simple, moisturizing body scrub. The oil hydrates the skin while the sugar exfoliates, revealing softer, smoother skin.
Hydrating Hair Mask: Blend olive oil with honey and lemon juice to create a nourishing hair mask. Apply the mixture to damp hair, leave it on for 30 minutes, then wash it out to restore moisture and shine.
Oil Cleansing Method: Use olive oil as a base for an oil cleanser, mixing it with other gentle oils like jojoba or castor oil. The principle is that "like dissolves like," so the oil effectively removes dirt and makeup without stripping the skin's natural oils.

The Dark Side: Adulteration

Unfortunately, not all mixtures involving olive oil are beneficial. Olive oil fraud is a significant issue, where cheaper, lower-quality oils are mixed in and sold as pure, premium olive oil.

Common Adulterants to Watch For

Cheaper Vegetable Oils: This is the most common form of adulteration. Low-cost oils like sunflower, corn, canola, and soybean are frequently used to dilute olive oil, cutting production costs but diminishing quality and authenticity.
Olive Pomace Oil: A very low-quality oil extracted from the olive pulp and remaining pits after the first press, pomace oil lacks the flavor and health benefits of virgin olive oils. It is sometimes illegally mixed into higher-grade oils.

Comparison: Good Blends vs. Adulteration


Aspect	Intentional Blends (Culinary/Cosmetic)	Adulterated Oil (Fraudulent)
Purpose	To enhance flavor, alter properties (smoke point), or create specific cosmetic products.	To deceive consumers and increase profit margins by diluting quality.
Ingredients	High-quality ingredients like herbs, citrus, vinegar, or compatible cosmetic-grade oils.	Cheaper, low-quality oils (e.g., soybean, sunflower) and olive pomace oil.
Transparency	The mixing is a clear part of a recipe or process, done transparently by the user or a reputable producer.	The mixture is concealed, and the product is mislabeled as pure or higher-grade olive oil.
User Benefit	Provides specific flavor profiles, higher smoke points for cooking, or targeted skincare benefits.	None; consumers receive an inferior, less-healthy product than what they paid for.
Regulation	Regulated by food safety laws regarding the use of ingredients and labeling.	Illegal and heavily investigated by food safety and authenticity authorities.

Conclusion

From enriching culinary creations with bold Mediterranean flavors to providing a moisturizing base for natural skincare, olive oil is a versatile ingredient mixed with a wide array of other components. Intentional, beneficial mixtures use complementary flavors like garlic, herbs, and citrus, or are combined with high-smoke-point oils for specific cooking needs. Conversely, the market is also plagued by fraudulent practices where olive oil is mixed with cheaper, inferior oils for profit. Being aware of the distinction, and knowing how to identify quality products, ensures you can enjoy the true flavor and benefits of this liquid gold, whether you're creating a simple bread dip or a homemade body scrub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Balsamic vinegar is one of the most common and classic mixers for olive oil, used to create a simple, tangy dip for bread or a versatile salad dressing.

Yes, olive oil can be mixed with other oils, particularly neutral oils like canola or grapeseed oil, to increase the blend's smoke point for high-heat cooking and frying.

Rosemary, garlic, basil, and thyme are among the most popular herbs and aromatics used for infusing olive oil. They release potent flavors that are great for culinary applications like marinades and dipping oils.

The 'fridge test' is a simple home method: place a small amount of olive oil in the refrigerator overnight. Pure olive oil will become cloudy and partially solidify, while adulterated oil mixed with cheaper alternatives may remain clear.

For skincare, you can mix olive oil with honey for a face mask, sugar for a body scrub, or other gentle oils like jojoba for a facial cleanser, all to moisturize and exfoliate the skin.

Yes, mixing olive oil with lemon juice is a safe and healthy practice, often used for creating dressings. The combination offers flavor and potential health benefits from both ingredients.

Fraudulent olive oil is often diluted with cheaper vegetable oils, including sunflower oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and a lower-grade product called olive pomace oil.