How often do you use extra virgin olive oil? Do you use it for your skin? There are so many proven health benefits for using it as part of your beauty regimen. It's a healthy fat and is rich in antioxidants. Not only is it good to use during meal preps, but it also protects the skin in numerous ways. Some of the benefits are fairly common, but there may be a few that you've never considered.
Let's explore how you can add this oil to your self-care Saturday/Sunday routines to get your skin silky smooth and glowing in all the right places:
1. Nail Strengthener
Growing your nails can be a drag at times, but olive oil can help you with the process. To give your damaged and peeling nails some extra length and life, apply lukewarm olive oil to your nail bed. When you are at home doing your own mani and pedi, incorporate olive oil into your routine. You may see some impressive results.
2. Night Body Moisturizer
It feels good to get out of a nice warm shower or bath and massage olive oil over your whole body. The oil nourishes and moisturizes the skin, giving it a nice bright glow. Go to bed feeling relaxed, and wake up with fresh silky skin.
3. Natural Face Scrub
There are so many facial skin regimens floating around, and sometimes we just can't keep track. During your self-care day, feel free to mix olive oil with granulated sugar and use it as a face scrub. Mixing the two can be great for exfoliating and cleansing the pores. It's easy to do and it doesn't take much effort. This can also be another way to save on skincare and beauty cosmetics in your yearly budget.
4. Shaving Cream
Olive oil leaves your skin soft after shaving, and you might even notice a change in the number of ingrown hairs and unwanted cysts you're susceptible to. This method also saves money because you no longer have to buy expensive shaving creams and worry about applying unhealthy chemicals to your body. Be careful though: If you are applying the olive oil in the shower, things can get a little slippery.
5. Makeup Remover
Trying to get rid of your beat face after a long night out or remove your lashes? Olive oil does the trick and does it easily. Simply apply the oil to a cotton swab or pad and rub it in a circular motion. Give your face a nice rinse and you are all set.
6. Eyebrow Grooming
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Personally, I have not paid for a professional to shape my eyebrows in at least 3 years. In order to properly prep my eyebrows before tweezing, I apply olive oil. The olive oil alleviates dryness, redness, and damage to the skin in the eyebrow area. Also, the oil keeps my eyebrows healthy and strengthens thin areas.
7. Cracked-Heel Repair
One thing you always want to keep under control is the dryness on the heels of your feet, especially in the summer when you are wearing those fabulous heels and open-back sandals. Take care of the heels of your feet all year 'round and eliminate cracked heels by applying olive oil before bed. Don't forget to seal in the moisture by wearing socks. Trust me, you will see a major difference in your feet.
8. Sunburn Remedy
After spending a day or two in the sun, your skin can get burned---not fun at all. In order to heal sunburn, apply olive oil to the affected area day and night. It will eliminate the burning sensation and soothe the skin.
If you haven't started using olive oil for your skin regimen, get up and get with it. Let us know your thoughts and if your skin experiences change for the better. Let's level up in the most natural way!
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Now, with more than 20 years of experience in professional aviation, starting with American Eagle Airlines and then on to becoming a captain at American Airlines, she has continued to pay it forward. In 2022, she made history as the first commercial airline captain to lead an all-Black, women-led flight crew. She has also written a biography on Bessie Coleman, the first African-American and Native-American woman to earn a pilot’s license, and produced and directed, Discovering Bessie Coleman, working alongside the family to get the project completed. Add to that her role as a founder of consulting firm LadyAv8rBeth, which offers a guide of pathways into aviation, and as a podcast host covering all things aviation.
For Women’s History Month, xoNecole caught up with the busy pilot, in between flights, to talk about her career journey, her role in a Bessie Coleman documentary and book, how she balances self-care and safety, and how other Black women can add to the aviation legacy:
xoNecole: You’ve built an successful career in aviation. And you were only 15 and already had your first flight. Were you afraid at all, or did it feel like second nature to you?
Beth Powell: It felt completely natural. There was no fear, just excitement and curiosity.
Now, it’s what they call STEM, and my teacher at the time thought that I was really good at numbers. He recommended three career paths, and I tried the first one.
I didn't understand why it made sense back then at 15, but as I grew up and met other pilots, I recognized that the reason I liked math and physics was that we were technical learners. So we like to break things apart and put them back together. We like to check procedures. We like to write manuals. We were technical artists.
xoN: That’s such an important message. Many young women and girls are often discouraged from pursuing careers in STEM or aviation, so it’s incredible to hear your story. Now, fast forward a bit—how did you transition into your corporate career with larger airlines?
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BP: After that first discovery flight, I quickly finished my high school classes and graduated at 16. By 17, I had earned my private pilot’s license, and by 18, my commercial license. Then, I moved to the U.S. to attend flight school in Florida. While working on my degree in professional aeronautics, I began working for American Eagle Airlines at just 21. Over the years, I’ve built my career and have now spent 25 years in the airline industry, including 14 years at American Eagle and 11 years at American Airlines. In terms of leadership, being a captain is key.
As a captain, I’m responsible for the aircraft, the crew, and the passengers. It’s a huge responsibility, and you learn a lot about leadership when you’re in charge of so much.
Being a captain definitely teaches you leadership. You’re in charge of every aspect of the flight from the moment you sign in to the moment you sign out. From overseeing the crew to managing the safety and well-being of passengers, you have to make quick decisions and take responsibility. Even when you’re starting out as a first officer, you’re learning vital leadership skills that prepare you for the captain role.
xoN: There's a lot going on with airlines right now that might make someone feel afraid in terms of some of the tragedies that have recently happened. How do you sustain your self-care balance and your resilience in the aviation industry when those sorts of things happen?
BP: I truly believe that aviation is still the safest and the No. 1 safest means of transportation. I say that proudly. For any airline, any pilot, any air traffic controller—anyone who works in the industry—safety is our number one priority. However, of course, we see things happening in the news, and it is concerning to passengers.
What I'm telling everybody to do right now, including myself, is that it's very important to have your source of strength. I'm a Christian, and one of my sources of strength is prayers. I go deep within my prayers every morning, and I pray to God, giving things that I can't control to him, and the rest— I can do my best to deal with.
No. 2 is meditation on the Deepak Chopra app. Ever since COVID happened, that was the first time I thought that I needed something more than just my prayers to help me go through to calm down the noise around me.
And last but not least, I'm really big on self-development. I read, I read, and I read. If your foundation is strong, you have something to build from. And so, when I read, I learn a lot about myself. I learn about what triggers me and when something triggers me. I literally hear the Kendrick Lamar song, "TV Off" in my head, because sometimes you need to shut the noise off.
xoN: That's amazing—the combination of faith and just being excellent at what you do. Now, how did you get involved with the Bessie Coleman project?
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BP: I sit on the board of advisers for an organization called Sisters of the Skies, and was at a gala celebrating with all our Black women of our achievements. At the end of the night, Dr. Sheila Chamberlain walked up to me. She was the first Black woman U.S. combat intelligence aviator in the Army. So, if she's walking up to me, it's very serious. She said, ‘I have a favor to ask.’ I said, ‘Yes.’ I did not hear what the favor was. I didn't know what she was going to ask me, but somebody like that walking up to you saying, ‘a favor’? The answer is yes.
She told me [the project involved] helping the Bessie Coleman family elevate the story. ‘I'd like you to ask your company if they will do a flight in honor of Bessie Coleman.’ I went to the different departments at American Airlines, and the rest was literally history. We did that flight on August 8, 2022, and it became a historical flight because everyone on that flight, from the ground up, was a Black woman.
Gigi Coleman, Bessie’s grand-niece, was also on that flight. We started chatting at the end of the flight. Another night, we were hanging out—Sheila, Gigi, and I—and she kept telling me she wanted to write a book, that she wished there was a movie, and that people approached her about it. Nothing had been done as yet. And I thought, sounds like another mission.
I literally took it on. We do have a documentary with the family sharing their perspective of who Bessie Coleman is. And we do have a book called Queen of the Skies.
xoN: For the young women who are looking for career paths in aviation, what are some skills they need to thrive?
BP: While you don't necessarily have to love math to be a pilot, technical knowledge is important. You’ll need to understand aircraft systems and aerodynamics. This includes weather patterns and instrument training. It might seem daunting at first, but the great thing about flight training is that it builds on itself. The more you learn, the more it all clicks. Also, aviation is constantly changing, and you need to be adaptable.
It’s a field where you need to be ready for anything, from unexpected weather to technical issues. Being open to learning new things and adjusting to change is crucial.
My daughter, who has her private pilot’s license, once said, “This journey is both challenging and rewarding. I feel like I’ve grown so much since starting.” It’s important to keep going, even when it gets tough.
To help others, I’m outlining how they can go from “zero to hero” as a pilot. I offer this information freely on my Instagram account, and it’s something I’m passionate about sharing. I want everyone to have access to the resources they need to follow their dreams.
For more information on Beth Powell, the Bessie Coleman documentary, and aviation career resources, visit LadyAv8rBeth.com.
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