Skincare’s All-Natural Best Friend
Throughout my entrepreneurial experience, I’ve come across so many new founders and diverse businesses. Their stories inspire me each and every day, and have taught me so much over the years. I’ve learned how important it is to chase after what you’re most passionate about, while staying true to your own roots and cultural identity.
For me, natural skincare has always been my passion. There are so many toxic chemicals and unnecessary fillers in the products out there today. As an avid beauty consumer myself, it often feels impossible to navigate what products are actually safe. It seemed crazy to me that there weren’t enough trustworthy brands out there. Finally, I had that light bulb moment and thought to myself… “why not just make my own products?!”
Throughout the process of creating this new brand, it felt so important to pay tribute to my Greek heritage right from the start. From the branding to the manufacturing, every aspect of Calithea is inspired by the naturally beautiful Greek landscape and culture, while looking ahead to providing unique and innovative products for our amazing customers today.
Even a majority of the ingredients in each product are sourced from Greece and have deep ties to this rich culture I’m so thankful to be a part of. This is especially the case with our most well-known hero ingredient, which we incorporate into every one of our products; Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
It was my Yiayia who first taught me the importance of healthy skin, body, and hair care practices, to help maintain both my physical and mental wellness. She was the person who first introduced me to natural skincare, and, of all the products she tried in her life, her absolute favorite that she used every single day was Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
My grandmother grew up in Kalamata, a beautiful city on the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. She always shared stories with me about how she was raised, and how growing up olive oil was used in everything from cooking to hair care and, of course, skin care! Her philosophy with personal care was “look good and feel good,” which is always best achieved through natural products. I still remember her beautiful, youthful skin, which remained healthy and glowing even until the day she died at the age of 85.
When first founding Calithea and considering the types of products we wanted to offer, I was curious why exactly olive oil in particular was such an effective ingredient on its own, and if I could use it in more advanced formulas like toners and night creams that leverage other actives to drive specific skin care benefits.
To my surprise, Olive Oil’s chemical benefits make it a perfect carrier oil for skincare products! What’s carrier oil exactly? It’s simply an oil-based ingredient that serves as a foundation for all types of skincare products to help deliver important activities like elderberry, pomegranate, sea kelp, and other powerful extracts to the skin, while providing a soothing, moisturizing feel during application. Many skincare brands out there rely on synthetic delivery agents to ensure the actives in their products are absorbed properly by the skin upon application. However, while these chemicals might be cheaper to make in a lab, they can be potentially harmful, especially with repeated application over time. Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil however provides an all-natural alternative.
I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was when I found this out! This special ingredient that reminded me of my grandmother and Greek culture offers such a unique, all-natural foundation for every kind of skincare product in Calithea’s portfolio! Whenever I look at our incredible skincare collection, I think back to that little girl watching her grandmother apply olive oil to her face while getting ready for the day. It’s such an amazing, full circle moment for me, knowing that this ingredient so close to my heart is now being shared with others looking for natural skincare solutions.
Here’s a few more amazing benefits of Organic Olive Oil I’ve learned throughout this process…
- Vitamins and Antioxidants:
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- Olive oil is rich in the nourishing vitamins, and antioxidants your skin needs to stay healthy, especially fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
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- Moisturizing for Dry Skin
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- Olive oil contains beneficial amounts of squalene and vitamin E. While squalene supports the skin’s moisture retention, vitamin E increases the skin’s ability to absorb and retain water. This replenished the skin’s natural moisture barrier, giving it a natural, youthful glow.
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- Smooths Skin Texture and Tone
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- Lack of moisture retention can leave the skin feeling rough and flakey, potentially even with some unwanted marks and hyperpigmentation. While some ingredients only address replenishing and not texture/tone or vice versa, olive oil is effective at addressing both issues. While moisturizing and nourishing the damaged skin barrier, olive oil also effectively lifts dead skin cells, leaving a brighter, smoother, more radiant complexion.
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- Amazing Cleansing Properties
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- As like attracts like when it comes to cleansing, olive oil helps dissolve oily build up and residue on the skin. It is also super helpful in removing even some of the toughest waterproof makeup products.
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- Anti-Aging Benefits
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- Olive oil helps promote collagen production, helping to prevent signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles years in advance, especially when applied daily. Rich in antioxidants, this ingredient helps the skin combat oxidative stress, which is known to cause skin aging.
For more information about this awesome ingredient or any of our other natural Greek-inspired ingredients, check out our Greek Secret Ingredients page and our amazing line of organic olive oil-based products!
~ Elena xoxo
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
Sources
[1] This Week’s Hero Ingredient: Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Calithea (calitheagoddess.com)
[2] The Greek Secret | Calithea Skincare (calitheagoddess.com)
[3] Olive Oil for the Skin: Benefits and Risks (verywellhealth.com)
[4] 15 Benefits of Applying Olive Oil On Skin #1 Beauty Treatment – DrHealthBenefits.com
