Photo styled by Somm In The City & Edited with AI
If you know me, you know olive oil is a very big part of my life. I taste it, study it, cook with it, pair with it, teach about it, and probably talk about it more than the average person ever thought possible. As an Olive Oil Sommelier, I am continually fascinated by just how much the olive has to offer.
So when Olea Essence generously sent me a collection of their olive-based skincare products to experience, I was beyond excited.
And now, about two and a half weeks into using them? Wow.
This has become one of those routines I genuinely look forward to every evening.
Olive Oil, Beyond the Kitchen
One of the reasons this collection immediately interested me is Olea Essence’s approach to the entire olive.
The family behind the brand has been farming olives for more than 25 years near the Sea of Galilee, with a focus on sustainable and regenerative olive farming. Their skincare incorporates unfiltered extra virgin olive oil alongside other components of the olive, including olive leaf and fruit extracts. I love the fact that they also use ZERO pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and make sure to pick only the best olives. They take pride in what they’re creating for their customers to use on their skin, the most absorbent organ of the body!
What I found particularly interesting as someone immersed in the olive oil world is their commitment to using more of what the olive gives us. Olea Essence says its proprietary production process allows the company to utilize parts of olive production that would traditionally be considered waste, including the antioxidant-rich “black water” produced during olive oil processing.
The company also produces its skincare in small batches and says its formulations are plant-based and free from artificial scents and colors, SLS/SLES, parabens, phthalates and mineral oils.
This is the kind of olive story I love discovering because it goes so far beyond simply putting “olive oil” on the front of a package.
My New Evening Ritual
Life gets busy. Very busy.
Between events, tastings, creating content, developing recipes, working with clients and all of the everyday things that need our attention, I am admittedly not always great about slowing down and doing something simply because it feels good.
This collection has actually changed that a little.
Instead of skincare feeling like another thing I need to remember before bed, I’ve turned it into a small nightly ritual. Wash my face, put my phone down, take a few minutes and actually enjoy the process.
There is something incredibly luxurious about good skincare. The texture, the fragrance, the feeling of freshly moisturized skin and simply giving yourself those few minutes at the end of the day.
And my skin has been loving this routine.
Within the first several days, my skin simply felt better. Now, after roughly two and a half weeks, I am noticing my skin looking brighter, feeling beautifully moisturized and having that healthy-looking glow I always want.
What I’ve Been Using
Photo styled by Somm In The City, background removed and enhanced by AI
The Face Serum has quickly become an essential step in my evening routine. After cleansing, I apply the serum and allow it to absorb before moving on to moisturizer. Olea Essence actually recommends letting the serum absorb for about three minutes and suggests combining a pump with Night Cream when you want an extra boost of hydration.
I love the way it feels on my skin, and it has been one of my favorite products in the collection.
This is where the routine starts feeling especially luxurious. The Eye Cream with Silk Protein feels like that extra little step that transforms basic skincare into an actual evening ritual.
I gently apply it around my eye area, and I love having something specifically dedicated to an area I am increasingly paying attention to in my skincare routine.
Nourishing Night Cream for Dry Skin
If there is one thing I want from a night cream, it’s to wake up and still feel like my skin has been properly moisturized.
This one has become the finishing step I look forward to. It’s nourishing and luxurious, and my skin feels wonderful after applying it. Between this and the serum, I really feel like I’m giving my skin something special before bed.
Olive Wash and Exfoliate for Face
Of course the Olive Oil Sommelier is going to be fascinated by an olive exfoliant!
Olea Essence uses crushed olive fruit and pits in its exfoliating collection, which immediately caught my attention. I love incorporating this into my routine when I want that extra exfoliation and fresh-skin feeling.
It is also another example of what I find so interesting about this brand: they aren’t looking at the olive simply as a source of oil. They’re exploring how different parts of the fruit can be utilized.
Skincare shouldn’t stop at your face.
The Body Milk has been wonderful after showering and before bed. It leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturized without making my evening routine feel complicated. It has quickly become one of those products I automatically reach for.
Rehabilitation Skin Cream, aka my “Rehab to Go”
I also received the Rehabilitation Skin Cream, which is one of Olea Essence’s best sellers and comes in a conveniently sized container that makes it easy to keep nearby or take along when traveling.
I love having a multi-purpose moisturizing cream in my skincare collection, especially because I am constantly traveling, working events, washing my hands and generally putting my skin through a lot.
I think this may be my biggest takeaway from trying Olea Essence.
Luxury doesn’t always have to mean a beautiful hotel, an incredible bottle of wine or an elaborate dinner. Sometimes luxury is simply taking ten quiet minutes at the end of a very busy day and doing something that makes you feel good.
Photo sourced via Oleaessence.com
That is what this routine has become for me.
The beautiful fragrance, the textures, the ritual of applying everything and the way my skin feels afterward have made me actually want to take those few minutes for myself.
And I need to do that more.
After two and a half weeks, I’m not putting these products away now that I’ve “tested” them. I’m continuing to use them.To me, that’s one of the best things I can say about a product I’ve been sent.
They’ve earned a permanent place in my evening routine.
From Olive Grove to Skincare
As an Olive Oil Sommelier, I spend so much time educating people about why olive oil is far more complex than most of us realize. Variety, harvest, farming, freshness, production and how the fruit is handled all matter.
I love discovering companies that are equally fascinated by the olive and finding completely different ways to showcase what this incredible fruit can offer.
Olea Essence combines olive farming, sustainability, skincare and a touch of everyday luxury in a way that feels very much aligned with how I already think about the olive.
And if a skincare routine can leave my skin feeling beautiful while reminding me to take a few minutes for myself every night?
I’ll happily make room for that kind of luxury.
Olea Essence generously gifted the products featured in this article. All experiences and opinions shared here are my own.
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