Summer in Spain - Olive Trees

For the past month and a half I have been traveling throughout Europe. My main hub of operation is in the north of Spain, just west of Barcelona. Since my arrival I have seen a large variety of vegetation ranging from wild Thyme to the ancient Olive trees that speckle this wonderful country side. I figured that it would be a good opportunity to inform our followers about various ingredients we use that are native of the Mediterranean. This posting is dedicated to the Olive tree.

Basic Information

Olive trees have been grown domestically for over 10,000 years. This tree is found predominantly in the eastern Mediterranean countries and has been recently cultivated in similar climates in the Americas.

Botany

Olive trees are one of the most bizarre looking trees I have ever seen. A lot of the wild olive trees look more like pieces of drift-wood-art than a tree. This tree is part of the Evergreen species and typically grows to an approximate height of 10 meters. The leaves are quite small and have a leathery and greasy feel to them while the underside of the leaves are riddled with tiny white hairs. The olive fruit ripens towards the end of August - something I learned the hard way as I unsuspectingly and eagerly bit into an unripened olive (BITTER!!).

The Oil

The Oil derived from the fruit principally comes from the pulp and is extracted using a process known as cold press. The first runoff from the cold press is the purest and is referred to as ‘Virgin’ Olive Oil. Similarly to wine, there is a wide variety in the color, aromas and tastes of different oils depending on the region, climate, soil and irrigation methods used to cultivating this ancient looking tree.

Purpose In Skin Care

Olive oil used in natural skin care products can be rather beneficial and have been used in medicine for centuries. This oil is very rich in a variety of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins A and E, as well as Omega 3. Olive Oil also carries some Polypheols which are known to help cell regeneration and fight aging. A key benefit of this oil is its natural moisturizer, Squalene. Squalene helps regulate your body’s natural secretion of Sebum and helps in overall maintenance of your skin’s appearance, health, and feel. This wonderful oil is great for the body and its benefits can be enjoyed either through topical or oral application. It is for these reasons that our company is proud to use high grade olive oil as a base for all of our soaps and moisturizers. The result is a high quality, long lasting product.

Additional information on Olive Oil

A Few of our Olive Oil Products

References:

The New Oxford Book of Food Plants.

National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge

Summer in Spain - Grapes!

During my great adventure in Spain I had spent a lot of my time in the small town of Saint Pere Des Ribes. (Pronounced Saint-Pera-Des-Rivas) This small town was located roughly 10 minutes north of the Mediterranean sea and was nestled in the heart of wine country. On any given day, when traveling either to the grocery store, the pharmacy, the beach, or even going for a hike up the hill, your field of vision would be overwhelmed with the landscape of never ending vineyards. The result of all these neighboring vineyards gave way to an endless supply of fresh grapes and wine (with a few head aches thrown in!).

The types of grapes cultivated in this region differed depending on the elevation, soil type, and their micro-sites (fancy wording for a plant home). I learnt much about what I know of grapes from a tour I did at the world renowned vineyard of Torres Spain. During this elaborate tour we were introduced to the concepts of grape cultivation, wine making, and learned much about what this delicate plant has to offer. Not only was I inspired by their state of the art production facility, which won the award for Number One Winery on the Green List but I was also inspired by the properties of the grape and its seed.

I learned that grape seed in its raw or oil form contain high levels of anti-oxidants which are combatants against cellular stress and age related macular degeneration. This fascinating (NATURAL) resource has also been proven to possess adaptogenic properties which serve as a line of defense against negative environmental toxins such as smoke and chemicals leading to stress and trauma to the body.

This tour, which first began as a leisure activity, soon got me thinking of ways to apply my new found knowledge into an application for our line of work. Over the past couple of month we have developed a line of products that incorporates grape seed and olive squalane into five different products; a premium bar of soap, a moisturizer, a face mask, a lip gloss and a facial serum.

We plan on launching this line of premium products for the first time, exclusively at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto (quantities are limited). We also plan on offering this product to all our customers across Canada in the following months.

Pamela Caron

Back in the summer of 1999 a dear friend of mine had began experimenting with the process of making soap. I had taken several chemistry courses during my years at Concordia and was fascinated by the process. Together in my kitchen, we created a few small batches of unscented, pure, olive oil soaps.

After six weeks of curing, we had ourselves a nice supply of rare, high quality soaps. I soon realized that we had more than our family could ever use and decided to try and sell the excess at a small Christmas Bazaar. To my astonishment we sold all of our unscented soaps and realized that there was a demand for this sort of product. In the weeks to follow my husband and I created a company called Bare Basic Soap Company and began experimenting with the soap making process to further prefect the art of soap making. We began selling our soaps on a regular basis at small bazaars, flea markets and private events.

Over the years our line of products has grown to include naturally scented soaps, bath, spa and beauty products. We renamed our company Olive Authentique which now employs my husband and I, along with my three sons. As they say, the rest is history. I would like to thank all our devoted customers for standing by our sides and help shape the company to what it is today. Thank you!

Are All Handcrafted Soaps Created Equally?

Are all handcrafted soaps created equally? - No!

I would not wash my face with my laundry bar, nor would I use my Premium face soap to remove a stain on my shirt. More important than scent, exfoliates, or color, the characteristic of a soap (IE hardness, cleansing, conditioning, bubbly, creaminess) is dictated by the oils used to create it's base. For example the higher the content of coconut oil the more bubbly the soap. The more bubbly a soap is, the more drying it is to the skin.

The key to finding a good soap is to always read the ingredient list. Read what oils formulate the base and if present, where in the order of ingredients is coconut oil listed? If it is presented close to the top of the ingredients list, expect a very bubbly soap likely to dry your skin. Also, bear in mind that coconut oil is one of the cheapest plant oils used in the soap industry. Often its not about the bubble but the buck.