At the Queen Creek Olive Mill in Queen Creek, Arizona, an entire line of natural home and body care products are all made using olive oil right from the Rea family farm and created in the backyard studio. Using the freshest, high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil possible, all of the products are handcrafted in small batches and produced with unrefined, fair trade, biodegradable, cruelty-free, and raw ingredients. I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Brenda Rea , founder of Olivespa, to find out what inspired her to expand from olive oil to skincare, and to learn more about her fabulous signature brand.
Brenda, you have quite an interesting story. Please tell us about Queen Creek Olive Mill and why you decided to produce your own skincare line.
My husband and I, along with our four (soon to be five) children, moved to Arizona in 1997 with the dream of producing American extra virgin olive oil. We took various courses in California and in Italy and read up on olive growing and olive oil production, and soon planted our first grove. Around this time, I learned about using olive oil as a natural moisturizer for your skin, something that had been done for centuries. This was known to have many benefits and no negative side effects. This intrigued me, since we were now in the olive oil business, and I started experimenting with our olive oil. I began with body oil, then tried lip balm and then body butter. All of these were so well received by friends and family, and also by our Queen Creek Olive Mill customers, that I was encouraged to grow our line of all natural skin care products. At the time there were not a lot of options other than the conventional commercial brands, and I wanted to bring a healthy alternative to our friends, family, and customers.
Let’s talk about ingredients. Can you share your journey in finding the best quality ingredients and why that was important to you?
The ingredients in my products are the most important factor in what I do. Starting with a high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil – that is olives that are harvested early and therefore have a higher content of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and adding all-natural ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax and others. I search for the highest quality of each of these ingredients and purchase organic when possible. I use only pure essential oils and never synthetic fragrance oils.
What are your most popular products, and do you have any personal favorites that you use daily?
So many personal favorites! I create things that I want to use myself, or that someone in my family is requesting. My Face Line has become a favorite among Olivespa customers, and I use the nourishing Face Oil every morning and Ageless Face Night Oil every night. Bakuchi Oil is the star ingredient in the Ageless Face Night Oil. This acts as a natural alternative to retinol, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and enhancing overall firmness, without the irritation, dryness, and peeling that tends to come along with products containing retinoids. It really is exciting to find something that nature has provided all along! I also can’t be without one of my lip balms in my pocket, my hand salve for on the go hand relief, and olive oil soap as part of my daily routine.
What sets your skincare brand apart from others, and what are you proud of or most excited about?
Olivespa is truly all natural. Many brands claim to be but when you read the list of ingredients, there are things in there that I would question as being all natural. We use no preservatives and offer fresh, clean products that will feed and nourish your skin. I am excited to see that this trend is gaining traction – that people are starting to realize that what you put on your body is as important as what you put in your body. I have been doing all-natural since the early 2000’s when it was hard to find that option in stores. I think it’s so important for people’s health and wellness and I am happy to be a part of this movement – maybe even a pioneer.
Working in the olive oil industry and producing your own is quite unique. Is there any bit of information you could share with us that we should know about olive oil and some of the healing properties it carries?
Our olive trees get harvested once a year, here in Arizona, this happens during late fall and can spill over into the new year. The timing of the harvest and the milling are important in creating a high-quality extra virgin olive oil. With the farm and milling operation right here in Arizona, we are lucky to be able to use this fresh oil in our skin care products.
Olive oil contains powerful antioxidants such as vitamin E and polyphenols, which help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. These antioxidants have anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. For the same reasons that it is an important addition to your diet, it is also important when used topically in skin care. Besides its moisturizing and nourishing properties, extra virgin olive oil can help hydrate the skin, reduce inflammation, and protect against damage from UV radiation.
Anything else you would like to tell our readers?
Our products are available at The Queen Creek Olive Mill if you are ever visiting Arizona – Queencrekolivemill.com – also available at Olivespa.com, and soon to be available at our own brick and mortar store in central Phoenix, opening sometime in the next couple of months.
