Christine Esposito, Managing Editor11.02.21
The connection between eating well and beauty is stronger than ever. Now, Katerina “Katina” Mountanos is taking her expertise in specialty foods into the beauty space by extending her olive oil business Kosterina into skin care.
“I truly think of both food and beauty products as wellness products,” Mountanos told Happi in an interview just ahead of her company’s launch of two new skin care products under the Kosterina Beauty banner.
Mountanos started her food business in 2016 after she couldn’t find a proper substitute for the fresh Greek extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) she and her husband enjoyed from their families' olive trees in Southern Greece. Mountanos and her husband (Kostas) partnered with farmers in the region to develop a premium EVOO for the US market. Today, Kosterina oils can be found in shops like Whole Foods.
Mountanos is an olive oil sommelier, so she knows her oils—but she has extensive experience in beauty, too. She has held positions in marketing and new brand development at L’Oréal and also co-founded a startup company called Manicube, an in-office beauty and grooming service acquired by Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa in 2015, She was also a GM of BeautyBar.com, a prestige beauty e-commerce retail company.
According to Mountanos, olive oil’s status as a superfood and a key component of health and longevity inspired her to expand into beauty. But she didn’t need to see data from a lab; she grew up seeing this “generational secret ingredient” work wonders for her aunts and mother.
Her ancestors, most of whom lived to be well over 90 years old, had the best skin she’d ever seen. Mountanos watched her mother drizzle EVOO into her face creams and massage it into her hair as well. Olive oil was present on vanities just as much as it was in the kitchen.
Mountanos spent three years developing Kosterina Beauty products.
“Our products are very natural and free of toxins—which makes it very difficult to formulate. It’s much easier to formulate using emulsifiers and all the common but sometimes unhealthy ingredients found in skin care products today. We have very high standards for our brand and customers,” she said.
“Our approach is very similar across food and beauty,” she insisted, noting Kosterina’s “high bar” for quality.
For example, the company’s extra virgin olive oil must come from only Koroneiki single variety olives, which naturally have a very high antioxidant content and a polyphenol content of more than 400 mg/kg. It also uses only organic farming methods. The taste and smell must be outstanding, too.
The brand says it takes a similar approach with skin care.
“Only high antioxidant Kosterina extra virgin olive oil can be used,” Mountanos said. “We use only natural or naturally-derived ingredients. We do not allow for any potentially toxic or hormone-disrupting ingredients and our whole line is and will be emulsifier-free. And the products must smell incredible and feel luxurious on the skin.”
Kosterina Beauty’s debut products are an Extra Virgin Hydrating Face Oil and an Extra Virgin Hydrating Oil Balm.
They also contain lachestim, a restorative oil from the sap of Mastic trees, which are only grown on the Greek island of Chios.
“There are a lot of reasons lachestim is so special,” said Mountanos. “To start, it is a restorative oil from the sap of Mastic trees, which are only grown on the Greek island of Chios. It is an ancient remedy that has made its way into modern day skin care as an active ingredient, prized for its therapeutic and corrective benefits. Specifically, lachestim is known to boost collagen production in the skin, reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles, soothe irritated skin, reduce excess shine and improve the radiance of skin.”
Mountanos also pointed to the formulation’s incorporation of olive-derived squalene, which is extremely hydrating, nourishes dry skin and protects against premature aging. Additionally, it contains quercetin, which is known to regenerate cells and restore the skin.
“While olive oil has been used in skin care before, we know we are the only brand to use such a high-quality, early harvest, high-antioxidant EVOO in skin care products,” she insisted.
Currently, Kosterina Beauty products are sold on the company’s website, https://www.kosterina.com/, where shoppers can also pick up oils and vinegars for cooking, as well as cake and chocolate.
The new beauty products launched on November 2, and additional body and skin care products are reportedly in the works.
Mountanos has big plans for Kosterina.
“My passion has always been to build a wellness platform with the Mediterranean lifestyle as the focal point,” she concluded.
“I truly think of both food and beauty products as wellness products,” Mountanos told Happi in an interview just ahead of her company’s launch of two new skin care products under the Kosterina Beauty banner.
Mountanos started her food business in 2016 after she couldn’t find a proper substitute for the fresh Greek extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) she and her husband enjoyed from their families' olive trees in Southern Greece. Mountanos and her husband (Kostas) partnered with farmers in the region to develop a premium EVOO for the US market. Today, Kosterina oils can be found in shops like Whole Foods.
Mountanos is an olive oil sommelier, so she knows her oils—but she has extensive experience in beauty, too. She has held positions in marketing and new brand development at L’Oréal and also co-founded a startup company called Manicube, an in-office beauty and grooming service acquired by Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa in 2015, She was also a GM of BeautyBar.com, a prestige beauty e-commerce retail company.
According to Mountanos, olive oil’s status as a superfood and a key component of health and longevity inspired her to expand into beauty. But she didn’t need to see data from a lab; she grew up seeing this “generational secret ingredient” work wonders for her aunts and mother.
Her ancestors, most of whom lived to be well over 90 years old, had the best skin she’d ever seen. Mountanos watched her mother drizzle EVOO into her face creams and massage it into her hair as well. Olive oil was present on vanities just as much as it was in the kitchen.
Mountanos spent three years developing Kosterina Beauty products.
“Our products are very natural and free of toxins—which makes it very difficult to formulate. It’s much easier to formulate using emulsifiers and all the common but sometimes unhealthy ingredients found in skin care products today. We have very high standards for our brand and customers,” she said.
“Our approach is very similar across food and beauty,” she insisted, noting Kosterina’s “high bar” for quality.
For example, the company’s extra virgin olive oil must come from only Koroneiki single variety olives, which naturally have a very high antioxidant content and a polyphenol content of more than 400 mg/kg. It also uses only organic farming methods. The taste and smell must be outstanding, too.
The brand says it takes a similar approach with skin care.
“Only high antioxidant Kosterina extra virgin olive oil can be used,” Mountanos said. “We use only natural or naturally-derived ingredients. We do not allow for any potentially toxic or hormone-disrupting ingredients and our whole line is and will be emulsifier-free. And the products must smell incredible and feel luxurious on the skin.”
Kosterina Beauty’s debut products are an Extra Virgin Hydrating Face Oil and an Extra Virgin Hydrating Oil Balm.
They also contain lachestim, a restorative oil from the sap of Mastic trees, which are only grown on the Greek island of Chios.
“There are a lot of reasons lachestim is so special,” said Mountanos. “To start, it is a restorative oil from the sap of Mastic trees, which are only grown on the Greek island of Chios. It is an ancient remedy that has made its way into modern day skin care as an active ingredient, prized for its therapeutic and corrective benefits. Specifically, lachestim is known to boost collagen production in the skin, reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles, soothe irritated skin, reduce excess shine and improve the radiance of skin.”
Mountanos also pointed to the formulation’s incorporation of olive-derived squalene, which is extremely hydrating, nourishes dry skin and protects against premature aging. Additionally, it contains quercetin, which is known to regenerate cells and restore the skin.
“While olive oil has been used in skin care before, we know we are the only brand to use such a high-quality, early harvest, high-antioxidant EVOO in skin care products,” she insisted.
Currently, Kosterina Beauty products are sold on the company’s website, https://www.kosterina.com/, where shoppers can also pick up oils and vinegars for cooking, as well as cake and chocolate.
The new beauty products launched on November 2, and additional body and skin care products are reportedly in the works.
Mountanos has big plans for Kosterina.
“My passion has always been to build a wellness platform with the Mediterranean lifestyle as the focal point,” she concluded.