History
Since antiquity virgin olive oil has been considered a precious and irreplaceable gift of nature. The Egyptians and the Greeks attributed its origin to the intervention of gods. They took full advantage of its great alimentary, curative and cosmetic properties.

Virgin Olive Oil
Today modern science has recognised not only the extraordinary qualities of virgin olive oil, but also its properties as the best and most important fat in the dietetic field, in medicine as well as in cosmetology. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used it pure or amalgamated with ground herbs as basic medication. Many formulas of ancient Rome, for health and beauty, were based on the properties of virgin olive oil; the ideal cosmetic for skin, balsam for hair, lenitive ointment, saver of health and youth.  Olive oil with its endless virtues , was always precious beyond its purely nutritional values. In ancient civilizations balsams, ointments and cosmetics were obtained from it. The Egyptian papyrus of Ebers, a medical and scientific document, contains an anti-aging formula for the skin care of the beautiful Egyptian women, composed of olive oil, in which milk, finely grinded incense seeds, wax and cypress berries are mixed together. The beauty treatment, using the above amalgamated ingredients, was to last at least six consecutive days. Effective result was assured. Massages with olive oil to relax the muscles of Greek athletes or, in Rome, after a session in steam baths in order to recover vigour, were common. Thus, through centuries the olive tree has kept an important role in the making of remedies in popular medicine, and in those commonly defined as "grandmother's remedies". These basic principles today rediscovered show that nature represents an inexhaustible source of healthy virtues.

Which are the active components, contained in olive oil, that prove themselves to be precious allies in the care and beauty of our skin?
Squalene, phytosterols and tocopherols, may seem incomprehensible. They are substances with emollient, protective, softening and restorative properties. Olive oil is effective as a nutrient also for oily skins, thanks to its high degree of acidity. Modern cosmetology rediscovers today the high value of natural raw materials such as olive oil. Many products easier to use and more effective than grandmother's remedies have come to the market. Toilet soaps with the purest olive oil are particularly suited for delicate and chappy skins, as well as for children's fragile skin. Bath oils are more delicate than bubble bath, they cleanse in depth without drying skin, and counteract the dehydrating effects of hard water. After a shower, they leave skin smooth and soft.

Diet and Beauty
As doctors keep reminding us, face, body and hair's beauty is maintained in time, other than by proper treatment, also, and first of all, by a careful diet. Today we know that the cause of aging is to be attributed to free radicals which oxidize and damage the cells. These cells, if the organism is kept in full efficiency, are in a position to contrast the damages caused by free radicals. They use anti-oxidant substances such us vitamin C, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids. It is therefore necessary to introduce regularly these natural substances in our diet if we want to help our body to combat aging. The Mediterranean diet is particularly adapted since it never lacks in fresh food, fruit and vegetable. Red and yellow colored aliments are particularly rich in vitamin C. As a condiment, we should always prefer olive oil , rich in vitamin E, in addition to this, a valuable ally of our beauty and above all of our health.