It could be said that olive oil is having a moment. Jennifer Lopez has been publicly crediting the stuff for her preternaturally radiant 51-year-old skin (though the social media jury isn’t entirely convinced); cool, niche olive oil companies like Brightland are making a bottle of it more giftable than ever; and, amidst a growing wave of fad eating strategies, the Mediterranean diet, which has always cast olive oil in a starring role, was voted the best overall diet by US News & World Report for the third year in a row.
So while many new wellness brands tend to clamor for the latest buzzy ingredient, upstart Saint Supply is hedging its bets on this tried-and-true superfood instead. Its first product, dubbed Living Elixir, is an olive oil meant to be consumed, by itself, on a daily basis.
But Living Elixir is no ordinary store-bought oil: it comes from olives that are judiciously hand-picked from rare, centuries-old trees in the Olympia region of southern Greece. It also, in its chic matte black bottle, happens to be very easy on the eyes. It’s the champagne of olive oil. Our Living Elixir has ten times more polyphenols than other olive oils. The oil’s levels of polyphenols (a group of antioxidants that offer protection from free radical damage), plus its squalane, plant sterols, and Vitamin E, are all analyzed and validated within three hours of bottling by the most up-to-date laboratory testing. These rare organic olives are basically giving us the powerhouse of these supportive vital nutrients and antioxidants. So what exactly do they support? A lot, it turns out. Saint Supply’s supercharged olive oil, which has a velvety mouthfeel and a pleasing peppery bite, maintains a healthy heart, supports the immune system (more important than ever nowadays), aids in relaxation (also more important than ever nowadays), improves mental clarity, promotes healthy digestive function, and soothes inflammation. And the squalane works to stimulate healthy collagen connectivity, and that’s the skin elasticity that delays the signs of aging on the skin.
Which begs the question: Besides drinking it, can we also put it directly on our skin? Sure, insists Vlachonis, who likes to press a bit into her skin in the evening, but the real power of their elixir, she explains, comes with daily sipping. Studies have shown that to experience optimal benefits, your dose should be consumed within two hours of waking up, but the goal of Saint Supply is for people to find their own “moment,” for it, no matter what that is. For me it’s a morning ritual, so I’ll take my shot when I break my [12-14 hour] fast and meditate, then have a glass of water, maybe some juice, walnuts and my coffee. But for some people they like to put it in a smoothie and others are in too much of a rush in the morning and want to do it before bed.
