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Looking for an honest Oliveda review? After testing dozens of clean beauty brands, I finally gave the products a try. Here’s everything you need to know about Oliveda, including the best and worst products.
The clean beauty industry has grown tremendously in the last decade, and for good reason! I’ve been passionate about safe and effective clean products free of known harmful ingredients for over a decade, and love researching and testing well formulated products.
Oliveda has seen tremendous growth since it hit the US market in 2023. Naturally, as a big fan of clean beauty, I decided to put the products to the test. I was very interested in some of the antioxidant compounds from olive leaf extracts, most notably hydroxytyrosol. Now, after testing the brand for quite some time, I decided to put together a comprehensive Oliveda skin care review to share which products are a hit, and which are a miss. This is 100% unpaid and honest (no biases here because I’m not promoting it as a consultant), so I’m giving it to you straight!
Jump to:
What is Oliveda?
Oliveda is a German-based wellness company that specializes in skincare and cosmetic products formulated with extracts of the olive tree. The name Oliveda comes from the Latin Word for olive, which is the main ingredient in all of their products. The company emphasizes the use of olive tree leaves, olive oil, and extracts derived from the olive tree to improve skin, microbiome, and oral health.
Oliveda is part of Olive Tree People umbrella brand, which was founded by Thomas Lommel. He developed the first Oliveda product in 2001, the I01 Elixir, after personally experiencing the positive effects of olive tree extracts. After 20 years of success in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and additional European markets, Oliveda launched in the United States in March 2023.
Oliveda incorporates antioxidants, polyphenols, and other natural compounds found in olives in their products, specifically hydroxytyrosol. They currently cultivate and protect large portions of mountain olive trees in the Arroyomolinos de León region in Spain, which is where they source their olive tree extracts.
What is Waterless Beauty?
“Waterless” beauty, according to Oliveda, refers to beauty and skincare products that are formulated without water as a primary ingredient. Some conventional cosmetic products contain mostly water or fillers such as mineral oils, vegetable oils, and waxes, which do not have active benefits for the skin. Waterless beauty products aim to reduce or eliminate the need for water in formulations.
The waterless beauty movement started in South Korea, and has gained popularity in recent years mostly because of the demand for more sustainable and eco-friendly products. Waterless products typically help conserve water and contain less weight and packaging, which decreases shipping demands.
It’s important to note that while Oliveda uses waterless beauty as part of their marketing, most of the products DO contain water, which is the result of how they process the olive extracts. Ingredient labels always list contents in order of the amount that’s in a product. Many of the top Oliveda products have water as the second or third ingredient, so it’s still significant component of some of the products regardless of how it got there. They also do use filler oils like refined vegetable oils including corn oil and hydrogenated vegetable oil.
In general, I do find their products to be thicker since oils and butters make up a significant portion of their formulations. This thickness works well for my dry skin, especially for nighttime skin care.
Is Waterless Skin Care Good?
Waterless beauty products contain butters, oils, and active ingredients, which can be incredibly beneficial for your skin. Some companies intentionally formulate products without water because it’s environmentally friendly and offers a concentrated dose of ingredients.
But, just because a product doesn’t contain water doesn’t automatically make it better or more effective. How your skin reacts to certain ingredients or formulations—whether they have water as the first ingredient or not—is unique to you and your needs.
From an evidence based perspective, there is no downside to including water in skin care products. Water is used to emulsify formulations to improve texture and consistency. It helps with application, hydration, and texture, and is important for dissolving water-soluble actives (like vitamin C) so they work better on your skin. There are many clean beauty companies now that do not use unsafe preservatives, mineral oils, or waxes. Formulations that are waterless or not can be safe, concentrated, provide clear and effective results, and follow sustainable practices.
Is Oliveda a Clean Beauty Brand?
Oliveda markets itself as a natural skin care company. Because they are based in Europe, they are subject to stricter cosmetic safety regulations. Currently, there are over 1700 unsafe cosmetic ingredients banned in the EU, while the US only regulates the use of 11 chemicals.
While Oliveda does use a variety of safe and effective natural and synthetic ingredients, there are a few to review that could be problematic for people. First up, Oliveda includes parfum (fragrance) and aroma all throughout their product line. While the EU has stricter regulations around fragrance and actively requires 80 allergens to be individually labeled, there’s still a lack of transparency with exactly what’s in their formulations.
Oliveda also uses propylene glycol, which is derived from petroleum. While generally considered safe, it was deemed the “2018 Allergen of the Year” because of its tendency to induce irritation, redness, and allergic skin reactions. Lastly, Oliveda has retinol (or retinol palmitate, a derivative of vitamin A) in one product, which research suggests may may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight.
Currently, there are no transparency statements about the ingredients Oliveda proactively doesn’t include, and no clear information about how they test for heavy metals or other contaminants. They also claim to be organic, but the organic ingredients are not annotated on the label, and there are ingredients, including synthetic solvents, that clearly cannot be organic. This isn’t a problem with safety, but instead a problem with transparency, marketing, and accuracy.
This does not mean Oliveda isn’t doing all the right things, it just means there is more work to be done on providing this information to the US consumer.
Oliveda Skincare Review: Best & Worst Products
Oliveda is positioned as a holistic brand that harnesses the benefits of olive tree compounds and extracts, and they stay true to this. The main active ingredient they use in their products is hydroxytyrosol, which is a phenolic compound with antioxidant properties. While they say they are waterless, water is still a significant component of Research suggests it may help support cell regeneration and reduce the signs of aging, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Here is a comprehensive review of Oliveda products and what I use in my skin care routine personally:
Cell Active Serum Face
The Cell Active Serum Face (face serum?) is one of the most popular products from Oliveda. It’s a concentrated dose of olive leaf extract, which is rich in hydroxytyrosol, and contains a small amount of vitamin C.
The good:
- Thick and concentrated—a little goes a long way!
- Great for all skin types. I have sensitive skin and this works well for me.
- Easy to rotate into your existing skin care routine—especially if you want to bring in hydroxytryosol in your treatment step.
The bad:
- The consistency is a little off putting. The brown liquid doesn’t always stay evenly mixed.
- The fragrance is strong and may be a problem for people who are sensitive.
Anti Aging Face Cream
If you’re looking for a powerful nighttime moisturizer with olive tree extracts, this is it! The Anti-Aging Face Cream is rich in olive polyphenols oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. It also has avocado oil and shea butter, which makes it incredibly thick and luxurious. THIS IS MY FAVORITE! I use a few times a week overtop of my regular moisturizer.
The good:
- Very thick and moisturizing. I often use this for gua sha facial massage!
- Great for dry skin. I use this as a night cream when my skin is red or overly dry.
- The price point is great on this. A little goes a long way!
The bad:
- This can be a bit heavy, especially for people who have oily or acne-prone skin.
Honey Enzyme Face Mask
The Honey Enzyme Face Mask is rich in olive fruit oil, olive leaf extract, honey, and papain, which is an enzyme that acts as an exfoliant. I find it to be a great mask for reducing redness, and revealing bright, resurfaced skin. It’s great for sensitive skin, and only needs to be used 1x a week.
The good:
- Has a good concentration of olive fruit oil and olive leaf extract. I like that this also includes resurfacing enzymes, which leaves it feeling soft.
- Easy to use and effective—it’s very moisturizing!
- Good for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
The bad:
- The texture is smooth, but sticky. It also has a green hue. I’d recommend removing with a dark wash cloth.
Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream
Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream is great to use alongside the Anti-Aging Face Cream. It’s rich in olive fruit oil, olive leaf extract, and shea butter. It helps to improve puffiness under the eyes, and protects against environmental damage that can make eyes look tired.
The good:
- One of my favorite eye creams to date. It’s very moisturizing. I seem to react to eye creams, and this one works great for my skin!
- A little goes a long way! You only need a dab.
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
The bad:
- It doesn’t absorbed extremely well. Because of the thickness, it sits on top of my skin unless I really rub it in.
What I Don’t Love
- Olive Core Face Peeling: I had high hopes for this, but I noticed no change to my skin after using this. As someone with dry skin, I love a good exfoliator. I typically notice a huge different after using cleansing brushes and physical and chemical exfoliators. But this did not exfoliate my skin. There are no chemical exfoliators (like resurfacing acids) in this product, so it’s more like a scrub, not a peel.
- Activating Facial Toner: This didn’t do much for me. Toners typically need to have multiple astringents and/or resurfacing acids to help tone skin and prep it for the next step in skin care. This felt more like water, and I didn’t notice any astringent effects.
- Corrective Eye Cream: This didn’t provide any results in how my under eyes appeared in the short or long term.
Oliveda FAQs
Do any celebrities use Oliveda?
Gigi Hadid has sung the praises of Oliveda publicly, and noted that she made the switch to Oliveda products during her pregnancy in a video published as part of Vogue’s Beauty Secrets series. She said she specifically enjoyed using the skin care products, including the cleansers and moisturizers.
Who owns Oliveda?
Oliveda is owned by Thomas Lommel, who is a self proclaimed olive tree farmer. He developed the first Oliveda product in 2001 after personally experiencing the positive effects of olive tree extracts. The company was originally founded in Germany, and is now based in California.
What is hydroxytyrosol?
Hydroxytyrosol is a simple phenolic compound naturally occurring in olives and olive oil. It belongs to a class of compounds known as polyphenols, which are antioxidants that have potential health benefits both internally and topically. When applied to the skin, hydroxytyrosol may have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties.
Is Oliveda sold in stores?
No. Oliveda is currently not available in US stores. You can purchase the products through their website.
Final Thoughts
My Oliveda review comes after a lot of personal testing and research. I’ve been in the clean beauty space for over 10 years, and love experimenting with new products and active ingredients.
Hydroxytyrosol is becoming much more popular in the beauty industry, and many are excited to experiment with it. Historically, hydroxytyrosol has been hard to source, but Oliveda is changing that. I think Oliveda is definitely worth it if you’re looking to rotate in skin care products that utilize olive tree extracts. Personally, I don’t use it on a daily basis as I see better results from brand with more active ingredients. But, I do love rotating a few of the products in!
The products utilize shea butter, avocado oil, beeswax, honey, seed oils, and fruit extracts. Oliveda makes one of the only eye creams I’ve been able to tolerate, so it’s great for sensitive skin! Choose from the list above, and you’ll likely see good results.
Tammy Flynn says
if you did more research, you would find out that the retinol is a natural retinol from Bakuchiol a Plant so they don’t
use retinol and fragrance is derived from Essential Oils
Noelle Tarr, NTP, CPT says
Hi Tammy! Good news—I did extensive research on this! 🙂 While there is a product that use bakuchiol (an ingredient I’m a huge fan of), the F65 Corrective Midnight Elixir contains vitamin A as an active ingredient. You’ll see on the ingredients list “retinol” is listed as the 8th ingredient. The Green Face Elixir contains bakuchiol, which is an herb that can help stimulate collagen production in the skin and has anti-aging effects. Even though it’s marketed as natural retinol, it’s not at all related to retinol. Also, my point about the undisclosed parfum (fragrance) is just that—it’s undisclosed. Just because something is an essential oil doesn’t make it safe. There are many essential oils that are not safe for skin use, or can cause reactions for certain people. I think we can both agree transparency is incredibly important, especially when it comes to what goes on our skin. Again, I’m not saying Oliveda is doing anything wrong, but that there’s still work to be done in how things are disclosed and marketed. I hope that helps!
Mary says
Do you have any recommendations for rosacea? I am thinking of trying the Oliveda line.
Kate S says
You mentioned you react to other eye creams. What is that reaction? I’m finding I don’t do well with them either and am looking for alternatives.
Noelle Tarr, NTP, CPT says
I’ve actually heard this a lot so it tends to be pretty common! Even though I don’t have any allergies, quite a few eye creams have given me eyelid dermatitis. I get red, swollen eyelids and itchiness.