She’s branching out. Katina Mountanos is the founder and CEO of Kosterina, a premium olive oil brand that’s expanding from foodie to beauty with its new skincare line. She was raised in Greece, where olive oil is the staple of every dinner, self-care routine, and even baptism (more on that later). That’s why Katina’s goal was to create a high-quality product that tastes amazing, has incredible health benefits, and, most importantly, brings people together.

Why olive oil?
My family comes from a small town in Greece called Koroni that’s very well known for olive oil production, so I grew up with it at the center of every meal. We imported it [to the US] from our family farms, but when we ran out, I went to the market in New York City to buy more, and I was honestly like, “This tastes disgusting.” So I became obsessed with finding good olive oil here. I conducted a survey and discovered 90% of people actually have no idea what kind of olive oil brand they use, but nearly 100% of households have it in their kitchen. I thought that was an opportunity to create a brand that stands for high-quality olive oil in the US, and being from the place that makes some of the best olive oil in the world gave me the authenticity to do that.

Is olive oil good for us?
When harvested early, olives can bring you amazing health benefits. They preserve these natural antioxidants called polyphenols that have been proven to reduce risk of almost all chronic diseases, like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Literally just 2 to 3 teaspoons can have a tremendous impact on your health!

The olive oil industry can be poorly regulated. What should we know about that?
There was a study done in 2010 that showed 70% of olive oils on grocery store shelves weren’t even extra virgin, and in some cases, not even olive oil! They were like vegetable oils mixed with chlorophyll. To get good olive oil, you must harvest an olive early, but not a lot of juice comes out when you squeeze it. A lot of juice does come out once it’s ripe, though, so most producers wait to sell it until then. That’s what makes early harvest olive oil more expensive, and why price can be a really good indicator of quality.

What does extra virgin mean?
Extra virgin just means it’s the first press of the olive. So if you squeeze it once, it’s extra virgin. If you squeeze it a second time, it’s virgin. And if you squeeze it a third or fourth time, it’s called “pure,” ironically.

What inspired you to sell beauty products made with olive oil?
Olive oil has been used on skin and hair in the Mediterranean for thousands of years, and the hydration benefits are really impressive. I grew up putting it in my face creams because my mom and aunts always told me to. And once a week, we’d soak our hair in it as a deep moisturizer before washing it. We even baptize our babies in olive oil! Our face oil has extra virgin olive oil but also mastiha, a type of tree sap with collagen reproductive properties that grows only on one island in Greece. It smells amazing and is meant to transport you to the Mediterranean. We also have an extra virgin oil balm that’s good to use on your lips, under eyes, hands, and any other dry spots.

What other unique products have you launched?
I stumbled upon a study that said the antioxidant content in dark chocolate, when consumed at the same time as extra virgin olive oil, actually creates significant heart health benefits. So I started working on our chocolate bar recipe with a pastry chef. There’s something about putting olive oil in dark chocolate that makes it less bitter and really creamy. We also launched a line of balsamic vinegars, and we do a fresh olive oil cake that’s the perfect breakfast cake or complement to coffee. Our goal is to only launch binge-worthy products that are delicious yet healthy.