Messenia has been producing top-quality olive oil for centuries. What’s newer — but equally impressive — is what local producers are now doing with it.
The cosmetics that come out of Messinia and the wider Peloponnese have a special quality: they’re based on real ingredients that this landscape produces in abundance. Olive oil, mountain herbs, beeswax, sea minerals. It’s not marketing — it’s what’s actually in the bottle.
If you’re looking for something to take with you that’s truly local, truly useful, and truly good, start here.
Messinian Spa
The most locally connected brand in the range — and one worth knowing before you go.
Messinian Spa is based on Kalamata olive oil — one of the most famous olive oils in Europe — combined with local honey, herbs and marine elements of the Messinian coast. The formulas are authentic: olive oil-based, effective, without synthetic ingredients.
Available at: Martins Gialova store.
Olivolio
If Messinian Spa has a luxury approach, Olivolio remains simple and practical. It is functional, high-quality olive oil cosmetics at affordable prices.
The range includes hand creams, lip balms, body lotions and soaps. All with extra virgin olive oil as the main ingredient, with simple formulas and practical packaging.
Ideal for gifts that will actually be used. The travel sets with hand cream and soap are among the most popular.
Apivita
Apivita is the oldest and most established brand in the Greek natural cosmetics sector — founded in Athens in 1979 with a focus on bee products and medicinal plants. It has become one of the most recognizable Greek cosmetics exports internationally.
The children’s sunscreen line (SPF 50+) is particularly useful if you arrive and discover that you underestimated the Greek sun.
MD Cosmetics
MD Cosmetics is themost specialized and premium lineof the range — pharmaceutical-grade skin care from Greek dermatologists, with a focus on sun protection and post-sun recovery.
Their SPF 50+ sunscreens are among the best in Greece: they are non-greasy, do not leave a white cast, and are sea-resistant. If you’ve ever struggled with heavy sunscreens that leave marks, the MD Cosmetics line is worth a try.
Available at: Martins Gialova store.
Why Buy Here
You can also find some of these brands in pharmacies and airports, but the range at the Martins Gialova store is specially selected for the needs of the Messinian summer — beach holidays, sun exposure, outdoor activities.