Furtuna Skin Founder Agatha Relota Luczo Is An Olive Oil “Sommelier”

Sometimes it’s the smallest changes that can make a big impact. This rings especially true when it comes to one’s health. In TZR’s series Step-By-Step, tastemakers speak to the minor moves that can lead to mighty changes.

The most transformative formulas are often the simplest. Just ask Agatha Relota Luczo, who’s built her wellness routine and career around the simplest ingredient: olive oil. As a former model, Relota Luczo spent years experimenting with various products and brands, which she says helped “widen her horizon” on what was out on the market.

“My theory beforehand was always to lean organic, but when I became pregnant with our first child, I really realized what that means,” she explains in a recent interview with TZR. “It really hit me in that moment that what you put on your skin is as equally as important as what you eat because, I think like 80% of what you put on your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream, and then, when you're pregnant, that means that it's going to your baby as well. So what you do put on your skin matters.”

As a long time lover and sommelier of olive oil, Relota Luczo had always been aware of the natural healing powers of the natural ingredient. It’s rich in antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation and result in more radiant skin. It can also be crucial in maintaining heart health and kill harmful bacteria. With this knowledge and first-hand experience under her belt, Luczo and her husband Steve broke ground on La Furtuna Farm in 2013, cultivating land in Corleone, Sicily for olive oil production, which they bottle and sell under the Bona Furtuna brand. Then, in 2019, Relota Luczo took things a step further, and created Furtuna Skin, a beauty label centered around natural ingredients, including — that’s right — olive oil.

In fact, the brand’s hero product, the Biphase Moisturizing Oil has hit cult status in a relatively short amount of time, largely due to its soothing blend of olive oil and nutrient-rich olive leaf water. “There is nothing that compares to the Biphase oil,” writes one user in an online review. “It’s super hydrating without clogging the pores and once applied goes into the skin immediately. My skin is always glowing.” Doubling down on the transformative powers of olive oil, Furtuna’s entire product roster, from the Cleansing Oil Balm to the Triple Active Exfoliator, all contain the ingredient.

And while all great entrepreneurs will typically be quick to talk the talk in touting their products, Relota Luczo really does walk the walk, as well. Olive oil serves a regular purpose in her day-to-day life, from treating her kid’s ear aches (an ancient remedy she learned from her grandmother) to a top-of-the-morning supplement she sips straight from a spoon. Yes, you heard that right. Every morning, the beauty guru takes a shot of extra virgin olive with a squeeze of lemon juice. “I do feel it helps with just health, you're building your immunity,” says Relota Luczo. “I also see a difference with my hair and the shine and the skin.”

Because of the subtle working nature of the oil, the former model insists that consistency is key when applying the ingredient to your beauty or wellness routine. Just like the the regenerative farm that harvests Furtuna Skin’s and Bona Furtuna’s premium ingredients, the founder says “regenerative beauty” is all about taking a more holistic approach to your skin and body health. “When you think about it, with regenerative beauty, you start thinking about What am I putting on my skin? How's this going to affect my health and my longevity for the longterm?,” she says. “I think, then, it shifts the conversation of anti-aging so it becomes more preventative. Everyone is all about anti-aging, and how do I prevent the wrinkles and boost up the collagen? And I think all of these steps help in anti-aging and also help you age more gracefully and accepting aging as well.”