A Story Rooted in the Olive Tree.
My father, Pappou, was born in the mountains of Northern Greece. After surviving World War II and the Greek Civil War, his family immigrated to the United States in search of stability and peace. He eventually settled in Northern California, drawn instinctively to its familiar climate and rugged terrain.
Years later, we discovered something extraordinary: Camino, California—where Pappou planted nearly 400 olive trees by hand using only a pickax—and his childhood village in Greece share almost identical latitude and elevation. He often said Camino reminded him of home.
For more than two decades, he carefully cultivated Arbequina and Kalamata olives. Each fall, our family harvested the fruit by hand and pressed it into oil. Pappou named it Eleon Theon—The Oil of God.
A Blessing, Passed On.
Today, as Pappou lives with Alzheimer’s, we have taken over the care of the trees he so lovingly tended. A few years ago, I began using our olive oil on my skin and was struck by its richness and vitality. Strangers would often ask what I used. When I answered, olive oil, they smiled—always intrigued.
That curiosity sparked a vision.
Elia was born from the belief that something so pure, sacred, and time-honored deserved a new expression. Using our family-grown olive oil—naturally rich in antioxidants—we created a skincare line blended with earth-based ingredients inspired by Greece.
When I shared this idea with my father, although he could no longer speak, he smiled.
In that smile, I saw his blessing.
— Marta Simopoulos Pickens, Founder
