The Story Behind O-Lyf
The O-Lyf story is one of creativity, innovation, determination and friendship.
Circular beauty
Supporting the circular economy
Slow & authentic beauty
Products that actually work and deliver visible results
Minimalism
Only the ingredients
your skin needs
The O-Lyf Story
The O-Lyf story is one of creativity, innovation, determination and friendship.
Our story began in 2015 when we had the idea of upcycling antioxidant-rich olive pomace from a friend’s olive farm, to use in skincare products. Olive pomace, a by-product obtained from the pressing of virgin olive oil, contains over 98% of the polyphenols found in olives as well as some other beneficial compounds such as squalene and vitamin E.
Three and a half years and a PhD degree later, we had researched the properties of olive pomace, developed a method to extract selected bioactive compounds from the pomace and to characterise the water-soluble and oil-soluble extracts we obtained. In 2022 O-lyf, a natural-based skincare brand with a range of products containing our unique olive extracts, was born.
The O-Lyf Founders
Drs. Marthie and Nicole’s journey is one of friendship, expertise, and a shared vision for sustainable skincare.
Dr. Marthie Postma-Botha’s career began as a pharmacist with diverse experience across the private and public sectors, including retail, hospitals, and medicinal product manufacturing. In her 40s she shifted her focus to sustainable skincare, earning a master’s degree in assessing plant-derived ingredients as safe alternatives to toxic chemicals in cosmetics. This led to her doctoral research on extracting bioactive compounds from olive pomace—a waste product from olive oil pressing—unlocking its powerful antioxidant properties for skincare.
Dr. Nicole Vorster, a university lecturer and research chemist, shares Marthie’s passion for innovation. After completing her doctorate in Chemistry, she transitioned to consumer product formulation and earned a diploma in Cosmetic Formulation. It was during the supervision of Marthie’s doctoral research that Nicole recognized the skincare potential of olive pomace extracts. Together, their shared vision and expertise led to the creation of O-Lyf, a luxury natural skincare brand harnessing the power of these unique extracts.
In 2016, Marthie and Nicole’s groundbreaking work won them an innovation award through the Gauteng Accelerator Program, solidifying their commitment to sustainability and transforming their research into a thriving brand.
Our Key Ingredients
