Elyse Glickman
Among the many Oscar weekend activities, the Clean Living Magazine Eco-Luxe Experience and Gifting Suite on March 1 and 2 was a stand-out. While the setting—a US$65 million Bel Air estate with million-dollar views—was particularly luxuriant, eco-lifestyle focused entrepreneurs, clever activations, and guided activities made for an afternoon rich in conversation and the exchange of ideas. It also did not hurt that the logoed totes were adorable and Fair Trade LA and the American Cancer Society were the charity sponsors.
While it was fun to chat with fellow journalists and influencers devoted to beauty and wellness enthusiasts and meet a variety of founders, inventors, and small business owners, we found several of them particularly noteworthy for what they bring to the ever-expanding and admittedly competitive field. Personal stories they shared about what inspired their products inspired curiosity and admiration for their just going for it in building their own businesses and making a mark on the world. Our favourite discoveries follow.
Ayuna: the founders, a technical director and director of training a prestigious cosmetics firm, decided after working together for nearly two decades that their respective knowledge and skills were best applied creating their own skin care brand. The minimalist-chic Spanish brand, which translates into English as less is beauty, represents a philosophy to skin care and self-care which customers around the globe can relate to.
Lunaescent: founder Raana Kashani Gregg was a cheerful presence when discussing how she developed her patent-pending skin care and make-up application tool. While firming and stimulating gua sha and jade rollers cover the market, she was proud to provide something new that would offset contamination and waste of skin care products and foundation. Her demos revealed one can use significantly less product more safely with her tool rather than fingers and traditional applicators, which can also unintentionally distribute unwanted bacteria, fungi, and other contaminants. Gregg explained that the tool’s exclusive touch-free design was the result of extensive testing to provide the user with the optimal beauty routine experience. The removable heads are easily cleaned, can be used warm or cold, and work one’s favourite creams, lotions, and serums, medicated skin care products, and sun protection.
Espieve: after 20 years of experience of being an æsthetician and as a mother of a child who suffered from eczema, Jamie Ortiz dedicated herself to formulating a line of sunscreens that were photo stable (not deteriorating in sunlight), chemical-free, and fast-absorbing without white residue. After some trial and error, she finalized the multi-tasking formulas that accomplished optimum sun-block protection that also leaves the user feeling clean and hydrated. In the mansion’s “beauty room”, she introduced guests to her tinted SPF in three blendable shades, and an extra wide and flat top cross-section brush that adds a dimension of luxury when quickly and evenly applying sunscreen.
Good Kitty Co.: there are times when intimacy without pain or discomfort, and maladies that come with being a woman, themselves seem like a fantasy. Dr Meghan Blake and Meghan Carozza recognized that even with the most thorough personal care, UTIs could surface. Rather than see the solution from a curative perspective, they wanted to come up with a line that allowed women to be proactive about reproductive health. Good Kitty begins with a proprietary medical grade formula that offsets infections and protects a woman’s existing microbiome to keep functions in balance. With stylish pendants (to have the supplements available on the go) and vanity-ready canisters, the “Megs” hope to empower women to embrace their womanhood while keeping it healthy.
Astor & Orion: just as one can judge the quality of an ice-cream by trying its vanilla, jewellery designer Karen Hartman offered guests a classic hoop earring style to demonstrate how fashionable an eco-accessories brand could be. Through the adoption of an innovative 3D sculpting technology originally developed for gaming and special effects, circular design philosophy, and third party certified production, Astor & Orion’s Hartman took waste and pollution out of her process of jewellery desgin to create a stylish collection in sterling silver and 18 ct gold plate that one could feel good about wearing.
Crafted by Carroll: this collection shows that environmentally friendly candles can be urbane and bold in both their fragrances and votive design. The candles are made with coco-soy wax and clean scents. There are also diffusers, room and linen sprays, and other aromatic goods available in original fragrances such as Eiland Girl, Roses & Rose, On Vacation, and My Time that are not your mother’s heavy floral or hippie-inspired experiences.
Simply Sue’s: Susan Giralico, the founder of Simply Sue’s, is living proof that it’s never too late to find fabulous skin care discoveries, share them with other women, and launch a luxurious but affordable collection. The collection, which includes body butters, lotions, body polish (scrubs), facial cleansers and facial serums, is formulated by and for women over 50—though there is plenty for women of all ages to enjoy. Giralco explains she blends scientific research with the power of high-quality natural ingredients. No fillers or harsh chemicals—just potent botanicals in cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, and sustainably packaged formulas that work in harmony with one’s skin.
While many of the products in the featured “clean living” lines were beautifully packaged, sustainable, practical, and covetable, the women behind them had inspiring stories about the life or health situations that prompted them to enter the market-place with confidence.
Elyse Glickman
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