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Thursday, April 28, 2011

We're talking about face oils...yes, oil on your face!

Let's talk about oils and your face!  Does the thought of applying oil onto your skin instantly make you break out?  I am going to change your mind and convert you.  Oh, how I hope!

Many of us, perhaps even most of us have been told to stay away from oily creams and moisturizers in order to keep our skin blemish, smooth and wrinkle free.  We have been taught that oil is our enemy and anything that contains an oil base should be avoided like a birthday party for four year olds!  What many of us fail to realize is your cream or lotion with the "oil free" caption sitting in your bathroom cabinet is actually loaded with oil.  It's probably a petrochemical, a mineral oil, animal oil (fat) or even a good oil that has been chemically extracted and therefore has lost its potent antioxidant benefits.  How else does one create a cream, if not for emulsifying an oil and liquid formula?  We all know that oil and water don't mix.  Don't feel silly, it's not your fault that you never knew the liquid by-product to produce gasoline from crude oil was in your oil-free face lotion.  Cosmetic companies are not in a hurry to let you in on that fact.   Not many are adding glossaries with their long list of ingredients to help you to decipher the language either.  Now you know,  you have been using oil all along and you can just imagine if petroleum can fire up your car every morning it can't be good for the health of your skin.  Now that you know better you can do better. 

As we learn more and more about health and nutrition, we have discovered that oils are in fact, amazing for your skin!  That is if you believe that antioxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids fight free radicals, help with cell renewal and slows the signs of aging.  I was never the type to run away from oil since my fabulous Grandmother cured my every childhood ailment with olive oil.  From cradle cap to a chest cold, my Abuelita (Spanish for Grandmother) always had a spoonful of pure, cold pressed olive oil for me to ingest.  She even taught me that applying a little olive oil to your eyelashes keeps them thick and healthy and a few drops to your hair produces a gorgeous shine enviable by the rich woman who just spent a fortune at the salon.  In case you didn't know, my Abuelita was a genius! 

When I discovered argan oil I knew that I had hit the jackpot in an oil so full of nutritive benefits it would make my skin look like I had rested for 10 hours a night and just been on the best vacation of my life.  Argan oil is an oil from Morocco and produced when the kernels are cracked and cold pressed for a rich oil that, ironically is light and absorbs into your skin immediately.  It is loaded in essential fatty acids, has twice the amount of Vitamin E than olive oil and is high in antioxidant power.  It, like my Abuelita is another genius.  I began to use argan oil in lieu of my expensive moisturizers at first for its hydrating power.  After all the years of creams and lotions I will admit it was disconcerting, but I quickly adapted and after just one week of use I saw the amazing benefits and was ecstatic to say the least.  My skin looked radiant, felt soft and I could not believe a couple of unwanted blemishes were gone!  I wanted to convert everyone to try this amazing oil, however some folks were just not buying it.  When people started to notice and comment on how lovely my skin looked and asked about what I was using I would tell them my secret, much to gasps of horror.  It seems an oil on a person's face was the craziest thing anyone had ever heard of!  Until some became curious and of course, the results for them were also quick and amazing.   I suddenly had a few converts.  I also knew that I was on to something pretty special for the health of my skin without all of the parabens and petrochemicals that I had unwittingly used for years.  It was like discovering chocolate for the first time, I was hooked and I wanted to share my excitement. 

I am sure I have captured some interest in many of you and that's good.  Some of you may be just a little more suspicious and will be slow to try the power of a face oil or just have to wait to experience it for yourselves. That's okay too.  There was a time when folks were distrustful of the blueberry or made jokes about the heart healthy benefits of olive oil.  They most likely had never encountered my Abuelita.  I'm just hoping that soon enough the thought of applying topical antioxidants, vitamins, omegas and plant derived polyphenols sound like a good thing for beautiful skin.  Unless, you are committed to continue using crude oil on your face. 

Face oils are here to stay because they nourish the skin with pure plant derived benefits.  We at La Bella Figura have done some amazing things with plant derived oils and would love for you to try our products so that you too can become a fan of chemical, toxin and paraben free face oils.  It will change the way you take care of your skin and make you wonder why you haven't used a face oil long before.  We have some incredible things in the works and newly discovered oils for the best looking skin you never thought possible.   Just wait until you hear about organic barbary fig seed oil,  rosehip seed oil, coffeebean oil..I could go on with the amazing ingredients we work with at La Bella Figura.  My Abuelita has been gone for some time now and I find myself emulating her as I chase my niece with a bottle of argan oil to heal her dry skin or add shine to hair and even to apply to her lashes for healthy, long lashes.  She thinks I'm a little bonkers now, she'll be thanking me in a few years I'm certain of that!

Find us at www.labellafigurabeauty.com and learn more about La Bella Figura.

Best in skin health,

Victoria
La Bella Figura, LLC 

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

LA BELLA FIGURA and Arts of Life

Starting today, April 27th-May4th, we will donate 50% of our sales to a wonderful organization, Arts of Life.   We think what they do and the people they work with are super special.

Arts of Life is a non-profit organization that assists people with intellectual and developmental disabilities create and discover their artistic passion.  To learn more about Arts of Life, www.artsoflife.org

So,  all you "beautyful" people that are into natural and organic beauty can buy La Bella Figura products and feel good, while looking great!  Find us at www.labellafigurabeauty.com

Veronica Cuculich  


Veronica Cuculich-baby dolls one

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Luxury is not a dirty word



What exactly is Eco-luxury? Why does it sound so snobby, perhaps a little contradictory? The word luxury has long been associated with extravagance and exceeding what is necessary or sufficient. The original Latin word luxus was used to describe an object that was more beautiful or unique than any other and often provoked an object of esteem.

Eco-luxury for La Bella Figura is used to distinguish high quality products with a passion and committment to our formulations and how they were sustained from the environment. We carefully choose ingredients based on their effectiveness as well as their sustainability and ecological footprint. Because of our high standards to produce our products we can confidently offer some of the best products on the market now. Our responsibility doesn't end there, we feel it is our duty to give back! La Bella Figura has chosen several non-profit organizations near and dear to us to work with this year.


When we define ourselves as an Eco-luxury company we are differentiating ourselves with our innovative methods and forward thinking approach to the world and environment around us. We are partners with local communities and developing awareness of social sustainability is part of what we stand for and what you can count on when purchasing any of our products. Sadly, there are many wonderful ingredients that we researched for their pure plant effectiveness in health, but chose not to incorporate into our formulations because they were not sustainable to their environment.

We hope buying our eco-luxury products brings enjoyment of a handcrafted, high quality item.

To learn more about La Bella Figura visit us at labellafigurabeauty.com.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Don't be fooled by false advertising.

I was picking up some essentials at my local pharmacy the other day when I took a stroll down the hair-care aisle. I was amazed and excited to find a product that said it contained argan oil and other products that have powerful antioxidant-rich vegetable oils in them. The bottle was pretty; the font was cool, and it seemed by the company's name that the ingredients would be organic. I thought how cool it would be that companies were starting to wake up and smell the chemicals. Maybe this company was actually listening to what consumers are starting to demand: organic products with whole plant goodness.

I could not have been more wrong. When I turned the bottle around to read the ingredients, I was shocked, dismayed, and angry to see that not one of their ingredients were organic. The product was FULL of chemicals and alcohol, and the omega-rich argan oil was not even one of the first few listed ingredients.

My first thought was that there should be some kind of regulation on this false advertising! It just left me so disgusted that a company would be that deceitful and misleading.



These days, you see this practice everywhere: products and packaging that have leaves or trees in their logos and ad campaigns. The play on words that make a shampoo, face cream, or cleaning product seem like it is natural or organic. Or my personal favorite, the one word that says it all, “GREEN.”

Did you know that there are currently no regulations on the words natural or green? Anyone can put a leaf or tree in a logo. Just the other day, I was in line at my bank and behind the teller booth was a video screen with the bank’s new leafy logo. Now, I’m not sure what a leaf has to do with banking, but it shows that any company can say it is natural or green. As long as you don't say your product or service is actually organic, you can use any variation of spelling or meaning of the word, such as organik or organix, and skirt any regulation or certification process that actually proves you are organic.

Friends, Countrymen, Consumers lend me your ear: this practice is known as greenwashing.

Companies who practice greenwashing, tend to hide the origins or ingredients of their products, instead focusing on buzz words in bold lettering on flashy packaging. This leads a consumer into believing that a product is organic or eco-friendly. Sometimes companies focus only on one part of the process, such as switching to LED light bulbs in their warehouse or going paperless. Even though making at least one change to reduce carbon foot print is a good step, it should not be used as a marketing ploy to trick the customer into believing the company is eco-friendly, especially when it has nothing to do with the final product. Some companies simply lie outright and claim to be green, natural, or eco-friendly and provide no proof to back up their vague claims. To learn even more about how companies are green washing, check out the seven sins of  greenwashing.



This is why La Bella Figura believes strongly in integrity and honesty in its products and marketing. Go ahead check out our ingredients here. What's listed there are the only ingredients we currently use. We strive to find the best organic sources for all of our ingredients, and in most cases our ingredients are certified organic. If we can't find certified-organic ingredients, we search for wild-crafted ingredients. If we are unable to find organic or wild-crafted ingredients, we will NEVER claim that an ingredient is something that it is not. Plain and simple.

Not only do we strive to find the best whole-plant ingredients, but we are also very concerned with finding the most environmentally friendly way to produce and package La Bella Figura products. Each product is carefully and lovingly crafted by hand. Our packaging is biodegradable and even our glass bottles are recyclable. We are continually searching for the most ecologically viable way to make and present our products. It is something La Bella Figura is passionate about.

All of our products are chemical, sulfate, toxin, and paraben free. We never test on animals. We are committed to honesty, transparency, and responsibility.

If you ever have any questions about our ingredients, sourcing, or products in general  please email us at info@labellafigurabeauty.com

To purchase La Bella Figura products please visit us at labellafigurabeauty.com