The Inspiration for Hometown Beauty Lines

The beauty industry is such a profitable and growing industry, it would be logical and maybe a little cynical to assume anyone who creates a line of beauty products is in it for the money.

And I'm sure in many cases you would be quite accurate in your assumption.

But in the stories of five women from the Washington area with their own product lines, it seems that many other factors came into play and the only green anyone mentioned was strictly in the organic sense.

Here are five women, five different product lines and their inspiration for wanting to make the world a more beautiful place.

Honi Borden is the founder of Holeco® Wellness Medi Spa http://www.holecomedispa.com/, the first holistic/non-toxic, green medical spa in the U.S. recognized as green by Green America. So it's no surprise her holeco® life www.holecolife.com line of products is in keeping with her values:

"I was inspired to start my own product line after years of working in the beauty industry and noticing how many toxins were in all of the products. From personal pain of watching my family suffer, years of research, and experiencing as a direct effect on our health, I chose mindful non-toxin living. When I opened my own holistic medi spa, I decided to carry only non-toxic products and preferably those made from organic ingredients. After two years of working on my own product line, I am excited to say that holeco® life will be launched this Spring. Our products are hand-made from 100% natural ingredients/preservatives and are packaged with eco-friendly materials. A portion of our proceeds also go to support the International Lifeline Fund Projects, which provides clean water and fuel efficient stoves in developing countries in Africa. I am so thrilled to have this amazing line of eco-friendly beauty products that respects your health, protects the environment & helps improves the lives of those in need."


Sara Damelio is another local woman whose Skincando www.skincando.com product line came about from her personal experiences and frustration with what was commercially available. It even led to a career change:

"I had problem skin since I was a freshmen in High School. It became a goal of mine to heal it using expensive beauty products from Nordstrom. Every weekend I would go and ask for samples from the different counters like Clinique, Ernest Lazlo and Perscriptives. Nothing worked! After college, I moved to DC as an unpaid intern at The National Geographic and worked part time at EFX. EFX (now BlueMercury) was a luxury beauty product mecca. I was finally able to use the products of my dreams and was excited to reap the promised rewards of beautiful skin. Unfortunately, I ended up in debt and with skin that was redder, more broken out and irritated. During my breaks at the Geographic, I began to research skin care ingredients and what women of other cultures used on their skin. I found that a lot of common ingredients found in beauty products were toxic and known irritants and that women in other parts of the world used natural ingredients like yogurt, honey & spices on their skin. A few weeks later, I started making my own pure organic moisturizer at home and giving it to friends and family to try. The response was great and 10 years later grew into Skincando, inc with Combat-Ready Balm as our top selling product."


For Lucy Enniss, founder of elliott's ethos www.elliottsethos.com it was her love of animals that influenced the ingredients in her line of skin, hair and bath products:

"My inspiration comes from my devotion as an animal welfare advocate. For years, I have stood in drugstore and grocery store aisles reading the backs of personal care product bottles to see if the manufacturer and distributor where cruelty-free. If the information was ambiguous, I would scour the internet to find the answers. With more and more organic markets opening and consumer awareness on the rise, the search has become easier. In those past and present internet searches I found a whole world of small business making organic, natural, cruelty-free and vegan products. I decided to join that world. Elliott’s Ethos products state clearly on the front that products are cruelty-free (no more reading tiny print on the back labels for me!). Soaking in a bubble bath can be even more relaxing with a clear conscience. "


Having worked in the beauty industry and having knowledge of what was out there, Luise Estelle felt something was missing. As a result she created her organic line of Estelle Naturals www.estellenatural.com to address anti-aging:

"I have been working in the skincare industry for years and was always intrigued by different lines and their benefits. It was not easy finding a natural line that also had anti-aging benefits. After doing an extensive amount of research, I found ingredients which are natural, yet will boost collagen and have anti-aging benefits. Creating such a line has been my passion. I believe that in the near future going all natural and green is the way to go in every area of life. It is a healthier way of living."


Zosimos Botanicals http://www.zosimosbotanicals.com/ is an extensive line of organic makeup, skin and hair products created by former trademark attorney Linda Stein. Linda seems to have found her true calling promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle:

"Knowledge of the harmful effects of drugstore brands of personal care products inspired the creation of Zosimos Botanicals' line of cosmetics and skincare. Wearing eye makeup resulted in painful swelling and when my sister used soap her hands peeled. I want to educate women on the existence of harmful ingredients, and provide alternatives to mass-produced cosmetics. Plus, the career path I was on didn't allow an outlet for my need to please others. No one thanked me for the work I was doing. Now, people are genuinely happy to find Zosimos Botanicals almost every day."


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