One of the very first natural skincare brands that I fell head over heels for was One Love Organics. Is it strange to say they just spoke my language? Everything from the girly yet refined packaging to the selection of products was completely made for me. And the scents… Sophisticated, delicious, and just plain pretty. I love lavender as much as the next girl, but it is such a refreshing change of pace to see a natural brand be innovative with how their products smell. In typical first love fashion, they’ve continued to pull at my heart with each new release and even with their new packaging this year. I was beyond thrilled to meet the founder, Suzanne LeRoux, at ANFGB this year and be able to see/smell/touch all of their products. She was kind enough to share a little more about her brand and how she balances it all with a Q+A with me. I loved getting a peek behind the scenes and can’t wait to share that with you, but first let me tell you about some of my favorites from this line!
Vitamin B Enzyme Cleansing Oil
I have yet to meet someone who tried this product and didn’t like it. In fact, I’ve recommended it and gifted it several times to friends and family (all of whom are very honest with me), and they all rave about this! A couple of pumps of this enzyme cleansing oil and makeup remover and your skin will be completely free of all traces of makeup, and grime, and it will feel baby smooth. It smells wonderful- like a tropical paradise.
Where do I even start? It smells like a Piña Colada without being overly sweet. This sugar scrub will whisk you away to a tropical island while it leaves your skin as smooth as silk. I love the smell so much, that sometimes when I walk in the bathroom I randomly just open it up to smell it. Trust me, if you’ve smelled this then you’d know that’s a lot less weird than it sounds…
Ok, it’s a pink heart.. enough said. They could have sold me just based off of that to be honest. It has to be one of the cutest products I’ve seen! This konjac sponge is infused with rose clay which is good for sensitive, dry, or mature skin. They also have versions for normal skin and for oily/problematic skin.
Some other favorites not included in photos (because I have the old package style) are: Skin Savior (can’t live without this), Vitamin E Eye Balm, Brand New Day exfoliator. Ok, on to the lovely and extremely smart Suzanne LeRoux’s thoughts on her business. She is such an impressive person to meet! She just exudes knowledge and confidence. You can see from the picture below, I was so happy to meet her. I was cheesing so big. Thanks to Sarita Coren for snapping this!
Q + A with Suzanna LeRoux:
One Love Organics has established itself as one of the more well-known natural beauty brands today. But when you started out, the industry was in a much different place. Natural brands were harder to come by and people weren’t as aware about harmful ingredients in their products. As an entrepreneur, did it seem daunting to create a brand in such a small, niche market?
It was daunting only because of the time that was needed to devote to creating the products. But, the passion and determination to make that happen—that I had in abundance and still do. When we first began One Love Organics, we started—as most people do—by searching for a lab. We met with a lab and began the formulation process. Almost immediately, the lab began substituting less expensive and less effective ingredients. We also found they lowered the percentage of active ingredients in order to lower the cost of manufacturing. I am very particular about our formulas and wanted to ensure we deliver superior quality. So, we took the wise advice and decided to make our products ourselves! It took a full year to learn how to best manufacture and preserve the integrity of our products. But what seemed like a daunting task in the beginning has proven to be our smartest business decision. We are able to remain flexible and scale production to meet demand-this is key when serving a small, niche market.
OLO recently launched some new products and also relaunched a couple of products that now have been reformulated to be even more effective. I love that you’re always improving—even with tried and true products! I was already a fan of Morning Glory, but the new version has blown me away. What additional ingredients have increased the function of it to make it more incredible?
We have been deepening our commitment to the transparency and sustainability of our products. It is part of our promise to remain loyal to our principles—it’s how we got to where we our today. We love our serum superstar—Morning Glory caffeinated firming serum! What makes this serum incredibly effective is the synergistic blend of healthy ingredients. Probiotics, pomegranate and caffeine all work together to stimulate, tighten and tone. The organic peppermint water delivers anti-inflammatory antioxidants to help brighten and de-puff and the gardenia plant cell actives help support firmness and smooth the appearance of fine lines. The hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate the skin and prepare it for an emollient moisturizer. Finally, the lower pH of the product helps skin maintain its natural acid mantle barrier which helps to increase overall skin health. It has become one of my very favorite products.
I’m sure running a business can be challenging day to day. What keeps you focused and passionate about what you are doing?
My family—they are my greatest reward. My husband Chase worked 12-hour days as a lawyer to support our family and One Love Organics when we first began. I am incredibly encouraged and feel so blessed to have him in my life. My sons, Chip and Hayes, are now 8 and 10 years old, so watching them evolve from babies into these young, dynamic individuals blows my mind and heart. To see how much my sons admire me for starting OLO humbles me, encourages me and inspires me to continue to take greater leaps of faith in this industry.
I have so many favorites from your line, so I have to ask: What are your personal favorites? What product can you not live without?
If I were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one product with me, without a doubt, no questions asked, it would be the first product I created and One Love Organics’ bestseller: Skin Savior Balm.
Inspired to try something from this line yourself? You can purchase direct from One Love Organics. Happy shopping! xx
I sooooooo want to try the Vitamin B cleansing oil and I’m totally with you on the scents!! I love when natural and organic products can play around and come up with some truly unique smelling products instead of the usual lavender….no offense to lavender but it gets a bit monotonous after a while you know? And when I think about it, some of my favourite brands are ones that DON’T have the usual herbally smell; Leahlani, Skin Owl (looking at you Mangosteen), Kopa Kauai, In Fiore…well, you get it. These brands/products stand out to me precisely because they’ve carved an olfactory niche for themselves and then we’re not even mentioning performance. You’ve got me really keen on trying the Morning Glory serum and can we say hallelujah to OLO deciding to take fate into their own hands and make sure their products are top notch? Fab review Molly and I definitely need to try more from this brand. I just finished the Vitamin D mist which was lovely. And smelled beautiful. What else? 😉 xx
Oh Nic, you would love the cleansing oil! I completely agree with it getting monotonous. Sometimes it’s nice to just have some fresh smelling items in your routine. I also admire OLO for stepping up and being responsible for their products from start to finish, to ensure optimal quality and potency! xx