Suzanne LeRoux is the founder and CEO of One Love Organics. Based in St. Simons Island, Georgia, One Love’s award-winning natural and organic skin care and cosmetics have been going strong for ten years. We talked to Suzanne about her best-sellers, beauty rituals and what’s new at One Love Organics.
Parvati Magazine: I was drawn to your story of how One Love Organics came to be – specifically, pursuing your passion of holistic and integrative skincare after completing law school. You have stated that “love indeed is the most powerful force on earth.” Can you share what it has meant to you to pursue a career that you love?
Suzanne LeRoux: Absolutely. It has changed our entire family’s life. My husband now works as the company’s CFO (he is a former practicing attorney as well) and our two boys feel like they are part of our business and more of our day. They give input on all new products, design and social media. Our quality of life is so much better.
PMAG: I want to hear more about your bestsellers: Vitamin B Cleansing Oil and Makeup Remover, Skin Dew Coconut Water Cream, and your Multi-tasking Wonder Balm, which piqued my interest the most.
SL: Our Vitamin B Cleansing Oil is a silky, soft powerhouse that removes all make-up and rinses clean. Our customers remark on how they now love to wash their face – a task that they formally hated. And our customers also gave us the hashtag, #VacationInABottle, because that’s how they feel when they smell its all natural, fruity pineapple scent. Skin Dew Coconut Water Cream is a universal, day and night moisturizer that has a lightweight, whippy texture and is based on hydrating coconut water. Skin Savior Balm is my personal favorite – it is the first formula that I ever created. It is a multi-tasking essential that can do everything from cleanse, moisturize, blend mineral powders for custom foundation and even tame eyebrows. My favorite way to use it is as a moisture mask. It keeps my skin so comfortable in the winter.
PMAG: You have a new product called Love + Charcoal mask. What is therapeutic about charcoal?
SR: Charcoal is one of those ingredients that both the conventional and natural skincare world uses because it really works. It is a powerful vacuum for debris and oxidized oils that can clog your pores. It is so active and detoxifying that it can actually be drying for some skin types. That is why we added a host of emollients and skin conditioners to make sure that Love + Charcoal masque can do its job without stripping your skin.
PMAG: You say that you believe in the “well-executed beauty ritual”. In today’s fast pace and multi-purpose products, where do beauty rituals fit in? What are some of your favourite practices for self-care?
SR: Beauty rituals are the perfect way to both begin and end the day. As the pace of the world increases, it becomes more important than ever to save some space for self-care. I like to listen to my favorite music in the evening when I perform my beauty ritual to unwind and relax. And in the morning, I like to listen to uplifting meditations or podcasts to start my day on a positive and empowered note. I really view it as a daily break for myself rather than another thing on the to-do-list and that makes all the difference.
PMAG: I love your online “build your skin care routine” that populates a regimen and products based on skin type. You also have online tutorials, blog posts and newsletters. It is clear that regular customer interaction is important to you. Tell us about the relationship you have with your customers.
SR: When we started this business, we had no industry contacts or investors to fund the business. And beauty is such a competitive space! We knew that we would need to have a solid foundation and focus on the following three things:
1. Products that work so well that people would discover them word-of-mouth.
2. Excellent customer service that keeps customers happy and comfortable recommending their family and friends and finally,
3. Putting out the best education and knowledge that we have from years of helping clients and manufacturing natural and organic skincare. We share with you our very best secrets and tell you honestly what works and what doesn’t! Our newsletter goes out twice a week to our very engaged base of customers and #OLOFans.
Suzanne LeRoux, the founder and CEO of One Love Organics, is an award-winning natural and organic cosmetic formulator with over 10 years of industry experience. Suzanne is passionate (some might say obsessed) about sourcing the highest quality ingredients from around the globe. As One Love Organic’s chief formulator, Suzanne personally oversees and develops all of the One Love Organics products.