Leeona (blue shirt) and Ariel (red top) Emerald, Delizioso Skincare founders and sisters!
Today, I’m very excited to present you, my lovely readers, with an exclusive natural beauty interview from the founders of Delizioso Skincare, one of Canada’s most prestigious spa quality and truly natural beauty businesses in the world! They’re like a diamond in the rough, a refreshing, fun change to the stoic, sometimes too serious and “earthy” organic beauty companies out there.
For those who like flower, fruity and food inspired scents (along with their respective skin and hair benefits!) in fun, colorful packaging and super quality, pure ingredients, Delizioso Skincare’s definitely your answer.
ATL INTERNATIONAL, Delizioso Skincare’s parent company, was founded in 1996, and is headed by Dr. Mila Emerald, Ph.D., Dr. Sc. The company supplies natural raw ingredients all over the world to large, high-end cosmetic companies and small ones alike. ATL INTERNATIONAL has over 5,000 items in stock, including analytically tested essential oils and natural raw supply.
Around six years ago, Dr. Emerald’s daughters Ariel and Leeona Emerald started to blend and mix around skincare products on their own. While they did receive some initial guidance, they ultimately had to learn how to formulate and develop on their own.
That became the founding footsteps of Delizioso Skincare, which is highly successful today and quickly expanding at retail stores in Canada and all over the web!
Ariel and Leeona also have their own natural beauty retail shop featuring their many brands at The Natural Beauty Store, and will be opening their own natural beauty deluxe sample subscription service, The Natural Beauty Box! Get ready – it’s going to be FANTASTIC!
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Delizioso means delicious in Italian. It definitely fits the theme of the brand’s yummy scents and blends! But what exactly inspired you to call it “delicious”, and why in Italian?
Ariel & Leeona: Delizioso does in fact stand for delicious in Italian, and the name was just out of the blue. In around 2007, we began to delve into formulation of skincare and cosmetics and it was tough. Especially natural skincare. Let’s just say that we spent A LOT of material testing and experimenting.
At the time, our first skincare project was called AL Natural Cosmetics, the A standing for Ariel and the L for Leeona. We were just on the brink of launching some products to market test when we came out with a three item toner kit. It was fruity, colorful and fun, and didn’t fit into the collection or vibe of AL Natural Cosmetics.
We were still at the experimental stages of development, so we thought, Hmmm…These are really delicious, maybe we should start a new line or brand, focusing on fruity and yummy products. We came up with a name, Simply Delicious, but decided it didn’t sound right. That was the moment our greatest partner in this venture, our Mom, said “Delizioso” and it felt perfect.
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Was there a life-defining moment that made your minds click and decide “This is the day I’m going to start a successful natural and organic skin care company!”? I love finding out the reasons why founders decides to pursue such an endeavor.
Ariel & Leeona: Like we previously said, it all started with the inspiration we were brought up with and of course dwelling into skincare took a lot of experimentation. We were always researching the nasty ingredients on labels and trying to do DIY at home formulations to avoid them. We truly believe natural and Certified Organic IS much better for skin. Studies even show the proof of how potent antioxidants help skin in many ways, including aging. We love health, and life is only once, so one day we decided to start and stuck to it.
Another thing was that we love(!) art, and anything creative, so we design all the labeling, packaging and make the product ideas ourselves. That whole aspect, and providing consumers with top quality products was as exciting as ever.
Ariel: Yeah, Leeona is awesome with photo retouching! That’s her expertise.
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Is there any reason you chose the specific fruits and plant scents that you did for the brand, such as Chocolaty Strawberry and Basil? Personal favorites of yours, inspiration from last night’s dessert, or trying to fill a niche of scents no one else likes to cover? Would you consider expanding with new scents?
Ariel & Leeona: Well, we definitely started with less scents than we now have. The scents did evolve through customer requests and opinions and yes, inspirations to have an ideal scent for different preferences.
Ariel: Chocolaty Strawberries came from the idea of chocolaty dipped strawberries, yum! You don’t see much scents like that around. (Editor’s Note: Indeed! It’s one of my favorite scents at Delizioso!)
Leeona: And we did add two new flavors to our collection in the fall of 2011, Coconut Melon and Tropical Pomelo, which has now become my favorite.
Ariel: We are open to scent ideas and do want to expand the scent range, but bit by bit as we don’t want to end up with hundreds, and it takes a bit of work to launch a scent.
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Your Natural Antioxidant Preservative blend is very intriguing and mysterious – and super effective. Can you reveal the basics behind it and why it contributes to a relatively long shelf life, or is that a secret?
A little more info about the preservative:
The technology that is used for creating this preservative is using essential oils and botanical derivates to protect products from spoiling. Not only does the preservative which uses the highest level ORAC antioxidants protect the product but it also adds benefits to the use of our products. The preservative mainly consists of: Raspberry Extract, Rice Bran derived Vitamin E, Elderberry Extract, Blueberry Extract, Burdock Root Extract, Mango Extract, Green Tea Extract, Nettle Extract, Grape Fruit Extract, Tea Tree Leaf Extracts, and Barberries.
Ariel & Leeona: The preservative formula wasn’t formulated by just us two…It’s something ATL INTERNATIONAL made on a scientific basis, and we are so glad to have it at specific ratios that have been tested with gram negative and positive bacteria, as well as fungi. It is a patent pending formula and has been tested by ATL’s analytical tests. The whole aspect of Delizioso Skincare is being full of antioxidants and totally delicious. Having a choke full of antioxidant extracts in the formula not only helps skin, it preserves the formula. But another big fact is that instead of using water we use hydrosols and aloe.
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Tell me more about you. What did you do before starting Delizioso? What do you like to do in your spare time? Does the whole family help out with the business?
Ariel & Leeona: We’ll go separate ways on this one. But yeah, we are sisters and were introduced to the industry by our mom (Dr. Mila Emerald).
Ariel: Career wise I was still in school when we began Delizioso Skincare. I actually play competitive tennis, so on court is where you would see me a ton. I enjoy a natural and healthy lifestyle, have to have my daily dose of music, love summer, write YA Fantasy novels, and love to write and play music. During work hours you’ll probably find me on the computer. We also do web design so we have loads of work, but it’s all well worth it. Of course formulating and just having a great time out is awesome.
(Editor’s Note: I used to play recreational tennis with my Mom in Hawaii as well! I’d love to hear your music someday. :)
Leeona: Like Ariel, I also play tons of Tennis. In fact, we always practice together. We have two turtles which I adore, a common snapping turtle and a western painted, as well as beautiful white Akita (dog) and hermit crabs. Overall, I love all animals. I’m just on the verge of starting my book, and I read and edit Ariel’s awesome fantasy novel, as well as give my opinion. I photoshop tons of product pictures, and on our free time, we do sometimes play computer games, but we’re dedicated to what we do and invest tons of time and love into skincare and the natural industry.
(Editor’s Note: Turtles are some of my favorite animals as well, and the Akita are a gorgeous breed of dogs. I’m also a gamer, so I’m curious as to exactly what games you play! :D)
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There are lots of natural and organic beauty companies trying to make their unique mark on the industry. In your words, how exactly does Delizioso Skincare stand out with their skin care, bath & body, hair care and cosmetics?
Ariel & Leeona: Not only are we simply 100% natural, free of any lies and toxic chemicals, we also seek innovation in every single product. For example, our Mangosteen & Acai Vita Burst was a fresh take on the industry with the micro burst beads filled with actives and the combination that truly does wonders for skin. We do not water down our products. All our ingredients are tested, so even if we are using Vitamin E, it is non GMO and rice derived. The tough thing about the industry is that sometimes we see natural creams formulated without an emulsifying ingredient and because we formulate products ourselves, we can see how that’s simply impossible, but often, consumers don’t know.
We have a fresh take on cosmetics. For example, the foundation from Delizioso Skincare works not only to create a flawless complexion, but it works as an anti-aging treatment, an anti-infllammatory, it nourishes skin and it is antioxidant rich. We use targeted scientifically proved ingredients in every formula and spend a lot of time on research and analysis. Also, being that we have access to great Natural Raw Supplies, many of our oils come from fields grown for ATL INTERNATIONAL in for example Bulgaria (i.e. the rose oil in the Bulgarian Rose Facial Moisturizer). We also highly focus on variety, so that there is something truly natural for every preference.
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Do you think the company will be large enough to open stores in the States or worldwide, or would you rather stay close to home (Canada) for the time being?
Ariel: For sure! Though we did start in 2008, the full range you see now with the design only developed early 2011. Currently, we are settling a deal to have our products carried in NY and they are soon coming to the Beauty Army! As for our store, The Natural Beauty Store, we’ve been open for probably a month so we’ll see how it goes from here.
Leeona: Totally. It’s an exciting time for us now, and we are looking for wholesalers. We have great deals and high quality products that will appeal to consumers.
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Are you planning to add more products to the brand? Can you tell us which ones – any hints? :)
Ariel: That’s the problem. We come up with ideas non-stop. To keep it serious, yes, we can give you guys a sneak peak. We’ve just added (and these are coming up on the website) Hand and Body Foams. You can see one in demo in our video about SLS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYOZSbEloIc. They are going to be available in all the scents and you can get a refill for quite the discount and save your pump! Totally eco.
Leeona: That’s not all :) Mid summer, we are coming out with Silky Solid perfumes, possibly a new scent (still looking over requests and thinking on it) and a Nettle & Herb Acne Line.
Ariel: Well, we just came out with a huge amount of cosmetics.
I’ve noticed you folks have started a Youtube channel featuring Delizioso Skincare products. They’re very helpful, and serve as educational how-tos, market the products and show us how they work as an impromptu beauty review – all great things! What’s your ultimate goal with the channel?
Ariel & Leeona: We’ve been thinking about doing this for a while. There are only 24 hrs in a day though, and we thought that if we start this, what we never want is a channel that doesn’t constantly update and keeps their viewers up to date. First of all, we’re glad you like it, Jean! Our ultimate goal is educating everyone about what we know about natural skincare. We have SO many ideas and we DO take requests. We will be doing DIY recipes, reviews, eco tips, cosmetic application, and much more.
This is what we have posted on the channel (Totally Green Me):
This channel is meant for us to share everything we know about what is toxic and what is healthy and the products we recommend. We want to show you guys how natural makeup can be applied, what products are available, what you can do yourself at home, and what we made for you and why. Look out for ingredient spotlights, and we also will be reviewing other green companies and doing tons of giveaways! (Yay, free stuff!)
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Where do you see Delizioso in 5 years, and what are your personal goals for the company?
Ariel & Leeona: I see us really developing worldwide and having more and more people get to know Delizioso. I see us expanding as much as we’ll be able to, but the one thing which will never happen is not keeping up with quality. We knew a lady who manufactured lip balms and began to sell to Wal-Mart and the whole formula went just…yeah.
No matter what, Delizioso will always be 100% devoted to the highest of standards and not fully commercialized. We will always have individuals that will be more than happy to advise and assist customers with their skin.
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And finally, what is your personal favorite product out of the brand, and why?
Ariel: OMG, I knew this was coming. So hard. I guess this is my fave product to use and I use so many of them. From the Body Care, I would have to say the Cranberry Lemon Body Butter and from the Facial Care, the Cucumber Cooling Facial Moisturizer. I love the sourness of the cranberries and the scent of cucumbers, yum! The must have for me would probably be the foundation, though, and I use in Neutral-Beige. Unlike many other foundations, it doesn’t really look like you are wearing a foundation when you are wearing it, so I love that. I also REALLY LOVE facial oils.
Leeona: Yep, Ariel does love facial oils. We’re in fact having a facial oil application video coming up soon. As for my favorite product, I’d have to say either the Tropical Pomelo Coconut Milk Soap, or the Vanilla Almond Coconut Milk Soap. Those things are just so HUGE and don’t dry out skin like lots of other soaps. There’s not one product from Delizioso Skincare I wouldn’t love using.
Jean: Thank you SO much for the wonderful interview, you two! :) I know how busy you are and taking the time to answer these for Garden of Beauty exclusively is such a treat (pun intended) – I’m so thrilled!
Ariel & Leeona: Thanks so much, Jean, for having us on your blog. We love that you love Delizioso and hope you’ll get to try out more of the products soon! For any of your lovely blog readers, we will give you guys a FREE mini size of the chocolaty strawberry body cream with an order of no minimum, just give us the code: GARDENBEAUTY when you checkout in the order comments section. Stay natural!
WOW! That was extremely generous of Ariel and Leeona – take advantage today and get a free mini size of the scrumptious choocolaty strawberry body cream (my review on it is here) with ANY order size! Remember to include the code above and mention that you got it here at Garden of Beauty. I guarantee you’ll love their natural and organic beauty products. :)
SHOP: Delizioso Skincare
SAMPLES: The Natural Beauty Box
READ: Delizioso Skincare Blog
RETAIL: The Natural Beauty Store
SUBSCRIBE: Totally Green Me at Youtube
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FOLLOW: Delizioso Skincare on Twitter
