Irene Falcone: Going Organic For A Nourished Life
After years of battling fatigue, Irene Falcone, natural skincare expert and founder of toxin-free beauty e-tailer Nourished Life, threw out all her mainstream beauty products and “went organic”. Within a few months, she started seeing and feeling the results.
Irene began her journey in 2012 with a $100 investment and a passion for sharing the best in organic beauty products. Since its launch three years ago, Nourished Life has grown into a million dollar beauty empire and one of the key authorities in toxin-free beauty. woman with drive chatted to Irene about the inspiration behind her online beauty mecca, the challenges of building an e-commerce business and her top organic beauty picks.
What was the aha moment that inspired Nourished Life?
That moment hit me out of the blue three years ago. I was exhausted to the point that I couldn’t walk up the stairs to the office one morning. My legs felt heavy and fatigued. I sat on those steps, took a tube of body lotion out of my bag and starting rubbing it into my legs. That was the first time I thought about what I was putting on my body every day. From that moment I became obsessed about the ingredients in beauty products. I started reading every textbook and research paper I could find on these different chemicals and was shocked to learn that I was applying a daily average of 500 chemicals to my body, many of which could be affecting my hormones!
I ended up throwing away every single product in my home and replaced them with natural, safer alternatives. I then set up a blog to share my journey and soon I had thousands of other women contacting me. Our challenge was that there was no single store selling these natural alternatives. That was what led me to start Nourished Life.
What were the main challenges of setting up an e-commerce store in Australia?
The biggest challenges were breaking through the online clutter of major beauty brands and getting noticed. We also had to dispel myths that organic beauty products are expensive and don’t work. That was a major issue when we started, and we spent a lot of time and money educating woman and trying to change the way they viewed beauty products.
How did you overcome these challenges?
Our blog and social media played major parts in dispensing information on the benefits of organic beauty. That, coupled with our amazing products and same day dispatch service, were the driving forces behind our success.
And the highlights?
I truly believe we have turned the industry around – even major cosmetic companies are now changing their formulations. That is a major highlight for us. The other highlight is implementing a cloud-based software to streamline our logistics and inventory management systems.
Where do you see the company and yourself in the future?
As ‘green science’ innovation evolves and more organic products flood the market our company will grow even stronger. I see Nourished Life as a regular household name. For me personally, I would like to be more involved in the regulation (and hopefully the banning) of toxins in personal care products.
What tips do you have for budding entrepreneurs?
Always follow your passion but before you jump into anything, take time to plan and strategise. I believe leadership is a combination of passion and the solid implementation of well-thought-out systems.
Irene’s top 5 beauty products:
100% Pure coffee bean eye cream
A three-in-one quick fix for eyes that smoothens wrinkles, reduces puffiness and brightens dark circles.
Dr Alkaitis toner
This is an Australian beauty award winner for best natural toner. Swipe the toner over a clean face to remove dead skin cells and toxins, and prep your skin for the moisturiser.
Moksa soaps
Handmade, vegan, gluten and palm oil free with 100% fair trade ingredients, these soaps smell incredible and make a shower a wonderful experience!
Pai Rosehip oil
This product is the most potent rosehip oil available and is ideal for taking care of extremely sensitive skin. The formula not only keeps skin soft but also gives you an even, smooth complexion.
Yarok Hair spray
This vegan, organic hairspray works better than the traditional ones as it has a strong hold but doesn’t leave hair stiff.
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