Behind the Brand: One Love Organics

Our coveted Earth Month box is a hit with press, bloggers, and influencers -- and they cannot stop raving about the Love Springs Eternal Youth Preservation Serum included inside each box! We wanted to know more about the One Love Organics brand and the woman behind it - introducing founder Suzanne LeRoux and what inspired her to start one of vegan beauty and skincare's top brands.

What inspired you to start One Love Organics?

I have always believed in the power of a well-executed beauty ritual and in the healing power of nature. I was born and raised on a farm in Georgia, where my pharmacist dad taught me the value of combining science and nature to create a holistic approach to health and beauty. Throughout college and law school, I relied on the grounding power of my self-care ritual to boost my physical and mental wellbeing. I loved it so much that I embarked on formal studies in aromatherapy, herbology, and cosmetic chemistry while practicing law full time. After having my sons, my commitment to health and wellness deepened and I was inspired to create clean products that were effective, luxurious, elegant, and supported a healthy lifestyle. My husband, Chase, encouraged me to put my appreciation of nature, analytical abilities, and serious love of a good serum to use to develop the brand.

What is the most fun part of your business?

Making skincare! Unlike most beauty brands, we formulate, manufacture, and package everything ourselves at our small but high tech lab on St. Simons Island --a barrier island off the coast of Georgia where we have lived for over 16 years.

What is the most challenging part of your business?

Making skincare! It took a full year to learn how to best manufacture our products, find the right location, equipment and staff. But what seemed like a daunting task in the beginning has proven to be our smartest business decision. We are not dependent upon the business acumen of a third-party lab. We can ensure that each batch meets our very high expectations. And we have created much-needed jobs in our local community.  We also earned the license to manufacture natural and organic cosmetics under ECOCERT ^® standards. One Love Organics now owns the only ECOCERT^® licensed manufacturing facility for natural and organic cosmetics in the state of Georgia and is 1 of only 10 such facilities licensed in the United States.

Which of your products is your favorite? 

The first product I created and one of One Love Organics’ bestseller:  Skin Savior Balm. The ultimate multi-tasker, Skin Savior removes dirt and makeup without stripping the skin, moisturizes, illuminates and even turns mineral powder into a glowing foundation treatment. It's my desert island product!

What is the importance of clean (nontoxic) beauty to you? 

I created One Love Organics to offer a simpler, cleaner approach to beauty. After the birth of my two sons, who are 20 months apart, I felt an overwhelming need to simplify everything, including my beauty routine. I wanted to get back to the essentials. For me, the essentials needed to be effective, pure, safe for my whole family, of the highest quality and serve multiple purposes to earn a spot on my bathroom counter. For example, I dreamed of a cleanser that was great for my face that I could also use in the tub with my babies. I imagined a moisturizer that worked not only for me, but also my husband and my boys. We focus on a few supreme products, not up-selling a medicine cabinet full of mysterious jars. Women have really responded to and appreciate our honesty. You really don’t need a bunch of “stuff” or chemicals to look great and have a truly effective routine.

What is your daily routine (or first thing you do in the morning)? 

Every morning, I drink water, take my supplements, brush my teeth, turn on my favorite music and jump in the shower. I use a gentle foaming cleanser like our Easy Does It Foaming Cleanser from head to toe then while my skin is still damp, I spritz Gardenia + Tea Body Serum for moisture and I just wrap my towel around me and air dry. Then to get ready, I apply a few drops of my favorite serum, moisturizer and then brush on minerals for a bit of color and SPF coverage. I sprinkle dry shampoo in my hair and I am out of the door!

Three words that best describe you?

Happy, courageous, optimistic.

Who is your lifestyle icon?

My lifestyle icon is not a person per se but rather a philosophy. My husband and I both are dedicated fans of the simple living movement. We read The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs when we first got married and it inspired us to make changes. We learned that living simply is not about being frugal or living on a tight budget. It is not about being a minimalist aesthetic or denying pleasure. Rather, living simply is about being fully aware of the choices you make and the life you live and seeing the relationship between the two. We found there is less clutter. Less debt. Less stress. But also so much more. More joy. More freedom. And much more of the things that really matter. This deliberate approach helped us transition from our unhappy careers as attorneys to creating One Love Organics.

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