Sarah Villafranco isn’t like those other doctors who launch skincare lines.
She doesn’t have big-name celebrities touting her product line, Osmia Organics’, miracle-inducing results, nor does she sell her products out of vending machines at the mall.
No, no.
{Sarah Villafranco is the MD-turned-skincare entrepreneur who founded Osmia Organics based out of Carbondale, Colorado. Photo Courtesy Osmia Organics}
Sarah Villafranco is the kind of doctor-turned-skincare entrepreneur who would probably make a house call (or, hey, a video chat call) when you have a horrible breakout on your chin the night before a photo shoot or a big date.
She’d kindly instruct you to chill out with a glass of cold coconut water, play some soothing tunes and dot on some miracle spot treatment that actually (and gently) works at defeating your zit from hell.
Then she’d probably get back to tweeting and making glorious, natural products with beautiful packaging and clean ingredients.
Guys, this scenario didn’t happen between Sarah and me, but she’s the type of founder who sets such a friendly tone with her up-and-coming natural skincare line rooted in pure ingredients and A+ chemistry that I feel like if all that stuff really did go down, I could holler at her.
Sarah let me in on the health and beauty products she loves the most, and even allowed me to peep her “tomboyish” (read: ultra cool) Jack Spade bag to get a little more familiar with the clean, green lifestyle this natural beauty lives in Colorado.
Next time, I imagine I’ll be chatting it up with Sarah in her sweet retail space while she teaches me how to make a basic yet beautiful natural soap.
(A girl can dream, right?)
{See what’s inside Sarah’s black Jack Spade bag. Photo Courtesy Osmia Organics}
(As usual, I’ve starred the items I also use and love.)
{I love that Sarah chose a variety of health and beauty products for her feature. Photo Courtesy Sarah Villafranco}
Osmia Organics Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair
OK, I started with one of my own products. Bad form. But, seriously, this is the one thing without which I just completely spaz out. I keep one in my bag and one on my nightstand and put it on at bedtime. It’s still there, working its magic, in the morning.
Oona Herbal Supplement for PMS
After many years on hormonal birth control, coming off hormones was a BUMPY (um, euphemism) re-entry into my body’s natural cycle. These little magic pills helped smooth the symptoms — mainly irritability and bloating — and kept them at manageable levels. I still take this every day.
One of the most important things I keep on my iPhone is the Spotify app. It’s a music service that allows you to make playlists, available offline, on your phone, and access just about any artist, for ten bucks a month. It’s my secret weapon when I don’t feel like exercising — I put my headphones in and put on one of my playlists, and my feet are moving before my brain can say no.
Japonesque Power Curl Eyelash Curler
This is the easiest beauty trick ever for anyone with dark lashes. In a pinch, curled eyelashes and a shine on the lips are all you need.
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Chocolate
I don’t exactly carry this with me, as it needs to be refrigerated, but this chocolate protein drink by Bolthouse Farms is my go-to recovery supplement after a workout — it’s like a treat, but packed with the protein my vegetarian muscles need for quick recovery.
*Osmia Organics Spot Treatment
This little bottle is not to be underestimated. It is a potent blend of essential oils, which are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, combined with organic evening primrose oil to keep the skin from getting flaky and dry. If I have a pimple that is thinking of surfacing, especially one of those with its own heartbeat, I put this stuff on three to four times a day and before bed. Most of the time, the pimple just changes its mind. And even if it bravely makes it to the surface, it retreats quickly.
There should just never be any other blender in the world for any reason whatsoever. And, boy, do I make a mean raw, vegan strawberry shake in it.
Osmia Organics Posso Natural Perfume
This is an Osmia natural perfume oil. The name means “I can” in Italian. It is a fortifying and uplifting blend of essential oils and absolutes, and I use it on those days when I feel, well, like “I can’t.”
It’s gotten lots of press lately, but there’s a good reason for that. I love this stuff for athletes, especially. Hydration is great, but pure water is not always enough. This drink has electrolytes and is not too high in calories, either.
This is what I reach for when I feel that pesky little tickle in my throat, or start to get sneezy. Often, I find that taking two of these every four to six hours can turn that little virus around and send it on its way.
