Beauty from the Inside Out
It's a little vulnerable to do a post on the topic of beauty, as I'm definitely someone that has struggled with insecurity my whole life. However, if I've learned anything in my adult years, it's that beauty and self-worth aren't found in appearance, but rather in our Creator. That's why I love today's spotlight SO much -- because everything we are highlighting today goes much deeper than product recommendations, and instead focuses on a business that's empowering women to see beauty in a new way.
Be Pure Beauty, founded by Girl Boss and Visionary, April Manring, provides carefully researched natural products helping others discover "beauty from the inside out." April and her team have a darling storefront in Chapel Hill, N.C., but also offer an online option with their products, services and resources. April's amazing background and story that brought Be Pure Beauty to life is really inspiring, and will have you seeing self-care and beauty products in a whole new way!
April was gracious enough to speak with us about her vision for Be Pure Beauty and provide insight into transitioning to natural products (yay!!). She was also so kind to send two amazing products from their personal beauty line for us to try (yes Phil tried them too!!), which are pictured throughout this post. Hint: they are game changers for my routine.
Three things I think you'll love about our chat:
1. You will walk away with a simple, easy process for finding products that are actually safe to use. (You'll be downloading a new app after you read this for sure!)
2. You will learn about an opportunity to have a FREE skin analysis and personalized beauty routine tailored specifically for you. (And if you are curious, you'll get to hear what my results were at the end and the products I'm using!)
3. You'll walk away feeling encouraged and uplifted -- April and her team are doing amazing work and helping women, like me, discover beauty in a new light.
Here's our chat with April!
What is your background in health and beauty, and how did it lead to you starting Be Pure Beauty?
At 19 I apprenticed in a Beverly Hill hair salon and worked around top stylists and celebrities. It seemed like a dream for many, the sad part was I recognized that the environment was toxic to the spirit. It was entirely focused on external looks, not the beauty of the spirit.
After moving to North Carolina I began to meet people with a deep spiritual beauty in the church community and yoga community. Mix in my time working with a Loius Vuitton makeup brand, health issues that were unexplainable except through toxic chemical exposure, and I had some deep soul searching to do about what beauty meant to me.
Be Pure Beauty was born out of my own need to have a haven to shop for clean beauty that was empowering and supportive of women through our natural outer beauty and inner beauty.
When did Be Pure Beauty open and what is your main mission/goal through this business?
Be Pure Beauty started online. We were timid to open a brick and mortar store with the dominance on sites like Amazon, but recognizing people are reached most when they enter the store, we took the leap and brought the first completely natural beauty store to North Carolina in 2016. When women come into the store they become one of the tribe and I wanted to bring the fun, feminine, joy back to the idea of beauty.
Our mission is simple - to provide non-toxic beauty by nature, from the inside out.
The goal is to educate and empower our customers to have wellness through their beauty products. Beauty is wellness. Our future is empowering others to own their first business through franchising.
What are your favorite aspects of running a natural health and beauty business?
Seeing tears and excitement from clients who feel affirmed, who's skin has been radically nourished and changed through switching to natural, and through the many messages we receive about how thankful they are for that.
What advice or tips would you have for someone who is just starting the transition to clean/natural beauty? I know for me it seems a little overwhelming, and I haven't really known the best place to start in discovering the right brands or products.
Start with the product you are running out of first. Check it's rating. If it is above a 4 on the THINK DIRTY App then make the switch when you need to replace it. If you can afford to toss a few of the worst offenders on the toxicity scale then you will be on a head start to better skin and wellness.
You can also visit our website for a custom skin analysis and color matching. Then we can send samples with your purchase to make sure your new clean picks are a fit.
I noticed that Be Pure Beauty also gives back to other organizations, can you touch on that a little?
As a family we have a value of generosity and giving that aids others in growing things that bring more light and positive change to the world around us. I fell in Love with 5Gyers, being a California beach girl, and seeing the immense impact of plastic on our oceans. We also choose local organizations that are making positive impacts on the wellbeing of all. We met an archbishop from Rwanda who said (unofficial quote) "Not until the last hungry person has been fed, and we aid the last person who is sick have we done what is required of us to share love that is given to us by God."
It struck a chord with me at how important giving and serving are for growing seeds of love, which is at the heart of Be Pure Beauty.
Could you tell me a little about your own product line, Hidden Forest ?
Hidden Forest comes from my cottage haven in the hidden forest of North Carolina. It's a deeply nurturing environment surrounded by a wonderfully creative community.
As a skin therapist I wanted a line that used simple superfood ingredients that could be sourced through fair trade, and provide high impact results for our customers. I use my scientific understanding of skin care mixed with my passion for botany as a naturalist to create skin care that nourishes the skin back to balance. Coming from a point of reducing the amount of imbalance our skin care and makeup can have on our skin, Hidden Forest is meant to leave your skin deeply cared for through ritual use.
THEO was the baby, as in the first product I launched. Chocolate is by far my favorite plant and food. Using it in the raw cacao form with it's incredible antioxidants is exciting to be able to put in something that can care for your skin in a way it's never experienced. So many people love that when it's activated with water it smells like brownie mix!
SKIN ANALYSIS
So I got super personal (for me) and shared my skin struggles with April through their Skin Analysis service. It's a free consultation that you can do in a few minutes through their website. I filled out a survey about the challenges with my skin (acne being the biggest factor for me) and uploaded a picture with my answers. Within just a few days, you'll get a personal response back from one of their licensed estheticians with their recommended natural products specially for your skin type. Not only that, but they so sweetly walked me through the process of using each products (I am a girl who loves directions, so it made me squeal with joy just little lol).
So for my skin specially, Be Pure Beauty recommended three products to balance, heal and restore my skin. One of the biggest lessons I learned is the role toner plays in helping to balance the skins pH (important when it comes to breakout prone skin like mine). Below are my full results if you are curious:
What I'm Using Now!
Since chatting with April, I've started using the THEO face wash + mask as my daily cleanser (pictured throughout this post!). It really does (no joke!) smell like brownie mix. I had to restrain myself from taking a little taste while washing my skin last night! There are two ways I like to use THEO. I add a little water or carrier oil to a small bowl with two teaspoons of the powder and mix up into a thin mask that I leave on for 10 minutes. If I'm in a hurry, I sprinkle a small amount of the powder in my palm and add just enough water to allow me to rub it on my wet skin as a refreshing wash. It's really soothing on the skin, and actually replenishes hydration, which isn't typical for masks I've tried. Also, April provided a genius recommendation for guys: use THEO as an after shave wash to help with bumps or irritation.
The second item I'm using, as a follow-up to my wash, is the Calm Lavender Toner. I can't say enough good things about this toner. One, it's a spray (hello. life changing. enough said.) Second, the mix of 1,000 roses floral water and lavender make a pretty dynamic duo. After I pat my skin dry after using my THEO wash, I give my skin several generous sprays of toner. It's light, refreshing and soothing on my skin. I also love that it's helping bring balance back into my unpredictable skin. Phil tried the toner this week, because I couldn't stop talking about how much I loved it. Now I'm afraid I might not get it back, because he loved it too (don't tell his firefighter friends...). One great use for this toner could be for travel! I'm planning on using it as a mid-flight refresher when we fly to see family in a few months!
The Herbivore products in my analysis are up next on my purchase list to try as well, so I'll be sure to share about those in an upcoming post.
As a gift to our readers, April kindly provided us a DISCOUNT CODE for your next purchase!! Use code BEPURE15 the next time you shop as a thank you! Be Pure Beauty is an amazing business and has really helped our family discover the benefits of natural products in our home. Learn more about April and her team on Instagram and Facebook!
