CT Organics?
I realize that many of you have not heard of this natural skin care product line. Let me give you a little background into the company. Dr. Sepideh Yaghmaei is a close friend, colleague, and an author of our website. Future posts can be expected from her. She has been spending all of her time building up her business and expanding to new products. I met Sepideh in graduate school at University of California at Riverside. I had the honor to work with her on characterizing a compound that she synthesized as part of her research. The result was a publication in an academic journal. Therefore, I can back Sepideh's work up to say the least. She is 'legit' as are the great products that she produces. Check them out! But first, read on to find out more about her product line below.
After graduate school, Sepideh decided to be a "stay at home mom" for a while. She has two wonderful daughters (after which the company is named after). I do not want to give you too much background because I am sending her some interview questions which will answer these questions and appear on a future post. Anyways, after teaching for a while, she decided to pursue a dream job of opening her own company. She decided to take a chance and start making a few products using ingredients in her own kitchen. This is a sign of a true chemist. Out of this effort grew the mission statement that is available to read on her website and is shown below:
At CT Organics, our products are scientifically crafted for you using only the highest quality natural and organic ingredients to promote healthy, supple, beautiful skin. Our expertly designed skincare line is rich in plant, fruit, seed and vegetable extracts, and nourishing sea algae. Our founder and chemist, Dr. Sepideh Yaghmaei, uses her expertise to source natural and potent antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids to encourage skin regeneration.
That is how "CT Organics" was realized and brought into a storefront shop that we went and visited last weekend. Here is a picture of the storefront for "CT Organics" shown below:
Come on inside the store....
Her store is located in Santa Clarita (California) and can be found on Google Maps by clicking here! Sepideh has done a wonderful job of creating a simple environment in which to shop. The store is simple and not cluttered. As you step into the store, you are immediately welcomed by the "olfactory" aspect of her products -- a pleasant smell of various plants, spices, and other aromatic delights. Here are a few photographs of the inside of the store for you to experience the simple, yet beautiful and relaxing place of business. At least for me, when I stepped into the store, I felt relaxed and not inundated by a large amount of products. Her store is not overwhelming, yet offers a peaceful experience to focus on the products that are displayed.
Sepideh has done a great job of creating an environment that highlights the products. As a trained Organic Chemist, she wants her products ingredients to be as "natural" and "transparent" as possible -- which is great.
Too many skin care product lines are on the market which have ingredients that are of unknown origin. Eventually, in the future, skin care product line manufacturers will have to be very transparent about their products (ingredient sourcing, manufacturing methods, waste, etc.). Fortunately, Sepideh will be on the "cutting edge" of this movement -- which is wonderful for "CT Organics." She already does this by offering a complete list of ingredients on her website.
What products does she offer/sell? Sepideh has a variety of products that are available for purchase online through Amazon. Here is the webpage to her product line on her website. In the near future, posts should appear with more descriptive analysis of her products. For now, lets look at one -- her sunscreen. "CT Organics" has just obtained FDA approval for the product shown below -- which is exciting:
The sunscreen is a zinc oxide sunscreen -- a "broad spectrum" SPF30 product. Here is the link to the product on her website. I took the product description from her website -- which is shown below:
Protect your skin from the sun with all natural ingredients of our zinc oxide and astaxanthin stick. This rich formulation contains 20% non-micronized zinc oxide and a hawaiian red algea called astaxanthin that protects skin from harmful UV rays. It goes on smoothly leaving your skin look tan and smelling earthy.Ingredients: wheat germ oil, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic shea butter, raw beeswax, non-micronized zinc oxide, geranium essential oil, astaxanthin.
As I mentioned above, one of the many attractive qualities of products made by Sepideh is that the ingredients are listed. Plus, for additional information, a customer could contact her and she would be pleased to clarify or answer any questions regarding her products. We had a chance to try out the sunscreen last Saturday. The texture of the sunscreen was smooth. It was easy to apply. Typically sunscreen is difficult to spread onto the surface of one's skin. Not this product -- easy application. Additionally, the sunscreen did not feel oily. I would recommend the sunscreen along with her other products.
Before I show you the interview that Sepideh had with a magazine, I want to add one more note. A major benefit to using "CT Organics" products is that there is a level of "individualized" feeling that you get from Sepideh with her products. She makes a formula that is good for the broadest types of skin. If your skin happens to have a negative reaction, Sepideh is willing to investigate the issue with you. She can personalize the product for you. That is hard to find. She is always willing to teach people about her products. "CT Organics" also offers classes at the store in Santa Clarita. She offers classes to teach customers how to make soap.
Interview Time!
Without further ado, lets get to the interview that was conducted by a magazine a year ago with Dr. Sepideh Yaghmaei. Here it is below:
Interview:
1. Please introduce yourself. Tell us who you are and what you do.
My name is Sepideh Yaghmaei. I am the founder of CT organics, a natural skincare company located in Santa Clarita, CA. I received my PhD in organic chemistry in 2008 from University of California, Riverside and started CT organics in 2012.
2. What does “natural” mean? There are so many products on the market these days with so many buzzwords…what is organic?
The word natural in skincare refers to obtaining a chemical from a natural source like an almond or coconut instead of a synthesized oil or synthetic product. The latter will always contain impurities that are unnatural to the body. I like to use ingredients that are made with chemicals obtained from a natural source and stay away from chemicals that are synthesized as much as possible. The method by which natural ingredients are isolated from the source material is also important. I use natural ingredients that are unprocessed and isolated from either cold press or carbon dioxide extraction. These methods provide a whole extract, and keep the integrity of the fruit, plant or seed.
3. Why Organic? Why is Organic better than other options?
Organic ingredients are produced in an environment that is free from pesticides therefore using organic ingredients make products that are free of harmful chemicals. We use organic ingredients whenever possible. We make custom all organic products per request of the customer.
4. What is the biggest mistake you see people make when it comes to skin care?
Ripping nutrients from your skin with too many peels or being afraid of oil based products.
5. Is there a one size fits all approach to skin care?
Not really. It really depends on your skin permeability, elasticity and pH. It is important to know the ingredients you are putting on your skin to figure out what works best for you. I always recommend getting sample sizes before committing to a regimen. I also love to custom make products for people that want to experiment with different ingredients, and in doing so discover a personalized formulation that fits their needs.
6. When should women (and men) start taking care of (or worrying) their skin (any specific age)?
A good face wash and sunscreen is needed for all ages and genders. As you age collagen production decreases making skin lose its elasticity and firmness. Mature skin needs factors that promote collagen production and that can be achieved by using appropriately formulated serums and creams, in order to keep your skin hydrated and avoid fine lines that come naturally with aging.
7. What prompted you to start CT Organics?
I was a stay at home mom with a one and three year old with a PhD in chemistry and a passion to have my own business, such as a skincare line. So the only way I saw that happening was to start experimenting in my kitchen and learning, by researching and blending ingredients. I totally fell in love with it and nap times became my play time. I ended up helping my husband with his psoriasis with one of my first products. After seeing how effective natural ingredients could be, I decided to develop a natural skincare line for the whole family. Currently we are starting to extract some of our own ingredients via carbon dioxide extraction.
8. Do you make your own product?
Yes we manufacture our own products.
9. If I wanted to learn more about CT Organics or its’ products where can I find you?
You can visit us at www.ctorganics.com for more information or check us out on social media.
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We hope that you have enjoyed this interview with Dr. Sepideh Yaghmaei. One last note is that in keeping with our tradition of health and wellness, it is worth mentioning that we traveled to Santa Clarita by train and bicycle -- using active modes of transportation. Here is a picture below of Kayla Kaiser with her bicycle:
Until next time, have a happy and healthy day. Go check out "CT Organics" today.
