La Mav- Getting Results Organically

La Mav is a new Organic skin care range that promises to take “organic” hi-tech with it’s potent blend of actives and nutrient-rich base oils. In our last piece we interviewed Dr Tarj Mavi to find out what motivated her to create such a range.  However, we all know that a good idea and lots of passion aren’t enough to get pots on shelves which begs the question  “what makes your range so different”  and then  “where next from here!” I hope that you are enjoying the ride.

La Mav, Organic Anti-Ageing

Interview with Tarj Mavi – Getting Results Organically (interview conducted via e-mail).

Q) Your ingredients list reads like a feast for the skin. Which one ingredient is your favourite and why?

Jojoba Oil which is both an ingredient and a product in itself (La Mav Certified Organic Pure Jojoba Oil) is the cure of all skin conditions. Many consumers are skeptical to use oil on the skin as people inevitable assume that oils will clog the pores and have adverse effects on the skin. But because of the unique anti-bacterial structure of Jojoba Oil, this does not occur. When applied on the skin, the oil is quickly absorbed as its hypoallergenic properties mimic the sebum that is naturally present on the skin. As a result the skin’s natural pH balance is automatically restored.

Acne, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis, skin conditions that affect a large proportion of the world’s population are soothed and in some cases eliminated altogether through daily use of Jojoba Oil. It leaves the skin feeling soft and glowing and another great is that it amazingly helps reduce stretch marks and lighten scares. I use it every night to remove heavy makeup, especially makeup around the eye area and get rid of other impurities that block the pores throughout the day.

But wait there’s more – Jojoba oil can also work as a natural hair conditioner to banish dryness, tangles and split ends, leaving your hair shiny and glossy (Shampoo + conditioner on the run perfect for your gym bag!).

The uses of Jojoba Oil are endless, helping to tone, moisturize and exfoliate the skin and hair! All this and it only takes a couple of drops a day.

Q) In your opinion what are the key benefits that an organic anti-ageing range can provide over a more traditionally formulated range?

The La Mav range is based on our exclusive Three Tier Formulation approach – with tier three of active constituents, followed by tier two – specialty oils and finally tier one incorporating the base ingredients.

Most natural & Certified Organic products in the market place only include what we build in our tier one base ingredients – which includes herbal extracts, vitamins, hydrosols, carrier oils, essential oils etc.

Tier two are exclusively formulated from CO specialty oils including sea buckthorn seed, Acai Pulp, Raspberry, Lingonberry and Tamanu Nut Oil – an excellent source of antioxidants for skin protection. They are high in carotenoids, tocotrienols and tocopherols.

Finally the most potent anti-ageing ingredients in the La Mav Three Tier Formula are the active constituents that have been clinically proven to have a level of anti wrinkle and anti-ageing activity. La Mav target’s specific anti ageing concerns particularly wrinkles, dryness and pigmentation through increasing the skins firmness and elasticity and providing antioxidant support.

Traditional products are made with only the base ingredients; tier three of the La Mav’s Three Tier Formulation. Traditional products therefore fail to provide long term benefits and contain toxins and petrochemicals that can have severe and harmful effects on the skin. 

Q) You pledge to work towards being carbon neutral, 100% green and to nurture the environment.  Can you share with us some of your experiences in putting this plan into action?

Our products use a revolutionary formulated process which transmits active constituents to the areas of the skin where they make the most difference. All our constituents are produced with ingredients as nature intended – full of natural goodness like vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. The natural quality of La Mav’s ingredients means there is significantly less environmental damage producing their products than conventional cosmetic brands

Certified Organic is your guarantee of quality, purity and integrity. It refers to the farming system according to the Organic Agricultural Standards – this means that the ingredients have been grown and harvested without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, synthetic chemicals, and growth agents and free from irradiation and chemical sterilization.

The Benefits of Certified Organic ingredients are endless:

• The ingredients are extracted naturally in a way that their purity and potency is not compromised. A number of studies have shown that the organic ingredients contain more potent vitamins, essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants and other nutrients than non-organic. Organic systems prohibit the use of artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers. Certified Organic products are produced without genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are prohibited in the standards for organic food and farming.
• The organic farming system helps with the replenishment of the soil from natural organic matter. It prevents damage to our environment through the elimination of harsh chemicals prevalent in conventional agriculture.
• Organic systems ensure sustainable farming, which reduces dependence on non-renewable resources. Organic production aims at all times towards sustainability, the management of the environment and wildlife as a priority. It helps the environment and promotes healthy living, because no pesticides are used – no pesticides enter the waterways.

Another factor of importance was the packaging. We have a strong commitment to the environment. I wanted all our packaging to be either recycled or from sustainable forestry. This was a lot harder to source and it took a long time to find manufacturers that shared La Mav’s ecological philosophy.
In addition, La Mav puts money used to offset their carbon emissions into tree planting projects and renewable energy research as a result our product manufacturing plant uses entirely renewable energy.
About the future.

Q) What’s next for La Mav and how can our readers find out more about you?

What’s next – you can expect La Mav to grow and grow! Each day is truly an adventure and it is very rewarding to see the company grow. I’m very active within the organic industry and work closely with key industry bodies. As a scientist and as an environmental advocate I am going to ensure that La Mav and my organic knowledge is shared with others to ensure a safer and healthier beauty industry.

So, there you have it! La Mav: Organic, hi-tech and available to purchase now!

But what does our chemist think?

I really like the way that La Mav has gone about delivering skin benefits via a three-layer approach. I always find it a shame when brands spend so much on great actives only to put them into a base that just lays around like a lazy uncle!  A look through the ingredients list of  proves that the actives are indeed in the product at high enough levels to be efficacious.  Indeed, there is so much going on in each product that they are simply bursting with potential. 

Having not tried these yet I can’t tell you what they feel or smell like but what I can say is that the hype probably should be believed. These products stand a good chance of making the skin look pretty great!

As with all skin care you should always give yourself a bit of time to get used to a new product range, especially one as potent and active-rich as this.   Organic and natural may make you feel all warm and fuzzy but plenty of us get hayfeaver and skin reactions to natural extracts are not un-heard of.  I doubt that this range will cause problems but do take care!

Finally, as  a chemist I am always a bit narked by people using the term “chemical free” to market what is clearly a chemical product (everything is) but I was pleasantly surprised to find the lovely team at La Mav take on board my suggestion to remove this term – after all, they are scientists!  Similarly, I don’t share the concerns over parabens and some of the other ingredients that this brand is ‘free from’ but hey, it’s a free country and I think that La Mav has so much going on that it doesn’t need to even worry about what didn’t make the guest list.

So, give it a try and then let me know what you think and in the meantime I am going to beg for a few ‘samples’ (perk of the job?)