Featured in The Organic Beauty Expert
Often times, you can find some new and exciting products at niche online boutiques. Lilou Organics, based in Canada, is one such shop. Now you might ask why you'd shop at an online boutique instead of just shopping directly from the company site. Well, often times you'll find a wonderful selection of products from various companies and because they're "stores", you'll get some good deals and better customer service. I had an occasion to speak with Lilou Organic owner, Lisa Schmidt and she shared a little bit about her company, her mission and her life.
Q & A with Lilou Organics
Tell us about you and how you came to start your site.
After the birth of our first daughter, my husband and I started to pay more attention to what ingredients were in some of the things we were using on her. One day, we decided to Google the ingredients on the mainstream baby wash we had - and of course we were horrified by what we found out. This spurred hours and hours of research about ingredients and a search to find products we were comfortable using on our little one. Not being satisfied with most of the products we found in our local grocery/health food stores, we started to order products on-line from companies around the world. At some point we realized that if we were having trouble finding products we liked, then maybe other people were too… and it just somehow turned into a business!
How do you choose what products you sell in your store?
With great care! Choosing our product lines was a very long and tedious process. There were so many things that we wanted to consider. The first thing we look at are ingredients…they must be both organic, and non-toxic - we certainly don't want to carry anything that just says 'organic' or 'natural' on it and only has a tiny amount and the rest of the ingredients are awful; among many others, we don't carry anything with parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate.
Our second criteria is that the products must look appealing - if it's ugly, we don't want it; we want to have a certain image that appeals to people…I'm into organics and the whole bit, but I'm also into looking good and I think that people should be able to have both.
Just as important, we test each product to make sure it's effective - this step has eliminated a whole lot of products, and resulted in a house full of stuff! I would never carry something I hadn't tried myself, or wouldn't use myself.
We also try to make sure that we have a good variety of products; we really want to be a one-stop shop for the whole family. We want someone - usually the woman but doesn't have to be - to buy their own products, their husbands, and their kids, all in one place…because who has time to shop around for all that stuff? As well, we really wanted to offer a variety of price points, and so that definitely affects what lines we carry too.
When it comes to skin care, what's important to you personally?
Effectiveness and quality ingredients - because it's going on my skin. I've always had acne-prone skin and envied people who didn't…since I've started using these products (I love all the lines I carry, but I'm partial to Suki on my face), my skin is transformed! I haven't had a pimple in a couple years and my skin is beautiful….I still can't believe in when I look in the mirror sometimes.
What does your store offer to your customers that they can't find elsewhere?
Great customer service - great selection - free gift wrap and greeting cards with gift packages.
Are there any plans for a line of your own?
Not at this time; right now our priorities are our two babies (newborn and toddler) and our current business. Anything might happen in the future though.
As a new mother, what advice do you have for moms looking for baby and mom-to-be lines?
Learn about what's in the stuff you buy at the grocery store! It's probably awful. Learn about ingredients. Learn about why kids/babies are so much more susceptible to toxins in these products then adults are. If you don't have time to learn and research, then come to our website and read the summarized explanations that we provide.
What kind of customer service can customers expect to receive from you?
Excellent customer service!! I can't stand getting bad or even mediocre service from stores or businesses. We want our customers to be happy and satisfied with their purchases and with their experience when shopping with us, and we will do just about anything to get that.
Are there any lines that you're looking to carry in the future?
Yes, we definitely want to expand in the future. I have a huge list of companies that I'd like to carry, but must weigh many different things when deciding what to take on next. Our next addition will likely be another cosmetics company this coming summer.
Shipping, etc.
We ship to most places in the world - it's also free shipping on orders over $100 to Canadian destinations, and free shipping to American destinations on orders over $150. Payment is in Canadian dollars (which is good for Americans!), and we will gladly take orders on-line or over the phone; we take Visa, Mastercard, cheques, money orders, or PayPal.
Lilou has a great selection of products and is offering a "Just Because" gift set which includes:
Take a look at their organic beauty selections... just because!
