Theodora Florescu, founder of Guanako, a leading organic beauty, wellness and lifestyle platform, shares the industry “dark secrets” that drove her to establish an ethical solution that respects consumers.
Guanako was born out of observations of Theodora who learned of people developing skin and ovarian cancer from products approved by government testing bureaus. Her shock at what she discovered behind the groomed face of the beauty industry was compounded by the strong socio-environmental message sent by our current pandemic. The analysis of humanity through the lens of the pandemic confirmed the need for a brand that was ethical, transparent, and did not poison its clients, nor the planet.
The belief in the ability of a brand to be truly organic, truly ethical, truly eco-friendly, and truly effective means consumers can have luscious lips or smooth, plump skin with products that do what they promise, without depositing toxins anywhere from cradle to grave, without any humans suffering in the value chain, and with scientific proof behind every product.
Theodora said, “The majority of the public does not know that there are ingredients in the products they purchase today that are not forbidden in the EU or the USA even though they are known to be toxic. The regulations are very outdated. The majority of the public knows there are human rights issues in the beauty industry but they can’t find alternatives.”
Guanako started their own superior industry legislation levels and is not compromising on their ethics.
“In addition to the toxic bombardment that the public is unknowingly subjected to, there is another side of the coin as well. In the marketplace, you can find pure, natural products but they do not do what they say they will do. They are ineffective. That is unethical towards the client to the point of fraud,” continued Theodora.
“Consumers are far more aware of the real benefits of organic, ethical, healthy, effective products in their life. They are also far more aware of the real cost of non-organic, non-ethical, unhealthy, ineffective products = their life, their capital, and our planet.”
The scientifically, ethically, Guanako-standards approved products are currently selling in high-end outlets like Selfridges and Harrods yet the majority of the market are unaware of them. Guanako’s lifestyle platform curates the purest of the pure and the best of the best. All are tried and tested with excellent performance reviews over many years.
1. Amala Beauty – A gem in the carefully curated collection. The only brand in the world that is truly clinically proven and is 100% certified. They wholly own a farm that is 100% organic from which they source products.
2. Doctor Online Consultations – The Guanako platform will facilitate online consultations with medical professionals to give you advice grounded in scientific facts.
3. Parabens are banned from Guanako – They are found in 70–90% of cosmetic and body care products on the global markets. They mimic estrogen, are easily absorbed, cause hormone imbalances, are linked to breast cancer, skin cancer, and impotence. They are difficult to avoid, except for the Guanako products.
4. Triclosan is banned from Guanako – Commonly found in antibacterial soaps, body care, and make-up products. Linked to thyroid issues and have contributed to the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. We are all currently well-versed in superbugs.
5. Formaldehyde is banned from Guanako – Difficult to know if this is in your cosmetic or body care products because companies methodically hide it. They know regulation won’t allow formaldehyde so they add other chemicals that work together, releasing formaldehyde as they decompose. The product gets approved by the health standards bureaus even with this information being commonly known among the industry chemists. Formaldehyde is a skin sensitizer, allergen, and scientifically proven carcinogen.
6. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is banned from Guanako – This can be found in a cream base, foundation, concealer, etc. This is linked to skin irritation, canker sores, eye damage, and acne. 100s of thousands of products carry this ingredient, all approved by health standards bureaus.