If you are a surgeon and your expertisepushes you to conceive a dramaticallydifferent way to design a new kind ofscalpel, it is an idea worth pursuing. If you are a cook and you invent anentirely new spice mix, it is a tastewaiting to take the world by storm.

Often, products that succeed themost are those created by people whorealise the gap in the market and fill it.So it was that Lil Bogden and NanBrown thought of creating a newskincare range. Are they skincareexperts? No. Are they cosmetic

junkies? No. They are nurses who havehad the experience of working ininjury and trauma wings of a hospitalwherein they were exposed to variousforms of skin problems and the need toheal. Conventional treatments andmedicines were not having the desiredeffect. What could be done?

Over to Bogden and Brown.“It was both a personal need as well

as professional experience that led usto create L’Athene,” says Bogden.

“I suffered from a severe skinallergy which would not respond to

any commercially available product ormedication,” says Brown.

Bogden graduated from theUniversity of Maryland School ofNursing and worked in Johns Hopkins’Head and Neck Oncology departmentwhere she learned about holisticmedical practices for chronic pain.

This is where she met Brown, whowas also a nurse at the hospital. Thetwo came across several patients withburn injuries and other skinconditions. When Brown triedalternative methods which were

62 F R I D AY F R I D AY 63

B E A U T Y

nature-centric, they worked and she realised that that was the only way forward.

It was this realisation, which cameto them individually, that paved theway for their partnership. Theydecided to create a skincare line.

The result, after much hard work,was L’Athene.

Once they decided what theywanted, Brown and Bogden went on a quest to develop the purest, mosteffective natural skincare possible forwomen. To create this line, they met

with leading nutritionists, organicchemists and aromatherapists toensure that their products deliveredwhat they promised in every way.Brown’s skin became the testingground for their products and thepositive results convinced both thatthey had a winner on their hands.

After observing the remarkabledifference that the products made toBrown, the duo asked their colleaguesat Johns Hopkins to give them a try andthe more-than-satisfactory responseconvinced the two that they could go

ahead with their plans.The encouragement led to the

creation of the L’Athene Pure-Nutrientskincare treatment range.

It is targeted to be a pure, potentline of natural ingredients toencourage skin health and checkageing.

The two set up business in 1997 andafter three years of perfecting theformulae, and another two years ofconsumer marketing, they launchedthe brand at Nordstrom in 2002.

The products practically ran off the

N JANUARY THIS YEAR, Fridaycarried a story on a skincarebrand launched by two nurses in the US which went on to be a runaway success. Ritu Raizadagets in touch with them for someadvice on skincareI

Second skin

B E A U T Y

64 F R I D AY

shelves! The success at Nordstromspurred the two to approach otheroutlets. In 2005, Brown and Bogdendecided to stock the brand exclusivelyat doctors’ clinics, spas, hospitals andmedi-spas.

The initial hiccupsBut no start-up is easy. “It is expensiveto build a skincare brand and wewanted to take all the right steps anddo it professionally,” says Bogden. “Wemortgaged our homes and asked ourfamily and friends for financial help.We even bartered our products forservices. This strategy paid offbeautifully as it was an effective way to increase awareness about ourproduct line. Eventually, it all workedout fine and very soon, our passion and dedication resulted in a successfulbrand. Now my husband, Marty, looks after the daily operations of L’Athene.”

Purity is the main ingredient“Our Pure-Nutrient skin treatmentsare made from vitamins, minerals,proteins, fatty acids, antioxidants andphytonutrients,” says Bogden. “Theseingredients are proven by science toreduce signs of ageing and benefitchallenged skin. They are also thebuilding blocks of what the skin needsto heal itself. Ageing and sensitive skinare just physical states of imbalancesthat require more nutrients. When yougive your skin those required nutrients,you help the body find its balance. Itworks the same with clogged pores,irritated skin, oily skin, dry skin, etc.

“Although our products are mainlyfor women over 30, we have noticed agrowing trend among younger women,and even men, who are interested inthem. If you are wondering why menare interested in skincare products, I’llexplain. We have come acrossinstances where men with cracked and

dry skin on their palms have seen aremarkable improvement after usingour products. So much so that L’Atheneis now very popular among mechanics,florists, dentists, butchers, fishermenand all those whose profession calls fora lot of manual labour.”

With so many natural-ingredientbased products in the market, whatdifferentiates L’Athene from others?“First of all, L’Athene is not aboutcatchy advertisements. As nurses, wefeel that we owe it to society to deliverwhat is best. Our products are morethan 99 per cent pure and nutritiousfor the skin. The remaining less-than-one per cent has chemicals which areadded in order to increase the shelf lifeof the product,” says Bogden.

Is it about trial and error? “Well,some of that and more of research. Justbecause a product looks good or hasbeen recommended by somebody youknow, does not mean you should buy it.You need to take time off, read thelabel carefully and fully understandwhat it contains before you apply it. It is as important [to buy the rightproduct] as it is to buy what to eat,” she says.

Are women victims of fads? Bogden has an extremely earthy viewon beauty and the acceptance of it. “Itis unfortunate,” she says, “that manyCaucasian women believe that tannedskin is beautiful and women withnaturally brown skin are desirous ofbeing fair-skinned. We have to love andtake care of what we have.”

What about the obsession with anti-ageing? “The obsession with lookingyoung among women and men is nowso deep-rooted that it has become a phenomenon that is here to stay.

L ’ ATHENE’S STARPRODUCTS

SR-3 Skin Rejuvenation Kithas everything one needs fordaily basics. It includesPrimesse Cleanser, Vitapure

Antioxidant Serum and a Restore Moisturizer.Clarifique Purifying ClayMask to detoxify the skin fromthe daily dirt and debris. Nutriage Eye Cream: 4-in-1antioxidant eye cream thathelps correct puffiness, dark

circles, lines and hydration andprotects skin from the dangersof the sun.Mineral Derma-Scrub helpsexfoliate skin and keep deadcells off. It helps the productsto be absorbed better, thuskeeping the skin clear.

Lil Bogden (right) and NanBrown, former nurseswho have pioneered a revolution of sorts

in the skincare market with L’Athene,

a range of productsthat is almost

completely pure.PHOTOS: MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES

66 F R I D AY

I can’t at this point say whether itis good or bad because it has its pros and cons.

“However what we need toconcentrate on is to avoid makingmistakes that can cause damage to ourskin in the long run. At all times,remember that a product’s ingredientsmust be good for the skin. They mustbe ‘based on science and have proveningredients’ and they must be pure. Inshort, be a wise ‘label reader’.”

Also important is a judicious use ofmake-up. As Bogden explains, “Forexample, if you have a prominentblemish and it affects your self-esteem,we feel it is best to use a little cover-up.But ensure that this cover-up is notexcessive. Your skin, if cared for well,can rebound from excessive andconstant make-up application.”

So why is it that chemical-ladenproducts are still popular? “Skincareregimes that are not healthy andproducts that contain unhealthyingredients,” says Bogden, “willeventually make the user seeksomething that has natural nutrientsbecause as the skin ages, it begins to

show signs of being ‘sick’ due to thecontinued use of chemical products –signs like dry and dull skin, cloggedpores, wrinkles, etc. Secondly, womenshould remember that skincareproducts do not change according tothe climatic conditions but our skindoes. Hence we need to invest inproducts that are suitable for our skinin that particular season.

“Women must realise thevalue of natural ingredients.Being careful, choosingnatural ingredient-basedproducts and avoidingchemically loaded ones, willhelp to keep their skinbeautiful. Four products allwomen must carry in theirpurse are: a good sunscreen,a hand cream, lip protectionand a good qualitymoisturiser, especially when outdoors.”

From the L’Athene rangeBogden and Brown pick the

star products. “The SR-3 SkinRejuvenation Kit which includes aPrimesse Cleanser, a Vitapure Serumand a Restore Moisturizer; NutriageEye Crème and Clarifique PurifyingClay Mask. These products keep theskin nourished and balanced in theface of any challenge.”

Skincare is more than arequirement; it is a good habit. “Whenlearned early, it can keep you lookingand feeling good,” says Brown. “Whenyou do the best for yourself in all ways,your body will work to keep you ashealthy as possible.

“The key point to remember is thatbeauty is always from within. Often,women feel better when they lookbetter. Also, women need to take careof themselves with just as muchinterest as they show towards theirfamily. Once you love yourself and seeyourself as whole, you’ll see everyoneelse also as beautiful in their own way.”

– Ritu Raizada is Lifestyle Features

Coordinator, Friday

harsh detergents – the samedetergents that are used toclean ovens are also used toclean your skin!). � Get adequate rest. The bodycannot do its work unless yougive it the proper fuel of restand water and of course, a good diet.� Due to the increase in pollu-tion and the damage to theozone layer – which allowsultra-violet rays to damage skin– we tend to age early. To make matters worse, we usemore products that are suppos-edly anti-ageing to preserve ouryouth. All these factors cancause a lot of damage to ourskin. So it is important thatwomen use sunscreen andchoose their skincare wisely.

WHAT ABOUT SUN PROTECTION?

Sun-related exposure causesskin to become inflamed as itis the body’s way of protect-ing itself. Continued inflam-mation leads to signs of age-ing. � We recommend the VitapureAntioxidant Serum to immedi-ately calm skin and keep it pro-tected. The antioxidants helpfight free radicals, which arethe main cause of skin imbal-ances. Science has proved thatfree radicals are the cause ofmany diseases in the body. TheSR-3 Skin Rejuvenation Kitcontains Vitapure AntioxidantSerum as well as an anti-age-ing, non-detergent cleanserand moisturiser. These threeproducts work together tosoothe inflammation. Also helpful is the ClarifiquePurifying Clay Mask, whichhelps detoxify skin from pollu-tion and other dirt and debrison the skin to keep it clean andhealthy, thus ensuring there isno inflammation.� Use an antioxidant serumunder your sun protection. Aproduct enriched with Vitamins

C and E is scientifically provento reverse sun damage.L’Athene Vitapure Serum con-tains both Vitamin C and E,both proven nutrients. � Keep skin and body wellhydrated. Your skin cannotdetoxify if you are not hydrat-ed. Use moisturiser on a regu-lar basis and drink plenty of water. � Thoroughly cleanse skin atnight with a non-detergentcleanser. L’Athene’sPrimesse Facial Cleanser is onesuch cleanser that does notstrip skin of its essential pro-tective barrier and helpsimprove skin’s immunity. Thisenables skin to protect itselffrom the challenges of the cli-mate. (Most cleansers contain

B E A U T Y

COMMONSKINCAREBLOOPERS:

� Not buying superior qualityproducts for daily use.� Not being consistent withusage of the products.� Not following a dailycleansing, toning and moistur-ising regimen.� By being too harsh on theskin (rubbing it too hard).� By ignoring the neck area

and not being respectful ofoverall skin condition.� By applying too muchmake-up, too often.� Not protecting lips ade-quately.� Not reading the labels onskincare products carefully.Your skin is not a dumpingground! � Men not using moisturisingproducts.� By using anti-ageing prod-ucts even if the skin does notneed them.