There are some companies that just make you smile when you use their products. For me Blissoma is one of those companies. One of the biggest reason I cheerfully rave about this company is because the products are all natural, organic, vegetarian and vegan friendly.  The  owner Julie Longyear  is incredibly sweet and her products actually work.  If you are new to Longyear’s product line I recommend trying her Clean-Smooth and Sensitive Skin Facial Cleansing Bar and her Restore Deep Moisture Oil Serum both products are amazing in both their quality and results. Before I started using Longyear’s product line I had painful adult acne all over my face. After using the facial soap for about three weeks it calmed down my skin enough to make the acne manageable.  I  now look forward to washing my face with  their facial soap in the morning and at night instead of dreading it.

What inspired you to create a natural skincare line?

Years ago I started working as an aromatherapist and natural perfumer.  As my knowledge about natural foods and ingredients also grew and I got to interact more and more with truly exceptional botanical oils and extracts I began to realize what a huge disconnect there was between real healing plants and the skincare that was sold everywhere.  It wasn’t a simple matter of “naturalness”, which was also lacking, but a real problem with authenticity as well.  The botanical’s that were claimed on labels and theoretically in the products didn’t resemble in any way the first round, direct extracts and oils that actually come from plants.  They had either been refined so heavily, or were created and added to the products so dilute that there was no real connection left.  I was tired of false marketing claims, tired of copycat products, and tired of products that just plain didn’t work.  I knew there had to be plenty of other people out there like myself searching for something authentic, so I created a line that has intensive, true roots in healing plants and recipes that are constructed to deliver results.  

What is the one product in your line can’t live without?

I’m so indecisive!  Really I make so many things because I want and need so many products.  I love variety and rhythm.  BUT I’d say Fresh is the product that I really need on a daily basis – cleansing is so important and the wrong cleanser can really mess with your skin.  After that either Awake or Lift are the moisturizers I use most.  Our Stress Relief Serum is something I’m pretty much never without either, as I get really bad migraines.

What kind of experience would you like your customs get by using your products?

When you experience something real you can just feel it.  It’s like the difference between plastic and glass.  Natural materials just have a concrete quality you can’t fake.  As one of my friends says about organic foods, “I want to be able to taste the dirt.”  I think the same is true with our skincare.  You can feel the dirt, feel the sun, and the synergy that naturally exists between plants and people.   Your body’s natural response is to heal and glow.  That plus the heart of our company, the heart of a lifestyle grounded in substance instead of just material style….  I’d like to think that radiates throughout what we do.

How important is it for you to use organic ingredients?  

Organic ingredients are extremely important to me.  We choose mostly certified organic ingredients as that creates a verifiable paper trail back to the methods used.  However, we recognize that organic is just a method of designating a level of quality.  There are still many growers, especially internationally and in indigenous cultures, that are cultivating using organic methods but have no certification.  Some particular extraction methods are only carried out by a few processors worldwide as well, and so to obtain a particular type of extraction it may not be possible to achieve a certified organic end product if the processor is not certified.  What is most important to us is trust with our suppliers, who we have worked with now over numerous years in many cases, and the quality of the final ingredient.  I believe in supporting organic as a movement but I won’t ignore a great quality oil or extract just because they have no certification either.

What are the biggest mistakes people make when choosing a skincare products?

One of the biggest mistakes in my opinion is buying any skin or bodycare from a conventional drugstore.  These are really terrible places to try and find anything natural.  Just don’t do it.  If you have no natural foods co-op or other natural focused store near you then please go online.  There are even a lot of really marginal lines carried in the natural products industry.  The best, cleanest, and most effective natural beauty lines are primarily online or in a few select retailers.
The other huge mistake people make is thinking they need “oil-free” products.  Oil-free is nothing but a horrible marketing scam.  Your skin needs oil – it is one of the most healing things you can put on your skin if you choose the right ones.  People definitely don’t need mineral or petroleum based oils – ever – but botanical oils are fantastically balancing.  Jojoba is a great basic choice, but my favorites of course are hemp oil and a lot of the amazing fruit seed oils that have become available in the last decade due to new cold pressing techniques.  Even “oily” skin types can use many seed oils with excellent results.

Whats in store for the future?

Blissoma is looking to work with more estheticians in the coming year.  We’re excited about entering the spa industry and helping more facialists transition over to organic.  There is still a lot of work to do there as the primary education outlets for esthetics are all run by larger, corporate, non-organic brands like Aveda and Dermalogica.  That means most facialists who want to work organic start out educated in synthetic skincare and have to forge a path into organics on their own, which is challenging.Also lots more product ideas brewing in my head!!  I can’t wait to get back to a bit more formulation work.