May 8, 2019
Creating a Clean Beauty Routine
with
The skin is our largest organ, and just like the clothes we wear, our skincare, makeup & hygiene products touch our skin all day long.
We asked Lindsay Strausbaugh — store manager at clean beauty retailer Aillea — to share the brand’s philosophy on clean beauty and the impact beauty products can have on our health.
Lindsay Strausbaugh
What is your role at Aillea?
I'm the manager at Aillea in Cameron Village, so I help my team share clean beauty with the Raleigh community.
How long has Aillea been open in Cameron Village?
We've been in this location for ten months! The Raleigh store is our fifth store, with other locations in Denver, Charleston, Atlanta and Charlotte, so clean beauty is expanding quickly!
The Aillea Cameron Village Team
What sets Aillea apart from conventional beauty retailers?
Aillea's mission is for everyone to clean their routine. Regulations on ingredients in beauty products have not changed since the 1980s, so our owner, Kathryn Murray Dickenson, combed through brands and products to find the best of the best.
There are over 1,000 ingredients banned from our store to protect people from chemicals and promote a healthier lifestyle. Our restrictions make sure that what people are putting on their bodies with makeup, skincare, haircare and body care is going to be safe. More conventional beauty retailers don't pay as close attention to their products or their customers. We want to sit people down, give them a five-star experience, and make them feel beautiful.
What kinds of products & services can customers expect to find when they come in?
In terms of products, we have everything you'd need for a beauty routine; from toothpaste to face masks. We also offer waxing, makeup applications, and facials. Our facials are $20 for 20 minutes on Tuesdays, or $98 for 80 minutes for a more intense treatment. At Aillea, we like to have fun while being healthy and effective.
Aillea offers in-store services including waxing, makeup application, and facials.
What advice do you have for someone new to the clean beauty world? How can someone take first steps to clean up their beauty routine?
When it comes to clean beauty and changing someone's whole routine, that can be overwhelming. If someone would like to do that all at one time, they absolutely can, but beauty is a process. You need to keep trying products to find things that work for you.
Most of our customers like to keep using what they have and then replace their empties with new, clean versions. This makes changing up your beauty routine less of a task and more of a journey. The first step is knowing you're not going to be perfect and starting slow so you won't beat yourself up for any slip-ups with non-clean beauty.
We had Indie Lee in for a master class on her brand, and she said it best when she explained that living "clean" is 80/20. Use clean body lotion, since that goes all over your body (and 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream), but you don't always have to say "no" to a red Chanel lipstick.
