Strong Roots
Michelle Pulfrey | Photo: Melissa Valladares | October 26, 2012
Interview with Laura of ROOTS The Beauty Underground for Riviera Magazine
http://www.modernluxury.com/riviera-orange-county/story/strong-roots
Laura Linsenmayer wants your hair, face & body to be pretty inside & out-& she’s got what it takes.
At Roots, Laura Linsenmayer carries only organic potions, serums & shampoos to keep your body beautiful.
Laguna native Laura Linsenmayer dreamed of one day owning her own cosmetic shop. So she took on any job in the biz she could find. When it came time to turn her dream into reality, she returned to her hometown & opened up a new store, appropriately named Roots The Beauty Underground (roots-beauty.com).
What can we find here? Products for nails, hair, skin, babies—even makeup & aromatherapy. If you want a safe shampoo for curly hair or the best makeup for oily skin, I’ve got it.
Any faves? I love Free Your Mane hair serum. It’s foolproof, & you can’t overdo it. It’s alcohol free & perfect for reviving dry, beachy hair. Another great product for everyone is Onestà shampoo—& it can be used as a body wash, shaving cream, so many things. The dry shampoo has become a huge craze, & there’s a brand called Skinnyskinny that’s non-aerosol & comes in four natural fragrances that all smell amazing. The very best skin care out there, in my opinion, is Tata Harper. It’s 100 percent natural & nontoxic. For a go-to cosmetics line, Vapour Organic Beauty makes a product called Aura, a multiuse blush & stain that you can use on your lips, eyes & cheeks. It’s nourishing & anti-inflammatory.
OK, so what do you say to people who are super brand-loyal to products that aren’t organic? I love getting that question because I have the answers. I know so many people who are devoted to a shampoo or a makeup product, & I tell them, ‘Use it. Finish it up. & when you’re done, I will provide you with the education on nontoxic options that are comparable to what you’re using.’ I’m huge on samples, too. There’s nothing worse than getting a huge bottle of shampoo that you don’t like. So, I always give customers samples of things to try. The most important thing is to be honest & forthcoming about what’s in the products they’re using.
Any cautionary tales? I would say be really aware of what you’re putting on your head & face. Chemicals can be really harmful. & formaldehyde & ammonia, & their fumes, are so toxic. It’s seeping right through your scalp, & I can’t imagine not wanting a safer alternative with the same results.