(centre) Danielle Gonsalves, creator of Glo Skin Care line, introducing one of the products to some of the persons attending the launch.
THE demand for anti-acne and skin care products has pushed a local medical aesthetician to develop a product line for the Barbadian market.
But, Danielle Gonsalves is not stopping there; she hopes that in the not too distant future, persons from across the Caribbean region and even further afield could have access to her products.
“Only for now it is a Barbados thing, but I know it can help so many people... it is just that right now this is my capability, but I want to reach other markets.
“I am not this big manufacturer like L’Oreal, Proactiv, or Neutrogena, and people can appreciate that, because they know I am in there with the chemists telling them what I want and why I need it. I think that will help persons to appreciate that it is something special to me and personal,” she said in an interview with The Barbados Advocate, following the official launch of Glo Skin Care Products on Saturday night at the Radisson Aquatica.
The 30-year old entrepreneur said that at this time the products are only available from her spa, Rejuvenate Spa, currently located at her home, but which will shortly be moving to Wildey, St. Michael, and she is hoping to get them on the shelves of local stores soon as well. She also wants to make the products available online, noting that it would be the first step towards exporting Glo regionally and internationally.
Her comments came as she indicated that the real work on the creation of the nine products in the line – the gentle cleaner, clarifying toner, hydrating daily moisturiser with SPF, revitalising complete vitamin serum, pigment correction serum, purifying mask, glycolic acid wash, advanced blemish treatment and the Glo oil – started three and a half to four years ago, and involved a lot of trial and error.
With that in mind, an upbeat Gonsalves said she did not let the fact that she lives in Barbados be a factor in her decision to create the products, and she is urging other local entrepreneurs and innovators to adopt the same mindset.
“I live on a small island, but I don’t have a small island mentality. I am obsessed with continued learning, and in the industry I am in, there’s always something new. Every year there is a new conference, or they are introducing new technology, or a new ingredient that you can put in your products, and I am always on the lookout for those things so I can give my clients the best,” she added.
Earlier in the evening, in a video presentation, Gonsalves explained that the product line, named in memory of her late grandmother, Gloria Jones, came about from a desire to treat her own adult acne. She explained that while enrolled in a medical aesthetics course, she would come home after class and try what she had learned on herself, and eventually started to see results... results she wanted to share with others.
“I said, well, I’m not going to stop here I’m going to keep learning, I’m going to keep reading, and I became almost obsessed with the idea that I could help myself and then in turn help other people with their skin problems. Eventually I completely cleared my skin up and I was just so blown away with my results, and I just knew I could help other people,” she added.
The skin care expert added, “I did my research, I found a lab and I got to work. I started talking with the chemist and I told him exactly what I wanted to do, what I wanted to achieve, and a couple years later we have Glo Skin Care Products – products I am finally a hundred per cent confident in recommending to my clients.” (JRT)