2012/11/26
All You Need is a
Little TLC
When developing our line of skincare for intimate
grooming, we at Project FIG knew that the products absolutely had to address
the issue of irritation, and do so in the most gentle yet effective way. To us, this meant using only the best premium
natural ingredients available.
A group of ingredients that naturally deliver a powerful
dose of benefits are essential oils. Not just “pretty fragrances”, these oils
have a myriad of constituents that are well documented to help the skin. Our
essential oil blend of Tea Tree, Lavender and Chamomile (or rather TLC, as we
like to call it!) soothes redness while helping to reduce the occurrence of
ingrowns and the irritation they cause. This is why we put our TLC essential
oil combination in each one of our products.
Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) Oil has been used
in Australia for decades, the first reported use by Aboriginal tribes. The
tribes inhaled crushed leaves to treat coughs and colds, ground the leaves for poultices
to speed wound healing, and infused them to treat sore throats. They were
definitely on to something, as modern-day scientific studies have shown Tea
Tree to be loaded with broad-spectrum antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral
activity.
Added to the mix is Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) Oil,
one of the most popular oils used in aromatherapy for its multitude of benefits
and beautiful aroma. Versatile Lavender Oil is known for its antiseptic,
balancing, soothing and rejuvenating properties and for this, is included in
formulas for dry, dehydrated, sensitive and acne-prone skin. Virtually every
skin type and condition can benefit from a good dose of Lavender!
Rounding out the blend is Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
Oil. Also known as Roman Chamomile, this oil is often used to soothe various
forms of dermatitis, burns and rashes. It relieves itchiness, and calms redness
and is perfect to combat irritation from shaving and waxing
Our “TLC” Blend not only gives your skin a little tender,
loving care, but also helps keep the dreaded itchies and ingrowns away, and
smells fantastic to boot. An absolute must in any intimate grooming skincare
regimen!
2012/09/25
It has been a busy few months here at Project FIG. We have been getting the word out and - even more important - getting some amazing skin care out. We thought we would share some recent write ups some wonderful bloggers have done. If you don't want to click through here are some highlights:
...Is it way better than conventional shaving products? You betcha! I like that they scent everything with essential oils. There is no “fragrance” listed on any of their bottles. I also like that I might be able to shave my bikini line without itching for days afterwards!
...I have been using this kit for about 3 weeks now, religiously. The shave gel is superb, it really is. It is non foaming, which I like and it slides right onto your skin and creates an awesome barrier against that razor! The razor can then glide over your skin, cutting that stubble and those annoying hairs. When you are done shaving, just rinse off. I feel that this shave gel (which is more like a shave soap lotion without the foam) even moisturizes my skin AFTER I rinse it off, and I love that!
...This is a definite summer staple...
Below are some links to the reviews themselves. Thanks for the support!
2012/06/08
Natural vs Synthetic Fragrance
So what’s the big deal about
synthetic fragrance? Sometimes nothing if you’re someone who enjoys it, but
quite frankly in my opinion it has no place on the skin – especially on sensitive
areas. And while I don’t want to sound like I’m passing judgment on you fans of
highly fragranced lotions, potions, and perfumes, I believe that skincare
geared for intimate grooming should always be filled with ingredients that
calm, soothe, and leave the skin feeling better than before grooming. The type
of fragrance used in a product can make a HUGE difference in how soothing – or
how irritating – it is.
As
stated in previous blogs, my goal in creating all Project FIG skincare was to
formulate from the perspective of “good enough for the face”. Since synthetic
fragrance has no redeeming therapeutic value on the skin, it was a big no-no,
especially for the intimate area where imbalance from harsh products can
quickly occur. Instead, I used a blend of pure essential oils, Lavender, Chamomile and Tea Tree, known for their
ability to soothe, calm and purify the skin – all very important attributes
during the intimate grooming process – and the beautifully fragrant and
wonderfully conditioning Monoi Oil. Monoi Oil is a fusion of Tahitian Tiare (Gardenia) flowers in coconut oil, and
has been revered in Polynesia for over 2000 years for its cosmetic and
medicinal benefits. Put all of these flowers and herbs together in a formula
and you’ve got one delicious smelling product that helps skin stay calm and
under control before, during and after intimate grooming.
You’ll
definitely notice that Project FIG skincare doesn’t smell like a lot of
mainstream grooming products on the market. The aromas are delicate, yet fresh
and balanced. If you want to smell like pomegranate or passionflower, you’ll
have to go somewhere else. We believe that your body deserves to be treated
with respect, and while the beautiful aromas of our products make the grooming
process easier on the skin and pleasing to your olfactory senses, we’re not
trying to cover you in fragrance to hide anything, because we know you’re just
fine the way you are.
Any
questions or comments about fragrance or other ingredient? Give me a shout!
Until next time…
2012/05/27
Last Sunday, I returned from an eight-day trip, through the British Virgin
Islands, on a 50-foot catamaran with five friends and a crew of two. Who on
earth gets to do that? Me? Really? Four short years ago you couldn’t have paid my 300-pound self to go on
this trip, nor would I have been invited. Now, I’m 130-pounds lighter and have
started my own company. Yep, you guessed it: Project FIG.
When the planning and saving for this trip began two years ago, Project
FIG was just a twinkle in my eye. I suffered, along with many other women, the
dread of bathing suit season—when I couldn’t hide the hideous red bumps of razor
burn and ingrown hairs.
My skin is the color of skim milk, vampire skin that burns in daylight (not
just direct sunlight). I piled on sunscreen and Project FIG multiple times a
day, swam in the sea, and took in more sun than my skin has seen in over 30
years—and I experienced zero irritation, thanks to a quality sunscreen and Project FIG.
I brought everyone on the trip our Weekender Kit. The Shave Gel made for
the perfect, gentle, all-over body- and face-wash. The TLC, truly! The
essential oils of tea tree, lavender and chamomile calmed our sun-kissed skin. The Hair Inhibitor was fantastic in limiting our time shaving (which means
more time for swimming!). I used it all over my face, legs and FIG Zones and
shaved just one time, four days into the trip. The Exfoliant was amazing at the end of a long day…it’s gentle enough to
use on sun blasted skin but oh-so-effective at clarifying the skin from
sunscreens and bug sprays as well as preventing ingrown hairs.
And the hero of the trip: the Soothing Serum! We put it on every time we
came out of the sun and it immediately relieved our hot, tight skin. Our poor
shipmate, Melissa, was eaten alive by bugs and she said that the Soothing Serum
saved her life at night—relieving her from constant itching!
I truly never envisioned myself being able to enjoy so
much fun in the sun. For me to be comfortable in my own skin—and for my skin to
remain calm and irritation free—is something magical. I can’t thank my friends
enough for their friendship, beauty, sense of adventure, and inspiration.
You’re the reason Project FIG exists!
2012/05/18
Getting’ Figgy With It: Fig
Extract
FIG isn’t just part of our name
and an acronym “for intimate grooming” it’s also an ingredient in each and
every one of Project FIG skincare products.
Why, you may ask? Well, for
starters this delicious little fruit is fully loaded with skin protecting and
nourishing antioxidants Vitamin A and Betacarotene, and a plethora of other
nutrients. Fig Extract (Ficus Carica) also works wonders to soften skin. It
contains ficin, a proteolytic enzyme similar in action to papain from papaya
and bromelain from pineapple that helps break down dead, flaky cells on the
skin’s surface. Along with these benefits, Fig Extract has moisturizing
properties similar to the skin’s own natural moisture, making it an excellent
conditioning agent as well.
The fig has a history as rich as
its antioxidant levels. It was said to be the favorite fruit of Cleopatra,
and has been used as a beauty treatment to help clarify and soften the skin
since the times of ancient Egypt. This sensuous fruit is a symbol of fertility
in many cultures throughout the world, and thought to have aphrodisiac-like properties, due to its
stamina-boosting nutritional value and resemblance of a very important part of
the female anatomy. It appears that figs are, indeed, a handy little fruit to
have around not to mention the fig leaf itself, is a nude sculpture really nude
without its fig leaf? Fly your fig leaf high and proud.
As always, I welcome any
questions or comments you may have. Until next time…
2012/05/10
Many
people have asked us what the deal is with the word “Project” in our name, Project FIG. We chose this word to first convey that we’re
making it our project to rid the world of unwanted hair in the most respectful,
smart and comfortable way, but more than that, we’re dedicated to making
the world a better place, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
Yes,
we offer you the best premium-natural intimate grooming products around, but at
its core, Project FIG was born out of a desire by its founders to do more than
just create great skincare. We’re also deeply commitment to helping women who
struggle without the same basic rights and luxuries we so gratefully have here
at home. We do this by giving 1% off our top line to organizations that are
aligned with our values and beliefs and support the social well-being of women
around the globe.
So
we ask you, what is your project? What are you passionate about? What moves you?
Let us know, we’d love to hear about it. No matter how large or small your
personal project is, we encourage you to go out and get it started. Create your
own ripple effect, you never know how far it will spread and how many you can touch!
2012/05/02
There’s nothing like dealing with irritated skin,
right? Especially in those, shall we say, ultra-sensitive areas? That’s why we
created Project FIG Soothing Serum, formulated to soothe away redness and
irritation. Our Soothing Serum contains Sepicalm®, an ingredient derived
from peptides and water lily extract that has a powerful calming effect on
stressed skin – and there’s nothing like shaving or the waxing, to stress out
your skin. We’ve also included soothing aloe, and an essential oil blend of
lavender, chamomile and tea tree to reduce irritation and ingrown hair.
Another
great benefit about Soothing Serum is that is calms all sorts of itchiness,
redness, and things that leave your skin feeling downright irritable. I’ve used
it on sunburn, bug bites and dry itchy patches with great success. I also used
it as a sort of to-the-rescue product when I got a little over zealous with
some gycolic acid on my face and started getting very peely and red right
before a very milestone birthday. I was NOT having that! Using the Soothing
Serum calmed the redness, and the fig and papaya extracts with their enzyme
proteolytic action helped dissolve away the flakiness.
What
does any of this have to do with intimate grooming? Well, this product is not
only ultra-soothing for redness on any sensitive area of your body, but because
of the enzyme action, it helps to reduce the re-occurrence of ingrowns as well.
It also contains a little Capislow™ and IBR-Dorman® to help support the action
of Project FIG Hair Inhibitor.
Just
think of Project FIG Soothing Serum as a little multi-tasking gem that helps
keep your skin calm and under control. I know my life would be much more
irritating without it!
As
always, keep those questions and comments coming. Until next time…
2012/04/18
At Project FIG we’re often asked why we have an exfoliant in the
line. To many, a scrub used on your intimate grooming area seems a little
rough?. Intimate grooming (ie. hair removal) from this delicate area,
unfortunately can lead to some nasty ingrown hairs and irritation for many.
Think of your face, a proven preventative skincare solution for problem skin is
regular exfoliation. And the same is true for preventing ingrown hairs and
razor burn. Regular, gentle exfoliation is the key to preventing ingrown hairs
and irritation. This simple step provides healthier, smoother results. And
this, my fellow groomers is why Project FIG Exfoliant is the most misunderstood
hero in the Project FIG skincare family.
What makes our Exfoliant different? There are many grainy
exfoliants out there. Project FIG Exfoliant is designed for the intimate area
in mind while still following our facial quality principles. Project FIG
Exfoliant contains two very effective, yet very gentle particles that leaves
the area free of dead skin cell build up that leads to ingrown hair: Jojoba Beads and Bamboo Powder. Jojoba Beads
are spherical and completely free of jagged edges, which are commonly found in
exfoliants that contain nut shell particles. These smooth particles glide over
your skin without tearing or damaging, and gently buff away flakiness. Bamboo
Powder is ultra-fine, and because of its high silica content, leaves a very
soft, conditioned feel on the skin. And while the skin does feel smooth and
gently buffed afterward, it never feels stripped or irritated.
I recommend using Project FIG Exfoliant for the healthiest,
smoothest results. Once you get in the habit, you’ll never go back to the days
of painful ingrowns. Remember, it also makes an excellent facial and body
exfoliant, and men love it as part of their facial shaving regimen too!
Got questions or comments? Send ‘em on over. Until next time…
2011/10/04
Hi, I’m Mollie Jensen, Co-Founder of Project FIG and head of product development. My love affair with skincare began some years ago, and I’ve been immersed in the industry in one form or another for around 30 years. I’ve seen it change – in some ways good, in some ways not so good – and I feel blessed to have worked with some pretty powerful players. One such individual was Zia Wesley (formerly Zia Wesley-Hosford) of Zia Natural Skincare. I started working for her company in the early ‘90s (Zia left the company in the late ‘90s to pursue other interests) as the traveling esthetician, going store-to-store giving customers mini-facials and demo-ing the product. What I loved about this line was that it combined food-like ingredients full of vitamins and enzymes, and essential oils in safe and stable bases, and that using the products gave the skin real positive results in combating aging and acneic conditions. A little unheard of at that time.
Fast forward through the years: I’ve been an active aromatherapist for 20 some-odd years; rose to product development director for Zia Natural Skincare; worked in cosmetic chemistry labs; treated patients’ skincare needs post-operatively in a burn trauma unit; acted as a consultant for successful skincare companies in the natural market venue; was one of the first to use stevia as a flavoring agent in a lip balm formulation; and as an esthetician, learned the ins and outs of hair removal and its effect on the skin. All of these experiences have enriched my knowledge of the skin and how to formulate using the safest, most effective ingredients from the purest sources. I’ve never lost sight of what it truly means to create premium quality natural skincare, and these same principles go into every product I formulate for Project FIG.
On our packaging and in our product descriptions you’ll see the term “Premium Natural” used to describe our skincare. We define Premium Natural as, “… the use of scientifically-proven, facial care quality ingredients of the highest grade and from purest sources to consistently provide ideal results.” This concept is at the foundation of all of the products we formulate, and our promise to bring you the most efficacious, safe, and pure skincare available.
I’m really proud of the Project FIG formulations, and look forward to offering you more products that treat your skin and body with the care and respect it deserves in the future. I invite your comments, questions and concerns regarding our products and ingredients - or any ingredient question for that matter - I’m here for you!
2012/01/17
When we first started the process of creating our Shave Gel there were a few things that we knew we needed to have: a) the formula had to be as natural as possible, b) it had to be free of irritating perfumes and detergents, smell beautiful, with a gentle foam to soften and lift the hair, c) give the closest, most gentle shave, while leaving skin soft and conditioned, and d) it had to be non-irritating to ultra-delicate areas and when left on the skin during shaving be pH balanced. We had to be razor focused to get it done.
In the very beginning of development we were the “test-bunnies”, trying batch after batch before we finally presented it to our first beta-test group. After collecting information from the wide variety of women (waxers & shavers) from our test panel, we took all of their feedback, and again, reworked the formula. We then presented the new revised formulation to the same group of our beta-testers for more feedback. After more than a year of development and beta testing the best premium natural shave gel formulation was done!
What we have to offer you is the most unique shave gel created for intimate grooming. The difference in our shave gel comes from our ingredients – pure and simple. You’ll never find irritants such as isopentane or isobutane, or the ubiquitous use of synthetic fragrance commonly found in other shave gels or creams. And, as with all of the Project FIG intimate skincare system, our Shave Gel is gentle enough to use anywhere on your body—proof, this is a fantastic, gentle facial cleanser.
Being the ultimate ingredient geeks that we are, we wanted to make sure that everything that went into Project FIG Shave Gel treated the skin with respect. On the back of our bottle you’ll see ingredients like Sodium N-Cocoyl-L-Glutamate, a very mild surfactant (cleansing agent) derived from renewable coconut oil and sugar; Monoi Oil, coconut oil infused with gardenia flowers that conditions skin and imparts a beautiful aroma; Lavender, Chamomile and Tea Tree Oils, for balancing; and Aloe for calming and preventing irritation. This formula is so gentle and soothing, that in addition to intimate grooming, use it to shave legs, and underarms, and even as a daily facial cleanser. Our Shave Gel is the most effective and qualified multi-tasker in your shower. Use it for shaving and cleansing, face and body.
There is no doubt that our Shave Gel is different than anything you’ve used so far. Please let us know what you think, We’d love to hear your feedback, questions and comments! Until next time…
