Debra Claire

What do you use to preserve your products?

We only use natural preservatives such as non-GMO vitamin E and we also use essential oil as preservatives as well. We don't want to use anything like parabens because they are known to be a carcinogen. They've been found in breast cancer tissue and they're also endocrine disruptors. They're in so many conventional products and you can be using them several times a day and not even knowing it

Are you a vegetarian?

I'm a vegetarian, yes.

You started Perfect Organics in 2003. What was your inspiration?

I guess you could say it's kind of in my blood. I grew up in an organic green household and my mother is a chemist and she developed some of the very first lines of natural skin care products. So, I grew up with her in labs and watching her do formulations and also going on ingredient sourcing trips all over the world. It's kind of always been in my background. When I graduated from college I became a commercial makeup artist, I really couldn't believe the amount of chemicals and synthetics that were found in conventional products because I didn't grow up using those kind of things and I really felt that we could do that better.

Can you talk about why ingredients are so important to you?

Ingredients are extremely important in personal care products because 60 percent of what you put on your skin is absorbed directly into your bloodstream, or can be. If you think about that, especially for women who start as a teenagers using all kinds of makeup, nail polish, deodorant and personal care products that have an incredible amount of synthetic chemicals in them. So, ingredients are key. Using organic is our primary philosophy at because we believe that there can be no long term health or beauty without clean air, clean soil, and clean water. When you keep that in mind when you’re producing a product, you come out with formulations that are not only amazing, effective, extremely vitamin rich, and luxurious, but they're good for the environment and they're good for the user.

But many companies say they use parabens in such small amounts that they're not harmful.

When companies say they're using parabens in such small quantities that it doesn't make a difference, they may be right about that one particular product, but the problem is that women, and even men and children, are using multiple products per day and throughout their lifetime. The fact is, parabens are showing up in our bloodstreams, they are showing up in cancerous tissue. So it does make a difference.

Are the natural oils and other natural preservatives you use as effective as parabens?

Natural preservatives, such as non-GMO vitamin E and essential oils are fantastic for preserving cosmetics. They might not give a product a shelf life of six years like parabens would, but they certainly can be used properly in order to give a product a normal shelf life where someone can use them effectively and know that they will be safe and healthy.

What's your eco-sin?

Mascara because I can't find a good eco-friendly mascara and that will probably be on my list of things to try and develop down the road.

Where do you source your ingredients?

We source our ingredients as much as possible from the United States but we also do get ingredients from other countries. We're hoping this will change, but it's very difficult to get organic ingredients because there aren't a lot of organic farms. This is changing as industry is growing, which is a great thing. For instance, rose essential oil is very difficult to find and we get some of that from Bulgaria. But most everything we try and do as much as possible from the United States.

What's your favorite Perfect Organics product?

Right now, it changes, but my favorite is grapefruit lavender coconut body glow because it smells so refreshing but it's also soothing and it's really just an amazing product. I have curly hair and I can use it as a leave-in balm. I can use it on my face, my lips, my body and it's just really moisturizing, I love it. I mean, I think it's genius.

Your office space is gorgeous. Is it green?

At Perfect Organics our office space is eco-friendly. We purposefully wanted to make sure that when people came in they had an example of what an eco-friendly office should be or could be. So, we use bamboo floors which are sustainable, no VOC paints, which is important, and everything that we have furniture wise is either recycled or eco-friendly.

Do you live green in your own life?

I grew up in an organic and green household and I really do my best to really honor that. I really only purchase clothes that are vintage or from thrift stores. I believe in reusing and recycling. We only eat organic foods because we want to support sustainable agriculture and we want to be healthier. We only use paper that has been non-chlorine bleached such as toilet paper and paper towels. We only use natural cleaners for our home and no pesticides. So, every aspect we really, really try to make sure we’re being as eco-friendly as possible.

Did you ever go through an anti-eco rebellion period when you were young?

When I was growing up, I really didn't appreciate growing up in an organic green household. I didn't really understand what it meant, especially when I started going to school and having friends who weren't following the kind of standards that we were at home. I can remember having friend come over after school and being like, 'You don't have anything good to eat. All you have is nuts and berries.' So, it was kind of embarrassing and I always thought that we were a little bit weird and it made me feel that I was different from other kids. But as I got older and I really got into the world and I understood what the meaning and the purpose of living that kind of lifestyle is, I'm deeply appreciative.

Did you ever date someone who wasn't?

I have, yes. I think being with someone who isn't a vegetarian is hard. The way that we produce our poultry or beef is factory farming methods that are really out of control and inhumane. We're not producing high quality food to eat and we're also being really inhumane to the animals and it's also, increasingly, the worst thing we can do for the environment. So, it's not so much that someone I'm with has to be a vegetarian, but they have to understand and be against factory farming and be aware of where their food comes from and how it’s produced. I really am adamant about that.

What do you think about green being really trendy right now?

I think a lot of people are kind of latching onto it because they think it's the fad of the moment and I do think that some people will fade off, but I think that more than ever, at this time that it will last. I think there’s been a lot of major things that have happened in the last few years, like the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and things that have really had an impact on people, and really hit them where they live and how they live. So, these kinds of things will really make the green movement last and continue and grow.