At Ecocentric Mom, we love to support mompreneurs and girl bosses, especially when their products are as fantastic as Gina Lange’s organic and vegan cosmetic line, Fior Minerals. We often pay so much attention to the ingredients in our food and cleaning products that many of us fail to realize the toxins lurking in our cosmetics. Fior Minerals creates premium quality cosmetics that help promote healthy, younger looking skin. Read on to learn more about Gina and how she got started with Fior Minerals – you might find some entrepreneurial inspiration of your own!

When you originally founded FiOR Minerals, what was the first product you started with? How did you grow the company to what it is now?

I began Fior Minerals by creating mineral eye shadows! It was a great starting point because I really learned how to formulate a lot of different shades, as well as what worked and what didn’t. This helped tremendously for the rest of the line. I slowly added in blushes, lip glosses, illuminators, lip/cheek tints, and eyeliners. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use USDA Certified Organic oils, waxes, and butters for any cream product we had. I also wanted to create a completely vegan line. There are companies that offer vegan products in their line, but not a completely vegan line of products. I didn’t want anyone to be confused by this, so our entire line is Certified Cruelty Free and Vegan! I also wanted our products to be free of gluten, soy, and FD&C Dye. Becoming a mom really changed the way I viewed all ingredients, because I wouldn’t want my own daughter slathering her face in carcinogenic dyes. This posed some challenges while formulating – I learned very quickly that it is difficult to achieve a bolder red shade without dye! I’m ok with that, though! There has been a lot of research and time that has gone into the company. I am extremely proud of how pure and natural our formulas really are. We will continue to grow and bring the best ingredients possible to our customers!

Who has been your biggest source of support throughout the process of building your business? In what way?

My family! My husband has been very supportive throughout all of the ups and downs that businesses have. I bounce design ideas off of him all the time! He has also seen more shades of lipsticks and eye shadows than any other man, I believe. Some days I come in looking like MiMi from the Drew Carey show and he sits there wondering what is going on – testing, of course! My mom is another big supporter. She is my rock and always helps with anything that I need.

Do you have a favorite product that you sell?

I would have to say our eyeliners! The formula is so pure, and they are gorgeous on. They are so gentle for even the most sensitive eyes. This was by far the most difficult to formulate in the entire line. There are seven different shades to choose from, which is really hard to come by in the organic makeup world. Our customers love them, and we have really great feedback about them!

If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one beauty product that you absolutely could not be without?

Definitely our Lip & Cheek Tint. That way I would have a lipstick and blush in one!

What advice would you give someone who aspires to found their own company? What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

Patience! Starting your own business is HARD WORK and requires A LOT of TIME! Most businesses don’t get rich overnight -remember that! Marketing takes a lot of time, designing takes a lot of time, formulating takes a lot of time, packaging takes a lot of time, and websites take a lot of time! You need to have patience, and don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed with the million and one things that need to be accomplished. Everyday I remind myself that “Today is My Someday.” Even a little progress is better than none! Here is where the passion part comes in to play. We constantly hear that we must have a passion for what we do, and this is very true. If I didn’t love what I was doing, I would have stopped long ago. Another thing you must come to terms with is that not everyone will like your products. It’s very important not to get discouraged by this, because it is impossible to please everybody. However, keep a positive attitude and learn from their criticism. Also, juggling a business and being a mom is extremely challenging. Our son just turned four, and our baby girl is nine months! One last thing to remember: you will be so proud of yourself. It is very rewarding when you see your created product get highlighted or featured.

Where do you see yourself and your company in five years?

In the next five years I plan on launching quite a few more products to our line. We are in the R&D phase right now with a few of them. We are also focusing on reaching more people. Even though the Green Beauty makeup industry is growing by leaps  and bounds, there are still a lot of people unaware of how amazing and healthy it is! One product that we will be introducing later this month is our organic, vegan, and non-toxic lipstick line. There will be 10+ shades to start with, and we will add more as we go! We are over the moon with this product. It has taken quite a bit of time to make it perfect, and we cannot wait to share it with everyone. The ingredient list is simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, so be sure to stay tuned because it’s truly game changing.

Be sure to check out Fior Minerals 2ForTheShow Lip & Cheek Tint, featured in our Ecocentric Mom December 2016 Pregnancy, Mom, and Mom & Baby Boxes!