Zenutrients

zenutrients7The older I get, the more interested I become in a less-is-more approach to beauty products.

Which is why I was happy to accept an invitation from Zenutrients‘ General Manager Angela Reyes-Dinglasan to stop by their flagship store in Kapitolyo, Pasig and learn more about how this Philippine-based beauty brand incorporates the freshest local ingredients to make products that do what they’re supposed to without all those icky chemicals.

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The lovely facade of Zenutrient’s flagship store.

I had a chat with Angela and she shared Zenutrients’ value for honest ingredients while I photographed and explored a few of their organic goods. For those interested, Zenutrients is offering a giveaway for five Cat JL readers. Details are at the end of this post.

Cat JL: Hi, Anj. Thanks for inviting me over. Can you share a bit about the history of Zenutrients, how did the brand begin? 

Angela Reyes-Dinglasan: The brand began as Z.E.N. (this stands for Zestful, Energetic, Natural) around 2007; mainly selling in bazaars and organic markets such as the weekly Legaspi market. The founder was looking for a natural solution to his family’s psoriasis; in searching he found that applying and ingesting Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) really helped. From that, the brand organically grew, expanding to massage oils, soaps, hair care, wellness and more. We took over in late 2011, and The Greenhouse was incorporated, and Zenutrients was born; we strive to continue the brand’s original purpose of creating organic solutions for everyday life.

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Herbal shampoos infused with the active ingredients left inside.

What separates the brand from other natural local beauty brands in the market?

Hmmm. We feel our products are just…well, yummy. We want to bring alive nature in everything we make and bottle. So really it’s a showcase of nature that we want you to see, feel, smell, touch, every time you use any of our products, short of plucking it from a tree (laughs).

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Body scrubs in almond & honey, green tea, and coffee

What ingredients do you often place in their products and what are the benefits of using these ingredients?

Oh gosh. We use SO many ingredients! We use coconut oil the most, because of our soaps and massage oils; and really I can’t talk enough about how great coconut oil is, it’s a wonderful moisturizer, good for all ages (so yes, moms and babies too), replenishes the skin, perfect for dry hair, I could go on and on. We use a lot of citronella too, being in a tropical country it’s a wonderful natural repellant; and of course ingredients like aloe vera, calendula, tea tree, and of course gugo! I think you’d need to give me a space for a book to list all of the benefits down, but in general pretty much anything in your kitchen and / or garden we will see if it’s useful!

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Epsom salts infused with lavender, sweet pea, vanilla, and coffee

What ingredients WON’T we find in your products?

You won’t find any artificial colorants, preservatives or fragrances. Ever.

I love how people can see how the products are being made when they step into your store, why the decision to show everyone this part of your production process?

For us, organic = honest. You get what you pay for, no hiding! So why not remove the mystery on how we made all the good stuff, and show you what we’re doing? It’s like eating in a nice restaurant, you see what the chefs are doing, how well everyone in that kitchen is handling the food that’s about to go on your plate. Think of us as your organic kitchen.

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Watch your beauty products being made at their flagship store.

Your flagship store has a juicing station beside it and I understand that there is a rather special relationship between you both. Can you tell us about it? 

Rawlicious was near us at the Legaspi market (they are still there every week!) and we are both OPTA (Organic Producer Trade Association) members, so it made sense to work with them because we share many common ingredients. Part of being in the organic world is being green; so we use the excess from their juicing, like the bottom of the lemongrass stalks (tops are in the juice), the coconut meat (they use the water for juicing), the peels from fruits (obviously they use the inside!). So we both get the best use out of the ingredient!

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Too many products to explore in just one afternoon.

Do your products have a shelf life? How long do they often last?

All our oils are pure, so massage oils and repellants will last 2-3 years; the rest of your products – the liquids like shampoos, lotions, all the soaps will last a year and if carefully stored, even longer to a year and a half. The products with milk like our goat’s milk body butter will keep for 6 months, it’s short from the milk.

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Gugo bark, lemon grass, and ginger. Some of the many raw ingredients they use.

How can people order your products?

People can buy in any of our stores, we have 14 standing (Find them here).

We’re also carried by all Sesou and all Echostore branches nationwide; if ordering online they can go to www.seektheuniq.com or email us directly at info@zenutrients.com.ph

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Ginseng is also used often.

Do you have any success stories from people that have used your products? Can you share one or two? 

Well, one would be me, I suffer from mild psoriasis and since I started consistently using Virgin Coconut Oil I barely have any flares. I have a friend who used to have allopecia, she’d be extremely conscious about tying her hair or brushing, she’s now a gugo fanatic and tells me she doesn’t have bald spots anymore. Another would be a friend who is a yoga teacher, she always uses All is Well as part of the cool down in her yoga classes, it just makes each class end better.

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A few of their ginger-based products.

What are your bestselling products? Why do people love them? 

Our bestselling products would be…

Gugo Shampoo and Conditioner: because its just THE best for hair loss! Pregnant women always tell me how this has really helped them.

(Cat JL: I liked the smell and feel of my hair after using this shampoo. Found the formula a little more watery than other shampoos, but it lathered well. So far, it’s the best gugo-based shampoo I’ve tried.)

All is Well range: we make this as an oil and a balm – the most multi-tasking product EVER. A hodgepodge of goodies with lemongrass, eucalyptus, peppermint and more, this can be used for headaches, stuffy noses, coughs & chest pain, achy muscles, dizziness, insect bites, I know women who use this to cool down after a yoga class, safe for moms, kids and babies too.

(Cat JL: I tested the oil version of this product and it really does the trick of helping me unwind. Because of my sister-in-law, I’ve become such a fan of aromatherapy and this oil is a great example of that.)

Tea Tree Deodorant: you just smell clean, all the time!

(Cat JL: Once you get past the spraying part of this product, it’s awesome! It really works and feels super refreshing on the skin.)

Baby Love Soap & Lotion: made with calendula and milk, this range of soaps are made with a special blend of coconut and sunflower oils, then enriched with another 7 oils, so it’s seriously yummy, the fact that we made it with no artificial parabens, colorants, fragrances or preservatives makes it just that much better.

(Cat JL: I tried the calendula soap on myself and it’s definitely enriched with oils. It’s got a nice smell to it too.) 

zenutrients1Zenutrients is offering 5 Cat JL Readers a chance to try their organic products for yourselves and see if they live up to their promise. You know the routine!

1 Leave a comment letting us know why you’d like to give them a try. Deadline is October 13.

2 Zenutrients will choose five readers at random and let them know via email by October 15.

3 Open to all readers in the Philippines (A minimal shipping fee may be required). 

(Update: Thank you for joining! Winners of this giveaway have already been contacted.) 

If you’d like to know more about Zenutrients head over to their:

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