Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexandra Saenz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alexandra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
My name is Alexandra, and the story of NOVINA BODY ESSENTIALS began during the summer of 2012. I was 12 years old when my eldest sister, Veronica, who was 21 at the time, sat me down to inform me that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Before this life-altering news struck my family, several years earlier, I remember sneaking into Veronica’s impeccably clean bathroom to check out her latest purchases of designer perfumes or body creams. She had unknowingly piqued my interest in beauty with her mandarin-scented perfumes, mango body scrubs, and lavender face sprays. On my 10th birthday, she gifted me my very first beauty product: a berry-scented body soap in the shape of a cupcake. Fast forwarding to the first years of her diagnosis, her long hair fell out, her cheeks lost their rosy glow, and there were many days when she couldn’t care for herself. Veronica researched natural alternatives for every aspect of her lifestyle, including beauty. I watched as she threw away all her designer hair, face, and body care products and switched to holistic beauty.
She wished her body care products had more diverse and “fun” scents like the ones she was used to, but she couldn’t afford a single toxin on her body, including the chemicals from fragrances. When I was 20 years old, I moved to Paris, France, for two years. I learned all about French skincare and designed my first product: a fragrance toxin-free soap bar that functions as both a moisturizer and cleanser. My soaps sold quickly, and I returned to America shortly after. I continued to expand my business in California and Florida with Veronica as my product tester. Presently, in 2024, Veronica has been battling cancer for 12 years and is stronger than ever.
I had the honor to launch Novina Body Essentials, a company named by Veronica, with a mission to incorporate bio-active herbs with scientifically supported ingredients that are uniquely scented. I value and procure fragrances that are free from carcinogens, mutagens, parabens, phthalates, and reproductive organ toxins. My mission is to provide clean body care that is safe and suitable for all skin types and lifestyles, especially for those facing similar challenges as Veronica. Novina also caters to those who have psoriasis, eczema and other sensitive skin conditions.
Alexandra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
The Novina Story
Novina’s mission is to blend traditional and modern innovation in every product to create a luxurious experience. Our careful approach involves incorporating traditional bio-active herbs with scientifically supported ingredients to craft uniquely scented and eco-friendly products. We value and are proud to procure fragrances that are free from carcinogens, animal cruelty, mutagens, parabens, phthalates, and reproductive organ toxins.
Why Choose Novina?
Our products feature premium, organic ingredients and uniquely blended non-toxic fragrances, resulting in unique and exceptional formulas. Novina’s aesthetic draws inspiration from the sophistication of tropical luxury, paying homage to the founder’s Costa Rican heritage and the allure of the coastal lifestyle.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
We find that keeping in touch with clients and fostering brand loyalty is a combination of effective communication, excellent customer service, and providing value beyond the product or service.We engage with clients on social media platforms, share content, respond to comments, and participate in conversations relevant to our bodycare community.
In our point of view, brand loyalty relies solely on producing nothing short of the highest quality products and fast delivery.
As a bonus, we include unexpected gifts in our client orders. Sending surprise gifts or thank-you notes to clients shows appreciation for their loyalty and decision to factor our brand into their everyday lives.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
As the founder, I manufacture all of my products myself. Manufacturing is the most enjoyable and methodical task of NOVINA. I took courses on small scale cosmetic manufacturing online and ran many tests before even thinking of selling products to clients. I spent thousands of dollars and countless hours creating unique formulas before I decided to settle on my permanent line. The biggest pro is that I have the power to control what goes into my formulations and create custom products that are ready to sell in an instant. The biggest con is that it is extremely time consuming to create each product by hand and still have time in the day for marketing and administrative duties.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.NovinaBody.com
- Instagram: @NovinaBody
- Facebook: @NovinaBody
