Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Irene Delgado. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Irene thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The story of how I came up with the idea for my skincare business? Here’s the back story…. In December 2016, I was stricken with an autoimmune syndrome called Guillain-Barré. It strikes the peripheral nervous system. My arms, lower back, and legs experienced numbness, tingling, muscle atrophy, and nerve pain that felt like hot, fire pokers. I was in the hospital for 5 weeks and received plasmapheresis (plasma dialysis) for 5 days. I had never experienced anything like this, EVER! I have never been in the hospital like this, I thought I was strong and healthy, but this illness had me bed ridden and I could hardly walk. I thought I wasn’t going to walk properly again. A friend came to see me at the hospital and suggested I try magnesium chloride oil. When I came home I was researching where to get really good magnesium chloride oil and found some on Amazon. I put some on my legs and waited about half hour. The oil was working, but once it dried, it left a very powdery film on my skin and it was all over my clothes. I was looking for cream recipes from the chemist groups I subscribed to and found something budget friendly and got to work. I made three different batches until I figured out the right consistency and gave it to some friends to try. They loved it! They suggested I sell it. I purchased some containers, waxes, butters, and other ingredients to create the body cream. I created this cream, so I could help manage my pain,
along with my other medication. I figured other people could use this cream to manage their pain as well. I was excited to create something special for people that have chronic pain. It helps manage pain!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hello, my name is Irene Delgado. I’m a fashion designer and I formulate skincare for my magnesium chloride infused line.
I went to Fashion Institute of Technology in 1989 to study Fashion Design. I got into sewing, watching my mom make my clothing when I was a little girl. It fascinated me so much, I asked her if she could teach me. I was nine years old. I was not allowed to use the sewing machine yet, but she taught me how to hand sew. I later learned how to lay fabric and use sewing patterns in seventh grade home economics class. I also had home economics in high school. I made clothes from freshman year, until senior year. I started making clothing for my friends in the punk scene in NYC. It was so much fun to make wild and fun looking clothes, for ladies and men. Fast forward to today, my clothing line is named Atelier I, Delgado. I’ve been in business under this name since 2021. I make stylish, rebellious clothing for a discerning client.

In December of 2016, I was stricken with a syndrome called Guillain-Barre. My body was in massive amounts of muscle pain in my peripheral nervous system. When I was in the hospital, a friend suggested I use magnesium chloride oil for pain management. When I finished my 6 week stay, I went home and purchased the oil. It really helped my muscles, so after a lot of research I created a rich, creamy body butter that has magnesium chloride oil. It’s a game changer for people that don’t want to take ibuprofen. It’s favorited on my Etsy shop constantly and I get repeat customers. I have a whole line of skincare that includes: body butter, face cream, face and body scrub, body oil, lip scrub, lip balm, and bath salts.

I’m most proud of the lines I’ve created. Both in the name of I, Delgado, fashion and skincare. These are my beautiful babies and I would like to invite you to my website: www.idelgado.net I sell both my lines there. I hope you will a have a look and purchase something for yourself or a loved one. You’ll be glad you did.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Do I manufacture my products? No.
I make the cream in my home lab. I buy all the ingredients, including containers, labels, etc. I will continue to do this until I make the capital to manufacture my creams. I really enjoy making the creams.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Here’s the story of how I put together the initial capital for my business. It wasn’t much money. I used my credit card to create a whole line of products. It initially cost about $2,000.00 give or take. I had no money, so I took the plunge and maxed out my credit card.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.idelgado.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/idelgadoskincare www.instagram.com/atelier_idelgado
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/idelgadoskincare www.facebook.com/idelgadocouture

Image Credits

All images by: Adrian Buckmaster