It is my pleasure to tell you about one of my very favorite e-commerce sites, Ayla.  The brainchild of Dara Kennedy, it is unlike any other retailer I’ve perused, online or brick-and-mortar, Clean or not.  Why?  Well, in short, they treat you like a total VIP.  Full-service might be an understatement – but even more, the brands are Clean, effective, and often hard to find.

The process is simple, but thorough.  You can shop normally, or, you can sign up for a $20 sample kit (for which you fill out a very detailed questionnaire about your skin, your habits, etc.).  Then, based on the information you’ve given her, your personal skincare expert sends you a whole new regimen complete with generously sized samples, directions, and tips.  She even follows up with you to to find out how you’re liking your samples and to see if you have any questions or other requests.  I mean, why don’t you roll out the red carpet while you are at it, Ayla?  Just amazing.

I was introduced to Dara by my cousin, Heather, who befriended her during undergrad at Princeton.  (Yes, they are both pretty and brilliant, but don’t hate!)  I loved the concept of Ayla so much, I just had to learn more.  See below for a lil’ chat with Dara.

BB:  Please sum up your education and professional background for us.

DK: I’ve worked with beauty products since I graduated from Princeton in 1999 — first as a buyer for Macy’s, and then in marketing and product development for a variety of brands. I spent three years as the Global Marketing Manager for Elizabeth Arden Skincare, which was an amazing job: it was a small team and I was given a lot of responsibility, so I learned an enormous amount about product development and formulation while I was there. I also helped my favorite beauty entrepreneur, Marcia Kilgore, launch Soap & Glory Cosmetics in London (she was and continues to be a great mentor), and after graduating from Harvard Business School, I joined Living Proof as their first business hire and Director of Marketing, where I set the course for the launch of No Frizz. From the beginning, I had thought that it would be fun to start my own product line, but the more time I spent in the business, the more I realized that there are already a lot of great products out there — the problem for a lot of women is that the really good ones are tough to find. So I spent a few years in retail brand consulting, thinking about the type of beauty shop I’d like to start, and eventually I came up with Ayla.

BB: Before Ayla, what were the most important lessons you learned while working in the beauty industry?

DK: I’d say the most important lesson, which drives me to this day, is that the beauty industry has the potential to make women feel fantastic…but sometimes (arguably, oftentimes), products and shopping experiences can leave us feeling disappointed or even worse about ourselves, which I think is such a shame.  And a real waste of potential.

BB: When did you become interested in Clean personal care and beauty products?  Was there a turning point, or were you always Clean and Green?

DK: It probably started when I began practicing yoga, which was in early 2000. I find that a lot of people go through the same journey I did — as I became healthier in general and focused more on eating good food (and noticed how great I felt as a result), I took a closer look at the beauty products I used and started to clean those up as well.

BB: What is the number one request/complaint you receive from friends, family, customers?

DK: That’s a tough one. I’d say the most frequent request is to find products that will address wrinkles and acne at the same time.  Adult acne is a cruel irony.  You’d think you wouldn’t have to worry about pimples past the teen years, but then they return with a vengeance just when your first wrinkle appears.

BB: Name your personal top-three life-changing products, please.

DK: Also tough!  And I should preface this by saying that these top three are constantly changing.  But right now, they are:

1. 37 Extreme Actives. This stuff just works. About nine months after I had my first baby, I found that I could not use anything on my skin without experiencing irritation — until I tried this cream. And it just happened to be a phenomenal anti-aging treatment, too.
2. S5 Neutralise Cleanser.  So many people use Cetaphil but are looking for something Cleaner as an alternative — and this was designed to be a clean, organic Cetaphil replacement. It’s fantastic.
3. Medik8 betaGel.  This is our top-selling product, and because it works so well, I will never worry about breakouts again.  (Please note, Preggos, this contains salicylic acid.)

BB: Ayla just opened its first micro-boutique in San Francisco, congratulations!  How is it going?  What is next for the company?

DK: It’s going beautifully.  Our team is having a lot of fun with it, and since interacting with customers is the best part of our day, it’s a particularly nice treat to get to meet many of them in person.  As far as next steps are concerned…we’re seeing where life takes us.

BB: You are a mother with another baby on the way.  What do you hope your children learn from Ayla?

DK: I hope they learn to follow whatever it is that they’re truly passionate about and try to have a positive impact.  I’d be delighted if they could feel proud of their mom for doing that.

Thank you, Dara!

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Stay tuned!  On Monday, I am going to show you my own Ayla questionnaire and tell you which products from my skincare consultation have stood the test of time and are still in my daily routine!