WHAT DIDN'T KILL ME, MADE ME WISER! Our Founder Story Behind the Creation of LUXU Brands
A few years back, I developed a devastating autoimmune disorder. My lifestyle was very stressful and demanding. I was traveling 75 percent of the time (Monday to Friday) around the country as a consultant to major beauty companies.
Being on the go at all times, I would eat at odd hours, mostly airport food, thus destroying my health. I have never been a ‘fast food’ or ‘junk food’ eater, but the choices out there were not ideal for healthy living.
On the bright side, I was successful, I enjoyed meeting brilliant people and forging relationships I still have today. However, the stress was immense and living in different time zones didn't help with healthy sleeping patterns. What turned out to be my normal life was the beginning of a serious health downfall.
At home one Sunday, I awoke one Sunday and noticed my heart was thumping so hard in my chest it scared me. As I tried to go down the stairs to where my family was having breakfast, I felt uneasy. I brought my hands to my chest and noticed they were shaking uncontrollably. I have always been physically and mentally strong, so I chalked it up to being overly tired. I steadied myself, and by the time I made the last step I was feeling faint. I was starting to shake and feel super cold although it was the middle of summer in California.
I visited my primary doctor who, without any testing, diagnosed my condition as "Hyperthyroidism" and recommended I immediately go through several blood tests and a MRI. The results confirmed that in fact it was ‘Hyperthyroidism’.
He recommended an endocrinologist at Kaiser Permanente (that was my insurance provider at the time), who had the worst bedside manner, making my visit super uncomfortable. His first words after introducing himself were, "we need to destroy your thyroid, we'll give you a radiation pill, you’ll have to take medication for the rest of your life, but you will be fine after that”. He didn't offer any alternative treatments, he simply wanted to schedule the appointment and get it over with. I must admit doctors, hospitals and Prescribed medication have never been my favorite modes of healing, even though I know they do all play a part in healing in extreme cases. I said, "let me think about it, I'll call back", just I walking out his door, he was quick to point out the importance of getting this done and looked down to his computer, not even a good bye.
At that point I was on a mission to save my health. That weekend with the help of my one of my daughters I started my quest and research into alternative medicine and treatments. In doing so I found out that once you take a radiation pill, it not only kills your thyroid but years later as a consequence of the radiation, you can be the recipient of any one form of cancer from spine to throat and others.
A friend recommended this amazing Naturopath doctor in Camarillo, CA so I went. He asked me to bring everything I was taking and using. Through an extensive and very precise testing of my biological system, he confirmed the diagnosis. The Naturopath asked to discard everything I was taking and remove any commercial skin products I was using and gave me just two products to take. One was a detoxifier and the other was meant to strengthen my immune system. My condition was severe. My weight had plummeted to 89lbs and by now I had reached the lowest point of my condition. My heart was running the marathon every day for 24/hours, which put me at a risk of having a heart attack at any time.
I started taking my two products, changed my diet and took a good look at the products I was putting on my skin. I became more conscientious of the ingredients in my skin care routine and slowly but surely my condition started to change. At first I noticed the shakes slowed down and into the third month I had stopped losing weight. The best part? I still have my beautiful little butterfly (my thyroid)! It took strength, determination and lots of educating myself, to make sure I was doing the right thing for myself. Today, my weight is back to normal, but most of all I have learned how to be good to myself inside and out, and take a good look at the products I eat and use on my skin.
I have to admit, none of these changes were easy, I still struggled with foods that I love, which now I no longer eat. My quest for healthier yet effective skin care products began. The first step was that I carefully looked at what I was putting on my face and body every day. Surely, nothing was deadly, but many were unsafe, toxic ingredients, that may have influenced my thyroid condition in some form. Admittedly, throughout my career, I have been involved in an array of skin care developments; my main objective was to include the most effective, fast acting ingredients, however, not necessarily the safest.
Today, we are bombarded by a toxic environment via air pollution, Wi-Fi, toxicity in our food and drinks and yes, skincare. Combine that with the fast paced life we are all living, it’s no wonder more and more people are getting chronic illnesses and diseases. With a grateful heart for my healing journey, I wanted to give something positive back, and to me that starts with clean skin care products that have a positive effect on our overall well-being. I am proud to introduce these two amazing skin care lines formulated with clean, safe ingredients you can trust and feel good about using.
At LUXU Brands my team and I are passionate about bringing you the latest and safest products. We look for responsibly sourced natural and organic ingredients as well as components never tested on animals.
I urge you to look deeply into your heart, whatever it is that you are doing today, think about the future. The products you put on your face and body can be damaging to your overall health in a gradual cumulative way.
I hope through our products we show you how much we care. Beyond that, we promise to be here to answer your questions and concerns. We would love to help you understand the nature of your skin and introduce you to all sorts of amazing information so you can make an informed decision about the lifestyle that fits you best and contributes to a healthy well-being.