Why Two Beauty Veterans Found Wellness to Be Vital to Their Skin-Care Line

Let’s face it: Some women are born craving greens and wanting to workout and, well, some women come to it a little later in life. As someone who's dipped in and out of my own wellness practice for decades, I’m always excited to find others who champion the fact that it’s never too early—or too late—to start health-focused routines. 

Take Renee Tavoularis, 52, and Lynne Florio, 63. The former La Prairie businesswomen found themselves working around the clock at the luxury skin-care giant, so they decide to put their money where their intentions were and create a wellness-centric beauty line called Well Within Planted in Beauty that aims to change women's perceptions of beauty and wellness. Here, they share their relationship with wellness, their views on aging, and how they’re building an integrative beauty company.

Keep scrolling to read more about the duo and how they created their line.

How their relationships with wellness differed

Over the span of several career-centric decades, the duo had very different relationships with wellness and health. “Wellness was always part of my lifestyle, but over the years it really took a back seat to my career,” says Tavoularis. “It wasn’t really until I started having some serious digestive issues that my health came into focus."

For Florio, wellness wasn’t really part of her vocabulary until she departed her executive role and had time to reevaluate the state of her overall health. “I was always someone who was looking for a quick fix like the latest fad diet, the newest workout craze or gym. I would try anything once and abandon it almost immediately," she says. "I realized all that energy could be shifted toward embracing and loving myself. It’s a much more positive, liberating experience, and that acceptance has changed things for me.”

Why the pair settled on an integrative approach to beauty

The company is focused on providing wellness content, with intel on beauty, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle tips. This cohesive approach—for inner and outer beauty and wellness—allows the brand to reach women at all points of their wellness journey. "You can spend all the money in the world on skin-care products, but it is truly not enough for optimal skin health,” says Tavoularis. “The best skin health goes far deeper than the skin itself. It can start in a few simple steps—drink more water, get more sleep, and eat a wide range of varied, colorful plant-based foods." 

The philosophy behind celebrating aging rather than preventing it

Tavoularis and Florio believe the key to aging gracefully is the ability to make smart choices—say taking the stairs or having green tea instead of sugary caffeinated beverages, for instance. Within the beauty space, they aim to help women 35 and older embrace where they are in life and not fight it. “In reality, I think people know there are very few quick fixes,” Florio says. “Why fight something you know you can’t stop, you can’t delay, you can’t change? All that energy can be shifted toward embracing and loving yourself. It’s a much more positive, liberating experience, and that acceptance is what’s changing for so many women in so many meaningful ways.”

The best advice they'd give for creating healthier routines

If you’re ready to make a shift in your journey to wellness, Florio suggests you start slowly. “Just pick one thing you’d like to change and stick with it for a month—don’t try and change ten things on day one, you’ll get overwhelmed and quit,” she says. “If at the end of the month you’ve been able to maintain it and you feel better, go to the next thing and don’t give up. The illusion that everything has to be done right this minute is merely a fallacy. Go slowly and move deliberately toward the person you want to be.”

To get your skin even more glow-y, try this completely free (and easy!) trick from skincare pro Tammy Fender. Next, learn how to upgrade your makeup techniques to transform your skin (like a super natural contouring trick that can make you look well rested in 2 seconds).