Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena Kazas.
Hi Elena, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by the natural health, skincare, and beauty world. I was always engulfed in watching videos and reading articles about new products and ingredients. I tried out so many different products. My bathroom drawers were filled with brands and bottles. I was constantly cycling through different products because I could never find a routine that continued to work on my skin and satisfy my long-term skincare goals. After years of wasted time and money trying to find my perfect combination of products, I went back to my roots, specifically what my Yiayia (grandmother) taught me. I picked up a handcrafted soap bar from Greece made out of 100% olive oil. I knew other people were struggling with the same thing I was; that constant frustration of cycling through products. I wanted to share with others what worked for my skin so they could find comfort, happiness, and relief in their skin. I wanted this brand to be for women and men of any background or skin type while still paying respects and drawing ingredient inspiration from my own Greek culture.
From the very beginning, I not only wanted to develop an organic Greek skincare line, but perhaps more importantly, I was also on a mission to help people feel better about themselves and to strengthen their confidence. I wanted to take the amazing lessons I learned from my grandmother and pass them on to anyone and everyone who’d be willing to listen! Regardless of race, age, ethnicity, size, or shape, I want everyone to feel confident about themselves and embrace their inner, natural beauty and strength without comparing themselves to others.
With help from my father, George Kazas, I was able to create Calithea Skincare. He has lots of entrepreneurship experience under his belt, so he helped me bring my vision and passion to life. I first sourced a manufacturing partner in Greece as well as a chemist. The main ingredient in all of our products (inspired by my yiayia) is olive oil due to that it generates biomimetic, skin-compatible liquid crystals. These crystals act as a delivery system that allows plant-based ingredients to penetrate deeper into the skin for a more targeted and effective result. Some of the key notable benefits of olive oil are anti-aging properties, anti-redness to prevent irritations in the skin, it acts as a shield to protect the skin from harsh environmental insults, and its liquid crystal structure promotes luminance in the skin and hydrates it. Once that was in place, we started working on and testing different products and formulas while I simultaneously started working on the design for Calithea. When it came to establishing the aesthetic for Calithea, I knew I wanted a clean sleek look for the brand. I wanted to create a luxurious experience for my customers, and I knew a big part of that would stem from the packaging but would also need to be reflected on our website and social media pages. The open A is the logo we use a lot. You can see on the packaging you will find a glossy accent which is the open A repeated in different orientations. The other way the open A is used is just on its own.
Once the design was set, production was running, and the website was finished, I was able to officially launch Calithea in the first quarter of 2018. Now I am a student at Robert Morris University, where I am currently getting my degree in Marketing with certifications in sales, logistics, and entrepreneurship; my education, peers, and amazing mentors/professors have helped me richen my knowledge to take Calithea to new heights.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey with Calithea has not always been smooth. First- being a young woman, it was always hard to get people to take me seriously. Cannot even begin to list how many times I’ve had to endure the “no really, this is my business, these are my products” conversations with people who, based solely on my gender and age, assume that I’m simply an intern or sales girls, not the CEO and founder of my unique beauty brand. I am very fortunate, especially in that I have had my father’s help throughout this whole process, but it can be frustrating when people just assume, when they see the two of us working together, that this was his idea and vision, not mine.
Another struggle I faced was at the beginning of 2019, Calithea had lots of success in its first year of 2018, and I was able to get it into a big-name box store and start discussing a product expansion. In January 2019, my younger brother, Elias, was diagnosed with cancer at just 12 years old. More specifically, Elias was diagnosed with Anaplastic Astrocytoma of the brain stem, which is a rare and aggressive type of brain tumor. This terrifying discovery took such a toll on him and my family. For the next 10 weeks, my parents were with Elias at St. Jude’s in Memphis, TN. I was only in high school at the time so my older brother Peter and I had to stay at home. Elias had the toughest challenge ahead of him, fighting for his life and enduring countless rounds of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Due to this, everything was put on hold with Calithea for the majority of 2019. With the generous support of St. Jude, Elias, my family, and I came out of this experience stronger than ever before. Though Elias still faces a tough journey ahead of him, he has truly become my hero, and I learn from him more and more each day. Because of this, Calithea donates a dollar to support St. Jude’s research hospital and their amazing efforts to support children suffering from cancer and their families, as well as crucial life-saving research. In September, which is childhood cancer awareness month, we double our donations for all orders made in that timeframe.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Calithea Skincare?
Calithea Skincare is a natural olive oil-based skincare line for women who want to enhance the overall quality of their skin. Calithea Skincare provides skin and body care products to women to allow them to embrace their natural beauty the clean way without the use of synthetic chemicals in their products.
The concept of Calithea is to deliver our customers simple, clean, and effective skin and body care all the way from Greece. This line contains products that range from 95%-100% all-natural, and these products are affordable so that those looking to shop in the natural skincare and health community can enjoy quality skincare for a good price. Our take on clean skincare is to create products that derive from natural ingredients and are free of parabens, silicones, propylene glycol, paraffin oils, allergens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, alcohol, ethanolamine, and GMOs. Creating our products in Greece eliminates the problem of customers questioning the authenticity of our natural ingredients because we are regulated under E.U. guidelines when it comes to formulations and production. When compared to U.S. guidelines by far the E.U. is stricter and keeps higher standard qualifications. This further ensures our purpose and drive to make safe and clean products for our customers. All of our products contain a 100% pure organic extra virgin olive oil base to them because it is a Natural Carrier Oil. Many major skincare brands rely on synthetic delivery agents to ensure the actives in their products are absorbed properly by the skin upon application. However, these synthetic chemicals can be potentially harmful, especially with repeated use over time. Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, however, is the best-kept Greek Secret. This incredible ingredient is the perfect, all-natural alternative to other synthetic carrier oils out there. With Calithea, the goal is to inform our customers about the benefits of natural ingredients. We want to show that sometimes it is the simple ingredients that can have the best overall results for your skin in the long term. The other problem we eliminate for our customers is feeling overwhelmed with the price of good skincare.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Reach out to small business development centers or local university entrepreneur centers for assistance. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and network. I found my mentor through school. They should be just excited about your passion as you are
My mentor’s name is Eliada Wosu Griffin-EL, Ph.D. She is one of the professors I have met through school as well as an Associate Professor of Management & Director of the Massey Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at RMU, and the Co-Founder of The Young Dreamers’ Bookstore.
She is one of my biggest cheerleaders and is always presenting me with opportunities and pushing me to create my best, most authentic work.
Pricing:
- Organic Olive Oil Body Butter Cocoa Butter & Vanilla $15.95
- Organic Olive Oil Night Cream Aloe Vera Shea Butter Organic Oils & Berries $26.50
- Organic Olive Oil Milk Cleanser $15.99
- Organic Olive Oil Facial Toner $14.50
- 3 Pack Soap (Argan, Lavender, Honey) $12.99
Contact Info:
- Website: calitheagoddess.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calitheagoddess/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Calitheagoddess/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/calitheagoddess
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@calitheagoddess
Image Credits
Elena Kazas
