GUEST BLOGGER: Chrystal Corcoran, Customer Service

 Simplify.

Doesn’t the word itself promise a renewal of mind, body and spirit?  That’s why it’s the theme of this year’s International SPA Associations Conference and Expo held in Austin, Texas, October 5-7.  The Leakey Collection is thrilled that Katy Leakey herself will be at our booth, #1213, speak at Ten Thousand Villages in Austin, and spend time with the entire team! We can’t wait!

iSPA has been recognized worldwide as the professional organization and voice of the spa industry since 1991,  representing more than 3,200 health and wellness facilities and providers in 83 countries.  Katy will be showing our entire line, including our newest products – Friendship Bracelets and Fallen Acacia Wood Table Top accessories. Click here to see our wood product line on our Facebook Fan Page. We’d love it if you’d support us by becoming our Facebook Fan!  We also are unveiling our new skin care product – TLC Marula Oil, Africa’s secret to youthful skin.

Marula Oil, hand collected from wild Marula trees in rural East Africa, is a cold-pressed, deep penetrating oil that moisturizes and heals dry skin.  This light, unscented oil is high in anti-oxidants, oleic acid, and vitamins C & E, which are essential components for healthy skin. In Katy’s words, “Much to my disappointment, I found in my forties that I had inherited my mother’s scaly dry skin.  Alligators wear their patchy skin nicely, but my mother and I didn’t, and no product seemed to have a hope of returning the soft silky skin of youth – until now!  At my age, I am very skeptical of “miracle” wonder treatments, so with reasonable doubt,  I replaced my normal skin care regime and tested TLC Marula Oil, using no other products for a couple of weeks.  Happily, I discovered that it absorbed quickly and left no residue on my skin, and within two weeks of using Marula Oil, the alligator pattern began to subside.  Encouraged and surprised, I continued and by the end of one month, my legs were smooth and silky again.  After using TLC Marula Oil on my face for several months, the red blotchy spots have virtually disappeared. I’ll never go back to my old skin regiment – it’s TLC Marula Oil forever!  I have finally found a skin care product I can believe in.”

In looking for skin lotion recipes, we realized that most of them are 80% water.  The active ingredients are minimal in most of the skin care lines, so we decided to offer the active ingredient on its own – 100% Marula Oil. We sent out samples to just over 100 women across America and asked them to replace their normal skin care rituals with our 100% TLC Marula Oil and see if they noticed a difference.

The results are significant.  73% of the women noticed a visible improvement in their skin after just two weeks of using TLC Marula Oil, including me. I loved the effect it had on the texture and fine wrinkles on my face. I’m eagerly awaiting more!

While Katy’s in Austin, Texas for the iSPA Expo, she will be speaking at Ten Thousand Villages, located at 1317 South Congress Avenue, Austin, on Tuesday, October 6th, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.  She will be discussing the joys and challenges of owning a rural enterprise, the importance of fair trade, and the impact the company has on her neighbors, the Maasai.  She looks forward to answering questions and to talk about her life in Kenya, as well as the mission that drives The Leakey Collection. Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. We’re proud to be associated with them!

Katy looks forward to seeing you in Austin!  Drop by to talk to her at Booth 1213 or at Ten Thousand Villages, just a mile and a half from the iSPA Expo. We can’t wait to hear what YOU think about TLC Marula Oil!