by Michele Mereu
The Ahura brand was founded on the passion of three women and their desire to create a line of pure cosmetics, without ingredients potentially harmful to the skin, such as paraffins, silicons, peg. It all started thirteen years ago with the production of a small line of skincare oils, which over time has become a wider and more complete range, to which creams, serums and cleansers have been added. We met Elisabetta Lolli, production manager at the Laboratorio Ahura, for an in-depth look at the philosophy behind this Made in Italy brand.
Who are you? Where did the idea for Ahura come from?
Ahura was founded in 2002 thanks to the union of our three professional backgrounds; specifically, after ten years of experience in a formulation laboratory, I decided to focus on research in cosmetics. Rita Venturelli, who takes care of the administrative side, after her studies in Agricultural Sciences, went to Zambia and Mozambique where she was involved in setting up and developing women’s cooperatives for vegetable and livestock production. Our interest in natural medicine and biodynamic agriculture, whose roots lie in the study of anthroposophy and teachings of Rudolf Steiner, a field in which Cristina Menardi, the brand’s sales manager, was also schooled is what has brought us together.
What principles are your brand built on?
Ahura products are the result of a careful production process which uses exclusively natural raw materials with guaranteed traceability. They are “living” substances in that they are biologically active, a fact which facilitates the perfect interaction with the skin and body in general. We use both organically grown plants from an Italian farm and plants cultivated by us and collected spontaneously in the mountains around the Triangolo Lariano.
How are the ingredients chosen?
All ingredients are chosen for their absolute purity. Some valuable raw materials come directly from fair trade sourcing projects in Morocco, Benin, Ecuador, and the Mauritius Islands, thus safeguarding human dignity, natural balance and sustainable production. It is important to emphasize that our cosmetics do not contain parabens, petrolatum, silicones, EDTA, synthetic chelators and lauryl sulfates. An absolutely rigorous and scrupulous choice.
How much work and what kind of research is behind each product?
The formulation choices take into account many aspects since each product, to be biologically safe, compatible, stable and effective, requires months if not years of research. This implies on our part a constant and incessant work of updating and study. It is of course also a question of passion to create an ever higher quality product.
What does the expression Made in Italy mean for you?
For us the word – made in Italy is not just a simple label, but rather a real affirmation of quality and an assumption of responsibility towards the public and customers who place their trust in our cosmetics.
