What do you get when you cross a collection of beautifully curated, non-toxic nail colors with two of the most kick-ass women that you’ve ever met? Aila Cosmetics, of course! To say I’m in love would be an understatement. They have the longest lasting nail polish that I’ve ever used, along with the best nail polish remover that will ever anoint your pretty little fingers. And did I mention that their formulas are 5-free, cruelty-free and as non-toxic as they come?
It gets even better.. Aila has now broken all the rules by creating ‘Better Than Gel‘, a topcoat that gives you all the perks of a Gel Coat without all the toxins and ugly side effects to your nails.
Aila Cosmetics was founded by former college roommates, Dr. Cary Gannon and Sonny Han. They are two of the nicest, funniest women you’ll meet. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know them both over the phone and through email the last few weeks and these are ladies you’d want to sit down with over a drink for a good laugh and lots of girl talk! Together they’ve created a brand on a mission for healthy nail care and that’s also committed to giving back. Dr. Cary was kind enough to share her personal journey to clean living, along with some insight into product development.
Maison Pur: Toxic ingredients are common in the nail polish industry. Why go a cleaner route and look for healthier ingredients?
Dr. Cary Gannon: Well, basically I was being selfish. Sonny and I started AILA when I was cleaning house in every aspect of my life. I literally woke up one morning and was DONE. I was in a very unhappy marriage, I had odd health issues, my daughter was diagnosed with SPD, I was a surgeon, managing my medical practice, running myself to death and was NOT taking care of myself. I was so busy taking care of everything else in my life that I had forgotten who I was. I was miserable and I was this huge unhappy bitch so I decided to make a change.
I guess you could even say it was a mid-life crisis but I prefer the term ‘awakening’. I decided to start eliminating things (and people) in my life that were not healthy for me. Taking care of my body and eliminating toxic ingredients were high on my list. I started nourishing my body with the right foods instead of restricting calories (read the color story ‘Wheatgrass‘). I began focusing not only on what I put into my body but also what I put ON my body. Sonny was my rock throughout this entire process and when the focus turned to nail products we decided we could make these products ourselves. We developed a beautiful yet functional formula and were able to eliminate potentially dangerous ingredients without compromising appearance.
Maison Pur:So you and Sonny have been friends since college. Did you ever think you would start a business together?
Dr. Cary Gannon: No. Never. Not ever ever ever. Our friendship has literally survived EVERYTHING (college, boyfriends, medical school, nuclear missiles, cancer, marriages, divorces, children, step-children, politics, friends in crisis, etc) but I don’t think either of us thought we would start a business together. I KNOW neither one of us thought we would develop a product line to bring to market. We are just so different and took such different paths but we both believe that these differences are our greatest strengths.
Sonny and I feel that when we work together we can accomplish just about anything. We just didn’t know this friendship would lead down the path of product development. We trust each other completely and have a strong, powerful, fiercely loyal friendship that allows us to feel safe. As an adult, I’m learning that relationships like this are scarce. Even my marriage didn’t have that. I think that is Sonny’s and my relationship that makes AILA fun and successful. Even if we never make money from AILA we view it as a success because it is another level of a friendship that is so important to us both!
Maison Pur:I’m seriously in love with all of your colors! What is your process for coming up with new colors? What inspires you?
Dr. Cary Gannon: Thank you! Don’t laugh but we literally have almost no process when it comes to choosing colors. We give some seasonal consideration and some thought to industry trends but mostly we just chose colors we like! Our colors are all named after someone we love or some funny story or even mistakes we have made. Each color tells you something about us and comes with a ‘color story’. Some of the stories are very personal (Room 212, My 2 Jeffs, 5 Senses). Other stories are just fun (I’m Naked, Pffff Ugggh, Ginger). There are colors named for people we love (Mr. Pookies, Ms. Martin, House of Paine). ALL of the stories mean something.
We are inspired by relationships, successes and even failures! We are putting it all out there so that people see more than just nail polish. We want people to laugh with us (or even at us) and feel good about what they are putting on their bodies. We want people to relate to us and not only be interested in what we are selling but why we are selling it. We are inspired by our friendship and the support we have had from all of our friends and we want to celebrate these things.
Maison Pur:The Better Than Gel top coat is one of the best things that has happened to the green beauty movement! What made you decide to find a non-toxic solution to the popular gel manicure?
Dr. Cary Gannon: Well, it goes back to our desire to formulate HEALTHY, beautiful products without compromising function. Look, I get the gel manicure. Gel nails look beautiful. Gel nails have longevity. I tell my patients to get Gel when you have an event like a wedding or a cruise or something but unless you want your nails to disintegrate do not wear gel all the time. Gel eats off layers of the nail every single time you remove it resulting in weak and unhealthy nails. The thinner the nail gets, the more susceptible the nail is to mechanical damage and dermatophyte (fungus, yeast, mold) infestation. It takes 9-12 months for the nail to completely regenerate and repair itself from the damage caused by gel. I see the ramifications of applying harmful nail products to nails in my office daily and trust me…it is disgusting. Why risk that damage when you don’t have to?
Of all of our products, I am most proud of ‘Better Than Gel’. ‘Better Than Gel’ lives up to its name providing the beauty, the longevity and the functionality while not compromising the health of the nail. This product survives MY schedule. I see 30 patients per day (washing hands before, during and after each patient visit). I perform surgery weekly. I run around managing my kids and beating my nails to death and ‘Better Than Gel’ can handle it. Sonny and I want to show people that you can have all the things that gel manicures provide without the toxicity and we are so grateful that it is being well received!!
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Stay tuned because later this week we’ve teamed up for something very exciting for you! Aila Cosmetics is sold exclusively atBeauTeaBar.com. MaisonPur.com readers can get 10% off any order $75 or more withthis coupon. xoxo beauties!
