Victoria shares the story...
In 1991, my family and I migrated to the United States as refugees from Eastern Europe; it was shortly before the collapse of the former Soviet Union. My parents took a leap of faith, leaving everything they ever knew behind, in search and hope for a more promising and secure future.
For many years, like most immigrant families, we worked hard to “make it” and assimilate into the culture. My father, a distinguished scientist, was working at McDonald’s with responsibilities that included from cooking to washing bathrooms. My mother, an engineer with a Master’s Degree, was working part-time as a house cleaner the rest of the time as a babysitter, before having to rush home to take care of her own kids. My sister and I, often came along to help my mom, but besides for that, we began working early on in life as well, wanting to contribute and help our family. Our jobs ranged from the local shoe repair shop to the pizza parlor. It was embedded in us that if we work hard we will achieve great things, and of course, what we were chasing as a family was the ultimate “American Dream.”
In 1996, finally, both of my parents were secure in their professions. My father was working as a formulator at Warner-Lambert, known today as Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, creating products that ranged from Trident gum to Lubriderm Lotion. During his time there, our family gained a close friend, Seymour, we called him Sy. Sy was the first person since our immigration who showed us how kind people are and can be after the years of bullying. He was such a warm and loving human being, we loved him like family.
At that time, my Mom had seborrhea dermatitis and I was dealing with a slew of skin issues including getting rashes from even something as simple as a small scratch. I remember this constant state of suffering where I would wish that my skin would rather hurt than feel itchy, swollen and irritated. I felt so uncomfortable and self-conscience, I literally would envision my skin coming off all in one piece, just like in the movie, “Face Off,” so that new healthy skin would take its place.
My father formulated his first original cream while working at Warner Lambert. It was with the small, what I like to call miracle berries, hippophae (sea buckthorn) which were very well known in Eastern Europe & Siberia, where they were even used in burn victim clinics for their healing abilities, and he presented his cream to management. Everyone laughed and told him this will never fly on the American market. A face cream which is not white, and even more so, yellow, and has no fragrance will be a huge failure.
Although that day was a disappointment, we knew it was something special, it already made such a difference for my Mom and I.
Sy believed in us, he was our biggest cheerleader and supporter. Sy urged and encouraged us to create our own company and move forward. He promised he would guide us along this foreign and terrifying journey of having our own business
Every Friday Sy would commute back to his wife and home in Albany, which was approximately 2.5 - 3 hours away. One Friday afternoon, just 30 minutes after Sy set on the road and my father wished Sy a great weekend, we received a call. “We are sorry to tell you, but Sy had a heart attack at the wheel,” he stepped out of his car, knelt down on his knees on the grass and never got up again. My family was devastated; it was truly the first real heartbreak that I remember in my life.
Shortly after, despite feeling so lost and helpless, we held on strong to the love and the faith that Sy had in us. Sy wished for us to go for it, to make our dream a reality. And so in 1996, in the face of all the fear, our broken English, no money, no connections, and the many other adversities that laid ahead, Nature Pure Labs, SW, Inc was founded.
I must mention, SW does not stand for southwest, SW are the initials of Seymour (Sy) Weinstein, our dear friend, inspiration and an angel in heaven looking over us, and his legacy lives in our company name.
Click here to hear more of our story from Victoria during her keynote speech at the Beauty Business Summit.
To say that bringing to life our vision and many original concepts was an excruciatingly difficult journey is an understatement, but it was so absolutely worth it.
Today, Nature Pure Clinical Skin Care is based in Staten Island, New York and the Father-Daughter duo continue to innovate and create products with a deep passion to make people look and feel younger and healthier, while elevating the soul through skin wellness. All products and treatments incorporate traditional holistic healing remedies alongside the company’s scientific research and breakthroughs including an approach to naturally treating menopausal skin changes and hormonal acne.
Victoria, CEO of Nature Pure Clinical Skincare, is a two-time international award-winning licensed esthetician, a published skin and wellness expert, and a nationally recognized skincare educator. She has more than 20 years of experience in the beauty industry along with a Master’s Degree in Business, minor in chemistry. She has worked with other estheticians, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and cosmetologists to formulate and revolutionize an approach to beauty that people love, alongside her father, a distinguished scientist.
Nature Pure formulates & manufactures products utilizing the highest quality and most potent concentrations of actives that drive anti-aging and skin clearing results. Products are available in spas across the United States as well as in selected countries abroad.
Nature Pure strives to promote wellness from the outside in. What started out as a small local beauty shop is now a nationwide professional clinical skin care line but still available locally.
What does it mean to be a part of the Nature Pure family. You can always count on having support in customizing a treatment and home care plan for your individual clients' needs. It is important to us to continue to provide you with ongoing training and education. We take great pride in the amazing relationships and friends we have created and gained throughout the years of growth in the industry, and strive to provide you the most personalized customer service, we deeply value you as part of our family, and want to know how we can help and better serve you and your needs.
