Television infomercials about natural skin care products that claim to make the face dewy, youthful, acne-free, wrinkle-free and radiant, titillate the imaginations of women and young girls who long to look like the spokesperson that promotes them. However, close scrutiny of the labels on expensive commercial products that promise rewards after regular cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing often reveals a list of ingredients that the typical user can’t even pronounce.

Natural, holistic and organic skin care products without these mystifying ingredients are challenging to find on store shelves or in cosmetic departments. On the other hand, one only needs to recognize the fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs listed on Elina Organics’ labels to understand that cosmetic chemist, herbalist and Holistic Esthetician Elina Fedotova uses all-natural ingredients in her handmade formulas. Organically certified ingredients from around the world are what Elina personally mixes in her laboratory and in the treatment rooms of the holistic estheticians that she trains. “We actually mix the products on the spot to suit the client’s skin, and tweak the formulas according to the season,” she explains.

The Russian-born CEO is the founder and president of the Association of Holistic Skin Care Practitioners. She brought her passion for natural skin care to the United States in 1991, and now imports the ingredients for her products from across the globe, including Asia and Eastern Europe. “My 100 percent natural products are so effective that I, or any of the holistic estheticians that use them, can see results on the skin while we are performing facials,” advises Elina. Safe even to ingest, products contain organically certified ingredients such as goat’s milk, honey, hibiscus, parsnip root, rose hips, spirulina, vitamins A and C, alfalfa and amber, as well as volcanic ash and other natural items,” says Elina, who proudly points out that her products are as safe as they are effective.

Word-of-mouth about the long-lasting, visible effects of Elina’s products, which can’t be found in health food stores, leads teenagers with severe acne to the doorstep of her Chicago treatment room. Charlene Handel, a local certified holistic esthetician and the owner of Skin Fitness, Etc., was trained by Fedotova and enjoys the same word-of-mouth advertising, treating many teenagers and adults with serious acne problems.

Handel is teaming up with Fedotova and Dr. Natasha Wolf, a licensed naturopathic doctor, to offer a lecture that will help individuals understand how healthy skin comes from the inside out and how imbalances within the body affect the skin. “Most people are amazed to hear that what they feed their body not only affects its inner workings, but also affects the skin,” says Handel, who, along with Fedotova and Wolf, is a strong believer that a healthy diet is essential for healthy skin.

The lecture, Healthy Skin from the Inside Out and Outside In, is open to the public on April 30 and to licensed estheticians and esthetician students only on May 1. For more information call 760-438-4600 or email [email protected]. Also visit SkinFitnessEtc.com.