Alicia Douvall

Alicia Douvall makes it her business to promote natural beauty with the launch of her new skincare line, Douvall’s…

Alicia Douvall was previously best known for her glamour-modelling career, and she was a regular in the tabloids due to her penchant for cosmetic surgery. However, it later emerged that, tragically, Alicia was actually suffering from body dysmorphia and had become addicted to plastic surgery. After taking a break over in the USA, Alicia returned to the UK ready to fight her demons and finally kick her addiction to surgery. Since then, Alicia has turned over a new leaf, and she no longer relies on surgery to look and feel good. After her trip to Los Angeles, she discovered the wonders that Argan oil could work on skin, hair and nails. She was instantly addicted! This healthy new skincare regime became the basis of Alicia’s new business, and she hopes to help other women discover the benefits of Argan oil. Her new range, Douvall’s, has recently launched online, and will soon be available in Harrods too.

Alicia, it’s lovely to meet you! These days you have swapped modelling for business – can you tell us what prompted you to start Douvall’s?
A lot of people probably know me for my plastic surgery and that is because I have been on a very long journey of having lots of surgery and cosmetic procedures. But there came a point where I just felt that enough was enough, and I decided to spend 4 months in LA to take some time out and rebalance. It was while I was there that I discovered Argan oil. My friends were using it, and their skin was just so amazing! I asked what they were using and they showed me that they were using something called Argan oil. They were using it on their skin, their hair, their nails – everything! So obviously I wanted to try it for myself. And I loved it too!

When I got back to the UK I looked everywhere for it, but I was disappointed to discover that no one stocked pure Argan oil. I could only find food grade Argan oil. I thought really hard about it, and because I believed in the product so much, I decided to go into business and bring Argan oil to the British beauty market. As a mark of just how much I believed in the product, I actually invested all my savings in the business!

It’s such a fantastic point that you’ve got to – you have really embraced Mother Nature. How has Argan oil helped you?
It’s been amazing, because as people know, I’ve had all this cosmetic surgery over the years and actually I’ve discovered that this oil is far better. Who would have thought it, but Mother Nature really is much more powerful than the surgeon’s knife!

When I decided to move towards a healthier approach to beauty it was a personal choice to completely change my lifestyle. And once I started with natural products I embraced the concept totally. As a result, when I developed Douvall’s Argan oil I wanted to make sure that the brand reflected my new outlook. As a result, I made sure that the packaging was all eco-friendly, so that means that it is all 100% recyclable, and I even used a darker glass bottle to preserve the oil naturally while ensuring that the bottle could be recycled. I have completely embraced the whole healthier lifestyle and I think that is reflected in my products and in my brand.

So tell me, when you were sourcing the Argan oil from the women’s cooperatives in Morocco did you spend a lot of time out there?
I went over to Morocco and I had heard such horror stories about some of the women’s cooperatives so I wanted to see them for myself to make sure it was something positive for everyone involved. I loved the idea of women’s cooperatives because it gives them independence and helps them to educate their children and themselves.

However, I had heard that some of the cooperatives might be led by men, and that the Argan oil being produced might not be totally pure so I had to go and investigate. When I got there, I found a cooperative that I was incredibly happy with, and it was certainly a fascinating journey travelling to Morocco with my daughter to find it! It’s a wonderful women’s cooperative – they even have a crèche for the children. What made me very happy was the fact that it really does give the women who work there a real sense of independence for what might be the first time. So I think that Argan oil is doing a really positive thing and I’m glad to be a part of that process.

Not only are the cooperatives socially responsible, they are also very ecologically responsible. They replant everything that they use, so that they are producing the Argan oil responsibly. I am proud that my company is environmentally sustainable.

Your daughter Georgia is the face of the company – what made you decide to ask her to model?
Yes, that’s right – she is the face of the brand. Georgia is 16 years old and it was very important for me to involve her in the company because she previously had a bad time with her skin and when I introduced her to Argan oil she started using it religiously and it worked miracles for her! You would think that oil would be the worst thing for teenage skin, but Argan oil actually balances your skin’s PH. Her skin is amazing now – all she uses is Argan oil. She has the most beautiful skin – people always compliment her on her skin, so she is the perfect ambassador for the brand.

How do you use the oil? Do you apply it topically?
For your face, you use the oil on damp skin after cleansing, and if you want to you can use it after showering to prevent stretch marks on your body. I also use it on my hair to pat down split ends and it’s fantastic for your nails as well – if you apply it to your
cuticles it makes them grow a lot stronger. Use it for 2 months and I promise that you’ll notice a difference.

The magic behind Argan oil is in the fact that it’s very high in vitamin E, fatty acids and antioxidants – that’s what nourishes and repairs the skin. That’s what makes it so good at smoothing out fine lines. Douvall’s Argan oil is particularly fantastic because it is 100% pure – there are no perfumes, no chemicals, and no preservatives. This means that it is completely safe on even the most sensitive skin – it’s so safe that you can use it on a baby. In fact, even though it comes from a nut, people with nut allergies can use it safely. That’s how nonallergenic it is!

How long do you need to use it for to see the benefits?
Like any cosmetic cream on the market, it will take you around 2 months of using it for you to really see a result.

I love your packaging! I think it really ties in with the core values of the product. I particularly like the fact that you do a travel-size version of the oil. Who has been involved with the branding and the positioning of the product?
I worked very closely with a company called Ambition on the design – they were amazing! I made sure it was very eco-friendly. I wanted it 100% recyclable – hence the glass bottle. I wanted the box to show that a natural product can be luxury and chic – you don’t

have to go down the hippy route! So overall, I think that simplicity combined with luxury was key to the design.

How have you gone about making sure that your product stands out from the rest of the beauty products on the market?
Argan oil is a huge bestseller in America – it already has a massive buzz around it. It doesn’t really need to compete with anything else on the market because it is unique! It is 100% natural, and it really does work.

Clearly there is lots of Argan oil on the market – what makes yours different?
I think my company’s USP lies in the fact that when I sourced the oil I made completely sure that I had found a cooperative that had the highest quality Argan oil made using traditional Moroccan methods combined with modern technology. So it’s the most refined, pure oil and it retains all the vitamin E, the fatty acids and the antioxidants. A lot of other products with Argan oil contain perfumes and chemicals which is something that I didn’t want in my product. Douvall’s is 100% natural.

And what are your price points?
We charge £25 for the 50ml bottle and £12 for the 15ml travel version. It’s so handy to keep in your bag when you’re flying!

How much of your personal story have you brought to your product?
I think that it’s really important for me to tell my story because it’s a product that really is made with love and it’s something I really believe in. As I said, I believe in it so much that I invested all my savings in it! I also used my daughter as the face of the brand because it has done wonders for her. She is a fantastic example of how Argan oil can help get rid of spots and leave you with smooth, glowing skin.

Argan oil has so many uses – it does wonders for break-outs, acne and even conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It’s also a fantastic way to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Not only that, but because Douvall’s is 100% natural, our Argan oil is totally nonallergenic – it is so safe, that you could even use it on a baby.

Are you planning to bring out any other products?
Absolutely, I’m developing a whole range of Argan oil infused products – in the Spring of 2012 I’ll be bringing out a daily moisturiser with SPF 40 and also an Argan-based bronzing oil.