Yael Alkalay, a sloe eyed, exotic beauty of Sephardic descent, proves the adage that "beauty" comes from within. As a cultural anthropologist, world traveler, organic formulator and advocate of sustainable trade, Yael founded her company, based in SoHo New York City,  by joining time honored beauty rituals and the environment. Yael brings the traditions of Japan, Morrocco, Costa Rico, and Finland to thousands of people (including Oprah, P. Diddy and Madonna). She places the environment before her own celebrity, and while she has appeared in magazines worldwide, and Redflower 's luxe products are routinely used in 5 and 6 star hotels around the world, Yael keeps a low profile. Every product is blended by hand with mindfulness and purity in Upstate New York, Pennsylvania,Oregon,and California. 

    

 

 

What was the idea behind starting Red Flower and when was the Company started?

 

YA: Red Flower launched in October 1999 with six Petal Topped Candles, two Organic Teas and a selection of small tea implements and home accessories. The idea behind the line was to begin a beauty and personal care line founded with the intention of transforming simple everyday experiences to their upmost and a feeling of emotional connection.

 

Red Flower is founded on four principles …sustainability, health and well being, esthetics and world traditions.

 

 

 

What differentiates Red Flower from other Eco-Friendly fragrance/ lifestyle companies?

 

YA: The depth of our principals, the intensity and rare and naturally cultivated quality of our scents makes Red Flower truly different. The multilayered experience in every product ranges from texture to the story that we pull from authentic traditions that are deeply engrossed in everything that we formulate.

 

 

YA: We source and produce every product ourselves locally in New York,  and we are committed to an environmental mission that includes everything from product ingredients to how we pack and ship products This shows how we truly care about elevating and transforming the moment that one has to experience a Red Flower product.  We absolutely care about how people feel when they use the product and go beyond just offering a benefit – we want to be transformative

 

 

How important is personal fragrance become to the Company's future?

 

YA: Incredibly important – Red Flower organic perfumes, Guaiac, Champa and Ambrette are the first trinity. I see growing to include over a dozen scents.

 

 

Every scent is a rare and organically crafted expression of the true art and tradition of perfuming oneself. As a company, we want to define a new category of personal fragrance that will be a leader in growing vibrational scents.  All Red Flower organic perfumes are synthetic free, certified organic, hand and wild crafted, while all fragrances also are made with pure flower, leaf and bark distillations.

 

 

 

YA: Red Flower launched a new spa treatment program in 2009 – Flowers Hold Life™. Flowers Hold Life™ incorporates several techniques and products including a massage oil blend of certified organic avocado oil, jojoba oil and grape seed oil. 

 

 

Also, the Flowers Hold Life™ services will include massages, wraps, soaks, hand & foot treatments and exfoliating body treatments – all which will use the Flower Skin line of body lotions and body washes with scents such as Indian Jasmine, French Lavender, Italian Blood Orange, Icelandic Moonflower and Ocean. Flowers Hold Life™ are on top spa menus such as Canyon Ranch.

 

Spa at the Harmony Hotel

 

We are also launched  our third bathhouse and ritual based treatment which revolves around the people of Finland.  While deepening our commitment to environmental change, we have been able to begin sourcing more obscure and intense whole flower essential oils.  Also, we have cultivated a following amongst boutique hotels,such as the Harmony Hotel, in Costa Rica, by launching luxury bio-degradable bath amenities.

 

  

 

Editor's Note: Read Perfume Critic Chandler Burr’s FOUR STAR Review of Red Flower’s Guaiac.  This was the first natural fragrance to be critiqued by Mr. Burr and received an outstanding review.

 

http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/scent-notes-guaiac-by-red-flower/

 

 

– Michelyn Camen, Editor-In Chief