Getting ready to travel? Now through Memorial Day, receive a free, full-sized Toning Mist with any purchase of our Travel Basics kit (with Kahina’s 100% pure, certified organic Argan Oil, Facial Lotion, and Facial Cleanser) on givingbeauty.com. Ground shipping is on us! All in all, a $54.98 value. Use code TRAVELREADY at checkout.

We use our Travel Basic kit as a pared-down regimen for traveling: it’s one-ounce/30 ml sizes of Kahina Argan Oil, Facial Cleanser and Facial Lotion. Our Toning Mist (TSA approved- it’s less than 3 oz.!) combats dehydration on planes with sodium hyaluronate, a weightless particle that attracts moisture and can hold 1000x times its weight in water.  Spritz Kahina Toning Mist before applying Argan Oil to aid absorption. Toning Mist is a MUST for warm weather or high altitude destinations.

Terms & Conditions: Limit one per customer. Offer expires 5/28/12. May not be combined with any other offer, promotion, gift with purchase, or voucher. Toning Mist WILL NOT APPEAR in cart, but it will be added to order upon processing.

In celebration of Earth Day, Kahina Giving Beauty is offering a custom Fashion. love, Africa tote for every purchase on givingbeauty.com over $250. The bag- a $50 retail value- is a vibrant blue, inspired by the color Katharine sees so often on her trips to Morocco. Fashion, love Africa designer Ryan Clements has incorporated argan nuts as a closure for the bag.

Why did we partner with Fashion, love Africa?

Katharine fell in love with the story behind Fashion, love Africa, an initiative that works with women living at the Gioto garbage slum in Kenya. 140 families live at Gioto, subsisting on the food and materials that are dumped there. Women at Gioto gather, separate, clean, disinfect, and cut poly bags from the trash and weave them into handbags, creating something beautiful from trash. Fashion. love, Africa designs and purchases these bags, allowing a steady source of income and opportunity for families to lift themselves from extreme poverty by their own hands.   For every bag sold, ten dollars are set aside for the entire community to aid in projects such as medical assistance, child sponsorship, relocation from the slum, and savings/loan programs.

Katharine did a test drive of the tote on a recent beach trip and loved that it carried everything and could be cleaned easily- just rinse with water!

Click here to check out the bag on our website now.

Kahina Giving Beauty founder Katharine L’Heureux will be at Tucker Robbins Gallery at New York Design Center speaking on a panel regarding sustainability and social responsibility on Thursday, April 19, 2012.  Fashion Group International has organized the event, including Amy Chender, abc home’s COO and director of social responsibility, Tucker Robbins, furniture designer, and John Patrick, the clothing designer behind Organic by John Patrick.  You’re invited to join us, 6 to 8 PM.  Tickets are $30 for members, $45 for guests. Contact events@fgi.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

Meet Kahina Giving Beauty founder Katharine L’Heureux and learn more about argan oil the evening of April 17th.  Katharine will be visiting ORESTA organic skin care gallery, 137 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, ON from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.  Enjoy door prizes, special pricing on Kahina facial treatments, and gift with purchase.  A $10 door donation will benefit Harmony House.  Please RSVP to oresta3@rogers.com or call 613.695.0137.

Did you see the Mad Men season 5 premiere? Don was pretty glowy post-shave.

Fellas, this one’s for you (although not exclusively):

1. Apply Kahina Argan Oil to your face on the areas where you’ll be shaving.  In the industry, this is what’s called a “pre-shave oil”.

2. Use your favorite shaving cream, or, as one male Kahina user does, Kahina Facial Cleanser & spread it over the oil-slicked areas.

3. Shave- with the grain, tyvm! Rinse.

4. Re-apply Kahina Argan Oil (a double dose does a body good!) as an after-shave soother to avoid irritation and keep skin fresh, not taut.

For those special men who take extra care of their mugs, the ultimate post-shave routine: spritz Kahina Toning Mist first, then Kahina Argan Oil, and finish it all off with Kahina Facial Lotion.  Donald Draper approved.

We read Well+Good NYC on the regular, so we’re thrilled to be partnering with them on an upcoming event in New York City!

Here are the details:

For one night only- Wednesday, March 28,- Well+Good readers will take over the 7:00 time slot at Pilates ProWorks! You can take either Pilates ProWorks (capacity 11) or Barre Pro (capacity 14).

After the classes, at 8:00, we’ll meet Katharine L’Heureux, founder of Kahina Giving Beauty, and learn how to get radiant skin with argan oil, while BluePrintCleanse serves its spicy lemonade and green juice.

All readers will go home with Kahina product samples!

Raffle: 5-class card to Pilates ProWorks and a trio of Kahina Giving Beauty products perfect for throwing in the gym bag, and more!

Stay and shop! All attendees will receive a one-night discount of 15% on all Pilates ProWorks packages, and special pricing on Kahina Giving Beauty and BluePrint Cleanse purchases.

Space is very limited, so book your spot now! Cost to attend is $30

RSVP here

Join us for an amazing day of Conscious Beauty!

with Sopwalla, Kahina Giving Beauty, Vapour, One Love Organics & Priti NYC

10 am - 6pm - Yoga Beauty Bar Pop Up Shop opens in the PURE YOGA EAST lobby

11 am - 2 pm Featured brands will offer Pure Yoga Members and Guests complementary mini-facials and make-overs, and other luxuriously organic services.

2:30 pm - 3:10 pm Special Yoga class with a PURE yoga instructor! RSVP required.

3:20 pm - 4:00 pm Organic Glam Session with Karim Orange.

It’s $25 to attend the Organic Glam Session.

You can either buy your ticket on the day of the event at the Yoga Beauty Bar or you can register now to get it for only $18!

End the afternoon with a great gift bag, SOKENBICHA TEA and organic snacks, while mingling with organic and natural beauty experts.

RSVP theyogabeautybar@gmail.com

Today’s International Women’s Day happens to fall almost exactly one year from a revision to Morocco’s Constitution following the Feb. 20 protests there.  The new laws give special recognition to women’s rights and Berber rights, marking the realization of 20 years of activism among women in Morocco.

Morocco’s women’s rights movement began to gain momentum in 1992 with the reform of family law, eventually allowing women more freedom to choose who they marry, granting women the right to divorce, prohibiting polygamy except in rare cases and with the first wife’s consent, and combatting violence against women.  The Moroccan women’s movement has been successful by engaging religious and secular women in cooperation, understanding that treatment of women is rooted very much in Islamic traditions.  However, after the parliamentary elections last November, an Islamist faction won the majority of seats in the government.  Under the new Party, only one woman has been appointed to the Cabinet, down from seven in the 30-person decision making body, and far from the women’s movement goal of a 30% quota.  Ms Bassima al-Hakkaoui, the Minister of Solidarity, Women, Family and Social Development, is the first hijab-wearing Islamist political figure to serve in the Moroccan government, and is in disagreement with many of the policy reforms on the status of women.

While it is too soon to tell what will happen to the status of women under the new Parliament, one thing is certain - with the high illiteracy rate of women in rural areas of Morocco, the biggest challenge remains integrating any reform in these areas.  I’ve witnessed this in the villages in Morocco, where the existing laws protecting women are sometimes ignored simply because the mostly illiterate women who live in the countryside don’t know their rights. Grass roots initiatives, such as Kahina’s, to provide education and economic sustainability are key to women taking advantage of laws already in place.

While Morocco has always seemed relatively stable during the Arab Spring, it doesn’t differ dramatically in its approach to women’s rights from other areas in the region as other autocracies that have supported women’s rights give way to Islamic Parties in power.  I had the extreme pleasure of attending a presentation on the state of women’s rights after the Arab Spring. The speaker was Aline Matta, the Senior Regional Advisor for the ABA Rule of Law Initiative, Middle East and North Africa division. Comparing women’s rights and representation in the government and judiciary in Tunisia and Egypt, Ms. Matta argues that while representation of women in government is an important step toward change, there is no simple legal solution. Real progress in women’s rights is made from the ground up with a true understanding of women’s needs in rural areas as well as the cities, and a sensitivity to cultural and religious attitudes.

In honor of Women’s History Month, please help these women to achieve (and keep) their hard won social gains by making a donation to an organization that supports women’s rights and/or works to ensure economic justice for women.  The following is are a few suggested organizations:

Women For Women International

The Global Fund for Women

Kiva

Claudia Chan, media entrepreneur and lifestyle expert best known as the Founder of Shecky’s, has just launched an exciting new venture, ClaudiaChan.com.  I was thrilled to be invited to be among the 100 women she chose to interview for her website aiming to connect and inspire women.  I am incredibly honored to be in the company of such amazing women as Zainab Salbi of Women For Women International, Summer Rayne Oakes of Source4Style, Hayley Kana and Katia Beauchamp of Birchbox, and many more.  I plan to reach each and every interview.  You can read mine below.

Though she never thought she would end up where she did, Katharine sees now that everything she had done was for a greater purpose, which they call Maktoub in Morocco. After representing natural and healthy product-based companies like Odwalla Fresh Juice and Bare Escentuals, Katharine created Kahina Giving Beauty, a skincare line based on the power of argan oil. Katharine combines philanthropy with beauty by donating a portion of profits from her company to organizations working in girls’ education and alternative income projects for women in the Moroccan communities that produce her skincare’s argan oil.

● Please share with us the story of how your professional journey began and has brought you to where you are today.

I really never set out to create a line of organic skin care, but now I see that everything I had done before was leading up to this in some way. In Morocco, this is called Maktoub, or Destiny. I now see the development of Kahina Giving Beauty as the culmination of many experiences, professional and personal, I’ve had in my life.

I grew up in San Francisco and on my family’s sustainable vineyard outside Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. The emphasis there has always been on the quality of the grapes and on sustaining the land and the community. Later in life, I founded my own marketing and public relations firm representing several natural and organic brands, including Bare Escentuals, one of the first natural cosmetics companies, and Odwalla Fresh Juice, whose tag line was “no mumbo jumbo”. My firm also represented The French Laundry when Thomas Keller first opened it in Yountville. Again, he was so focused on offering the best possible product based on the best sustainable ingredients. These companies are firmly committed to the communities they serve as well. That philosophy of sustainability, simplicity, quality and authenticity has really inspired my vision for Kahina Giving Beauty.

I discovered argan oil by chance on a trip to Morocco in 2007. I was looking for organic skincare that worked at the time. Creating the Kahina line allowed me to realize my own desire for a simple and effective organic skincare line, while helping women in need.

● What’s your best advice for an entrepreneur in an early/bootstrapping phase?

I would advise entrepreneurs just starting out to make sure your vision and values are well-defined, and to know your audience. Your vision and values can serve as a roadmap to help guide you during the many challenges and decisions you will inevitably face. If you have a clear vision and know your audience, your instincts will guide you and your message will be clearly articulated. Also, network. You never know whether the next person you meet might become an amazing resource.

● I love the quote “the bigger the vision, the smaller the first step”. Right now, what is the big vision you have for your career?

Based on the response to Kahina Giving Beauty’s philosophy and products, I feel very positive about the future of the company. I plan to continue to release high quality products based on argan oil under the Kahina label and look forward to extending the concept to product lines and extensions based on material sourced from other countries as well, always giving back to women in need from the countries where these ingredients are sourced.

● Can you share a story of how networking led to a great success?

Kahina Giving Beauty crosses so many worlds, from the world of design, to helping women, and organic beauty. All of these communities are incredibly supportive of each other and I have made invaluable contacts and friends through my networking in each. An example of one great connection established through networking originated at an event at ABC Home for New York Women Entrepreneurs. Rebecca Kousky, CEO and Founder of Nest, was speaking. Nest provides artisans with interest-free loans, education and market access to create sustainable and successful businesses. We now are collaborating on our Kahina Gift Bags. Nest’s handblocked cotton cases made by formerly trafficked women in India house our artisinal argan soap and argan oil. It’s a great example of how two different worlds can come together, enhance each other, and potentially make change in the world.

● What do you feel separates your brand from your competitors?

Of course, the skincare market is very competitive, but many of the traditional skincare companies use harmful ingredients in their products. At Kahina, we use only the highest quality natural and organic ingredients. We are certified by Ecocert, ensuring the greatest respect for our consumers and the environment.

More and more companies are doing some form of giving back. Our brand is unique in that our mission is fully integrated with our product, connecting the consumer on an emotional level to our cause – and to our brand. Starting with giving back 25% of profits to the women who extract the oil at the heart of our line, incorporating their signatures into our package design, and naming the product line after a Berber queen, we continue to try to build a bridge between women here and the Berber women of Morocco. This has worked well to build loyalty for our brand.

● What or who in your life gives you the strength to persevere?

I would have to say my daughter. Now 17 years old, she has suffered through some serious medical problems in the past two years which has caused her to miss a great deal of high school through several surgeries and resulting complications. I think of all she missed, but she never complained. Her strength and fortitude during that time continue to inspire me.

● What simple things in life today bring you joy?

I love to travel, but I would rather be home with my family than anywhere else. Easy dinners outside with them in the country are my favorite time together. I also enjoy gardening in my home in Upstate New York and taking long walks, especially in New York. I am continually energized and visually inspired by living in New York City.

● What do you do to unwind or disconnect?

Yoga, gardening enjoying a glass of wine with my husband.

● How do you overcome feelings of insecurity, fear or discomfort when deciding to take a risk?

I have always been quite insecure when meeting new people, but have never had a problem taking large risks, such as starting a business. My position now requires lots of meeting people all over the world and speaking. I have gotten much better at it now, but before I go into an important meeting or give a speech, I always give myself a little pep talk and remind myself of my accomplishments and my mission to help women in order to conjure up my reserves of strength.

● Can you share with us an experience of giving that was extremely rewarding or transformational?

One year ago, I first visited a cooperative near Agadir of 46 women who had no work, unable to sell their oil because they couldn’t complete their organic certification due to bureaucratic and financial constraints. They had done all the work to set up their cooperative, including raising the money to build a structure where they could work, but their vision came to a halt when their certification didn’t come through. When I first saw them, they were sitting idle with no nuts to crack. I paid for their certification and assisted with the legal documentation. When I returned last month, the women were busy at work with large piles of nuts to crack for an upcoming order. They insisted I join them in singing and dancing in the traditional Berber fashion to show me their appreciation.

● Oprah has that great section in her magazine “What I know for sure”. What do you know for sure?

That I don’t know anything for sure.

● What are the top 3 things that you do to stay healthy?

I have always exercised, tried to eat right, and get plenty of sleep, but I have to admit that its getting harder to adhere to a healthy regimen with the amount of travel I need to do these days. Now, the top thing I do to stay healthy is to try to keep my stress levels down. When I can’t get to a yoga class, I do some sun salutes first thing in the morning at home.

● How do you balance career and motherhood?

I have three kids, aged 7, 15 and 17. Each of them requires my attention and focus in different ways. My office is currently the dining room table in my Manhattan loft. This way, I am usually home when they need me and I can pick up my youngest from school most days. The biggest challenge is when I travel and am gone for weeks at a time. My husband has learned to take care of everything without me now so things are running pretty smoothly.

● Who are your favorite designers?

I like clothes that are easy to wear, but with interesting lines. Bibbhu Mohapatra is one of my favorites, and not just because he is a great friend. He manages to create an edgy, progressive look with classic and beautifully cut pieces. For everyday, I love Donna Karan. She understands the way I want to feel comfortable but still look good. Other designers that I adore are Maria Conejo and Ohne Titel. Both of these produce beautiful clothes pairing architectural details with soft draping and meticulous attention to detail.

● If you love to cook, can you share a favorite recipe(s)?

I always bring home lots of Moroccan spices when I travel there. I like to cook very simply and rarely use measurements. Cumin, tumeric and coriander make everything taste exotic and delicious. Here’s a recipe that works for any fish and chicken:

Marinade:

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Coriander

garlic

Combine together and marinate the chicken pieces or fish. Combine tomatoes, oilive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and spices (tumeric, coriander, cumin, saffron) in a sauté pan and heat until soft. Add a drop of water. When it steams, add the fish or chicken to the sauce. Cover and cook until cooked through (5 – 10 minutes for fish/15 - 20 minutes for chicken).

● What are the beauty items you could not live without?

Argan Oil, Argan Oil, Argan Oil

I also love the organic and Fair for Life shea butter leave-in conditioner from Beautiful Curls.

I wear very little makeup, but when I want a little more finish, I use the RMS Living Luminizer.