Today we want to tell you a special story. A story about passion and innovation. About honesty and transparency. About nature and science. But mostly, about beauty, in all its forms and subtle shades. This is the story of a brand that melts traditional values with cutting-edge approaches and advanced results. This is the story of Furtuna Skin: a brand we are over the moon to introduce you today and a story we can’t wait to tell you all about!
The story of Furtuna Skin begins a long time ago with the promise of a young man to his immigrant grandmother about finding and reviving the land of her youth. This land is Sicily, where a spectacular 800+ acre organic estate rests today and is the home of Furtuna Skin high-performance formulas’ precious botanicals, that have grown stronger and stronger over time, extreme weather, and climates. The brand was founded by two female entrepreneurs: former model Agatha Relota Luczo and clean beauty pioneer and master formulator Kim Walls.
We were lucky enough to chat to Agatha about all things Furtuna Skin, skincare and natural wellness. Are you ready to get to know her?
How was Furtuna Skin born?
My husband had promised his grandmother that he’d find the land that had once belonged to her family and bring it back into the family. We went on that mission, found the acre of land where she grew up, and ended up buying that land and over 700 acres that surrounded it. As a result of that promise, we are now part of a purpose-driven family of brands that cares deeply about transforming lives and lands by boosting the local Sicilian economy with job creation, contributing to life-changing opportunities for the Sicilian people.
Our sustainable farm, which we named La Furtuna Estate, is a special place and when you are there you can feel how much the land wants to give. The land hasn’t been cultivated in over 400 years and all 700 acres are certified organic and watered by natural spring water. Dr. Marino, who is the resident botanist on the farm, discovered over 80 medicinal plants and over 500 different botanical flowers and plants on the farm. Dr. Marino also discovered an almost extinct Olive Tree species called Biancolilla Centinara, which we brought back from extinction and planted 4,000 of these trees on our Estate.
When I showed my Co-Founder, Kim Walls, the list of all the wildly potent botanicals we had on the farm, and the amazing olive oil we produced she was like a kid in a candy shop. As a clean beauty pioneer, and master formulator Kim saw all the potential for these plants to be used to create high-performance, clean skincare products. From that moment, we knew we could create something great, and Furtuna Skin was born.
How long did it take you to create your own skincare line?
Kim and I researched and worked on the formulas for Furtuna Skin for 5 years prior to launch.
What differentiates Furtuna Skin from other beauty brands?
Furtuna Skin is redefining clean beauty by introducing powerful new ingredients to skincare that are both wild foraged and also certified organic, raising the bar for natural efficacy and performance. Wild foraged plants have higher potency potential. Wild plants have withstood the test of time. They thrive in tough conditions. Sicily is a great example of a climate where unpredictable factors can make it harder for plants to grow and thrive. Think about volcanic ash from Mt. Etna, wind from the sea filled with high levels of salt and variation in landscape. You’ll find snow on mountain peaks and warm sun on the beaches, all in one trip depending on where you go and how you get there. Sicily is an ecologically rich environment with depth, nuance, and breathtaking microclimates that vary dramatically. All of this character is revealed in the strength of the plants that we turn into skincare ingredients, and all of their potential is unleashed in our high performance skincare products.
However, quality ingredients alone can not make products effective. Kim and I were determined to find a processing method that would preserve the potency and the full nutritional benefits of the wild botanicals from the estate. Through our search we discovered our Soundbath™ Extraction Method, a pioneering process that originated in the pharmaceutical world, which preserves the potency of active ingredients. The Soundbath™ Method allows for a gentle and quick extraction of the whole plant ingredients without damage, which we felt was an imperative part of creating such potent bioactives for our products. This method is a radical improvement over slower, conventional methods and is the most efficient way of extracting the ingredient benefits without over-processing.
Through this method, whole plant ingredients are immersed in oil or hydro-glycerin and bathed in ultrasound, using the energies of sound and low temperatures to preserve the potency of the vitamins, amino acids, phenols and aromatic essences. The resulting Soundbath™ infusion is packed with concentrations of powerful bioactive nutrients. Through science and skincare rituals, the interlocking, water and oil-based formulas are reunited to create transformative products that work in synergy to provide the full scope of nutritional benefits for skin.
What is the holy grail product of your line?
Our Face and Eye Serum is my favorite because of its versatility. Not only is it great for all skin types and for any age or skin color, but I love to use it throughout the day whenever I need an extra boost in hydration or a refreshed glow. It also has a special place in my heart as it was the first Furtuna Skin product that debuted our exclusive superstar ingredient, Anchusa azurea, and our pioneering Soundbath™ Extraction Method.
What is your personal skincare routine/your own beauty protocol?
Skincare is a form of wellness for me and I’ve always had a special place in my heart for clean beauty. My morning skincare routine consists of the Furtuna Skin Transformation Set. I use the micellar water to cleanse and tone my skin because it's gentle yet incredibly effective. It doesn't strip your skin of its natural oils, but still gets rid of any excess oil and dirt. I follow up with the face and eye serum, which lifts, depuffs, helps even the skin tone, and shields against environmental aggressors. Lastly, I finish off with the biphase oil, for an added boost of hydration and collagen production for a more supple appearance. I’m a big believer that quality over quantity is important. That’s why I appreciate dual-use products.
For body, I’m currently loving the new Goop Genes Body Butter for all over skin nutrition.
For my hair, I was introduced to Leonor Greyl hair products when I was modeling in France and I’ve never looked back. It’s a complete hair transformation and I’m completely addicted to using all of their products.
If I have meetings or need to run errands, I grab my Westman Atelier Foundation & Lit Up Stick. My go-to trick is to add a few drops of the Furtuna Skin biphase oil into my foundation for an extra glow, and I always use my Westman Atelier brushes for any makeup application. They’re the best out there.
What are your healthy habits?
I take a straight shot of our Estate’s high-quality olive oil, Bona Furtuna, every morning. Great for your health both inside and out, olive oil can truly help keep your skin hydrated, but it does SO much more than that. It can help reduce inflammation, support bone health, and even stabilize your blood sugar levels. Then I follow that with a cup of warm water and fresh lemon.
I like to hold a dance party with my kids most days to elevate their (and my own) mood, release pent-up energy, and get us all moving, all of which improves our immune systems and spreads joy. I love good Italian and French music, anything from Angele, Clara Luciani, and Laura Pausini.
What is your personal Mantra?
Staying grounded. It has helped me in my modeling career, my current role with Furtuna Skin, and as a wife and mother.
Tell us one of your personal best kept beauty secrets?
Using products with amazing ingredients is key, and over-washing or exfoliating your skin can be a glow killer. I’m a big believer that what you put on your skin is just as important as what you eat, so for me, [clean and potent] ingredients are essential. I love using micellar water when I want to freshen up my skin. It’s an especially excellent and easy product to take with you when you’re traveling to help keep your skin hydrated and healthy.
First thing you do when you wake up?
When I wake up in the morning I like to stretch, and take a moment to clear my head. I try not to look at my phone first thing in the morning so that I can stay present. The emails will have my full attention soon enough.. ha!
Last thing you do before bed?
Practice Gratitude. Practicing gratitude and focusing on positivity are important aspects of my life. Our nightly family ritual is doing our gratitude journals together. I’ve found that it deepens the conversations we’re able to have together.
Any bedside essentials?
I have our Bambini Furtuna Dreamy Hush Time because it helps me calm down before going to bed at night. I will take some deep breaths of the Bergamot, Blue Skullcap, Chamomile, St. John’s Wort and more to promote peaceful and restorative sleep. The kids can’t go to sleep without it and now I can’t either!
What’s in the future of Furtuna Skin?
Since people have been stuck at home for so long we’ve really seen an uptick in skin maintenance at home. We’ve received such amazing praise from editors and customers alike and it's very clear to use that our customers want more! It took four years to perfect our ingredient gathering and formulations for this first collection. As a sustainably farmed brand, we will always create based on the resources available to us and we will only ever offer the best of the best products to our customers. With that said, we’ve started on our next batch of product rollouts that will continue the conversation of Wildly Potent ingredients over the next several years. We are very focused on educating our audience on the benefits behind every single ingredient found in our products. As we continue to grow, we’re also dedicated to bringing on the right partners and organizations to help us offset any impact our growth has on the earth we love so much. We’re so excited to continue creating and working hard to make the world a better place.
Discover the whole Furtuna Skin collection at: