Superwoman Erika Fogeiro

When Erika herself got sick and tired of being sick and tired and having to cocktail up her own blends of supplements and herbs she realized it was time to create her very own, high-quality supplement COMBEAU - the exact thing she herself had been missing! Self-care is a true necessity for this female entrepreneur on a mission. Read on to learn how Erika takes good care of herself, every day. 

What did you do before you founded Combeau and how has it helped inform how you do what you do now?

 This project of revolutionizing the supplement industry came to me naturally following my private and professional experiences. On the professional side of my life I’ve been working in the cosmetic industry as marketing and innovation manager for more than 6 years. There I saw how business always took priority over the final quality of the product. The more time passed, the more I realized I did not agree with their considerations, and overall, with the mindset of the traditional players. As someone truly passionate about skincare and cosmetics I was deeply convinced that we could do much better in terms of transparency, formulation, efficacy and global experience. And as a young 30 year old woman, I wanted to have a better impact on the planet, to bring true and honest solutions to people’s daily lives and I wanted to do it now, not in ten years. On the other side of the story, are my even more personal considerations.

I suffered from severe acne during my late 20s’ and, like many others, had to take a very strong oral treatment. Following this treatment, I developed several autoimmune diseases which significantly affected my daily life, my wellbeing and my self-confidence.

I lost my hair and my skin was not so nice. I was tired all the time, feeling super stressed, had trouble sleeping and issues with digesting food. When I started to look for alternative solutions that could help me, I quickly realized that offerings on the French market were far from okay. It was really complicated to understand the benefits of each product, they only spoke about the ingredients but never about the problem / the solution. I had to create my own and very approximative cocktail of supplements - it was both expensive and not very safe. And, as icing on the cake, I could not actually digest and absorb these supplements! I tested a lot of products but, most of the time, it was not a good experience. I realized that it was because of the composition: synthetic vitamins, chemical fillers and preservatives + my body not being able to recognize or assimilate them. That is why I decided to change that and to bring real life solutions to peoples’ lives.

 

The lack of regulation and quality into the supplement industry. Since that day, I decided to fight for more evidence, for clinically tested ingredients and actives, used at their right dosage and right form – the most bioavailable form.

 

That’s a big question. Longevity, for me, is the extension of immunity – soon you will see the question and conversation will not be about how to be alive and live longer  anymore – it will be: what can I do to feel good, to be the best version of myself even at 90 years old? Personally I would say I try to prioritize my wellbeing and to take care of my body and mental health daily (even though I am absolutely not perfect); I insist on one point - even the smallest things and habits count when we talk about longevity! At a more concrete level: I LOVE hammam and infrared sauna. I do my best to exercise a bit every day and to preserve my sleep – even if it is not easy when you create your own company. As a business owner, I think it is very important to take one step at a time, to develop the brand with a lot of consciousness/awareness and to ALWAYS work for quality no matter what! Because, at the end of the day, you can have the communication or marketing strategy but if your product is s**** – you will not be able to develop your business in the right way.

 

My supplements. Sleep. Since I am a very sensitive person, I never never stop thinking and feeling - sleep is my only cure to have some rest. I also drink a lot of water – which can be a very simple thing to do but also very easy to forget.

 

L’Essentiel Peau has been designed to be very easy to take, very versatile. So, I just take my capsules every morning with a BIG glass of water.

Of course, I love to follow Muse and Heroine and Marie Robert from Philosophy is Sexy.

Most of the time, I am on Instagram to discuss with all women of our Combeau Community. It is the best way to understand their concerns, their needs and to stay up to date.

 

I just try to stay calm and do one thing at a time. And some days, when I don’t feel it and I can’t focus (you know what I am talking about ?) I just stop working and try to do something else. I think it is a signal sent by my brain and body that I need to slow down.

 

My friends and family. Being a solo entrepreneur can be hard sometimes so it is very precious to be able to discuss with them !

 

Yes ! I always take 30min for me every morning – no matter what. Sometimes, I use this moment to do some sport or to read, and sometimes I just stay on my couch with my coffee dreaming about the future.

 

I go for a long walk with my dog and my soon-to-be husband.

 

I love all greens – for real! My family and friends make fun of me all the time. Since I was very young, I’ve always been a true fan of salad, asparagus, broccoli, avocado… I

really just enjoy raw and simple ingredients and food like eggs, fresh fish from the sea, etc. I have to pay a lot of attention to what I eat in a day because of my intestinal immune disease.

 

LISTEN TO YOURSELF – ALWAYS ! And learn to say NO (I am still learning.)

 

I take some time alone (for real, like 3 days all by myself.) I love being alone and just doing my things, you know. I have realized I needed this to feel at my very best the rest of the time.

 

I think I have still a lot to learn and discover – but for now I would say Corsica. It is a gem!

 

Get ready, the list is long :

Augustinus Bader The Cleansing Balm

And I really wish I can try and test all things from Macrene Actives – a true game

changer !