DIALOGS WITH DANIELA AGUIRRE

N.: Entrepreneur, creative director... what gets you dancing, lifts your spirits, and brightens your day?

D.A.: I love spending time with my family, traveling, and creating. Playing sports lifts my spirits, going out for drinks with my girlfriends gets me dancing, and creating new products, content, designs, photos, and videos for Qara brightens my day.

N.: How did Wisdom of Qara begin? What led you to start your own business?

D.A.: Wisdom of Qara came to life after 4 years working in the beauty industry. At that point, I wanted to set out on my own and I was very interested in cosmetics, which also allowed me to use my experience at Yanbal. At the beginning of 2020, I traveled to the Peruvian Amazon and spent a few days with Heriberto, a shaman and healer that introduced me to the use of medicinal plants and shamanic philosophy. And that’s what inspired Qara: blending the scientific rigor that had always guided us at Yanbal and the shamanic philosophy of respect and appreciation for nature.

N.: You come from a cosmetics family. Has caring for your skin been a recurring theme in your household since you were little?

D.A.: Yes. Since I was born, I’ve been connected to the world of beauty through my grandfather’s company, which is now led by my mother. Makeup, fragrances, and skincare were always part of my life and part of my mother’s job... and now mine, too. But in our household, beauty was always focused on the idea of being healthy, eating well, and exercising. It was much more about inner beauty.

N.: Do you remember sharing beauty rituals with your mother and your sister?

D.A.: What I remember most is trying out all the new products, like creams, lipsticks, and fragrances that they would send to my mother for approval. She gave them to us so we could try them and choose our favorites. I remember that my sister taught me how to apply my makeup, and then I was the one applying makeup for all my friends. I also remember the three of us traveling together. We’d always head to the makeup floor in the malls and try all the latest releases.

N.: Our health is determined by what we eat, but also by what we put on our bodies. Can you share some holistic advice for nourished skin, especially during the summer?

D.A.: To look your best during the summer, I always recommend cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting your face. Use a good, non-aggressive cleanser like Between Dreams, which uses enzymatic exfoliants and camu camu to cleanse and gently exfoliate the skin. Then, use a moisturizer, preferably without essential oils or fragrances that could stain your skin in the sun, like Secret Calyx. Finally, it’s essential to use sun protection every day and apply it several times throughout the day.

Other tips that work really well for me in the summer are:

1. Play sports (with a hat and sun protection, always)

2. Eat: Citrus (foods high in vitamin C have powerful antioxidant properties and help with collagen production). Avocado, which is rich in fats and Omega 3 fatty acids and tomato, which helps prevent photoaging3. And of course, drink lots of water!

3. And of course, drink lots of water!