Beauty From Within: The Story Behind Dirty Looks
- Sara Bourgaize
- May 26
- 6 min read
In a world of mass-produced beauty products promising instant results, two women on a small island in the Channel Islands are taking a radically different approach. Their secret? Sometimes true beauty requires getting a little dirty.
The Birth of Dirty Looks
The story of Dirty Looks begins not in a laboratory but in a sunlit kitchen in Guernsey, where Sara, director of Lulu Sera sat across from her one of her clients along with Chantelle, her friend and Co-Director, listening intently to their clients concerns and wishes in finding a product that would aid her health.
Their client had tried other commercial products and believed, that to begin transformation, it had to begin from the inside out. Radiance can be temporarily improved by external products, but we need to transform from within the body, supporting, nurturing and enhancing the different internal organs and biomes with the food and drink we consume.
Their client needed a supplement that she could add to her daily routine, like a pill, but tasty and fun to use. Both Chantelle and Sara nodded, understanding immediately. In a world of quick fixes and synthetic solutions, that she was seeking something authentic – ingredients that the body recognizes, that work in harmony with natural processes rather than attempting to override them or disguise them.
That evening, the women planned, researched and sampled different blends. Together, they pored over ancient herbalist texts and modern nutritional research, seeking the perfect combination of superfoods known to support skin health, hair vitality, and that elusive inner glow that no makeup can replicate.
They realized that they needed a blend that would be fun, encourage people to enjoy using and more importantly, stood firmly with the Apothecary’s beliefs in natures healing and the use of quality ingredients.
A Rainbow of Nourishment
What emerged from their research was a vibrant blend of nature's most powerful beauty-enhancing superfoods, each selected not just for its nutritional profile but for its time-honored use in traditional wellness systems:
Coconut Milk: For centuries, Pacific Island cultures have recognized coconut as a beauty elixir. Rich in medium-chain fatty acids that nourish skin from within, coconut milk provides a creamy base that helps the body absorb the other potent ingredients.
Beetroot: Revered by ancient Romans as an aphrodisiac, this ruby-red root is packed with betalains – powerful antioxidants that support the liver's detoxification pathways, resulting in clearer skin and a natural flush to the cheeks that no blush could replicate.
Pitaya (Dragon Fruit): This vibrant superfood from Central American traditions contains lycopene and vitamin C that help maintain skin elasticity while its tiny black seeds provide essential fatty acids that support cellular membrane health.
Acai: Harvested from palm trees in the Amazon rainforest, these deep purple berries have been consumed by indigenous tribes for thousands of years. Their extraordinary antioxidant content helps combat the free radicals that accelerate visible aging.
Chia Seeds: Once a staple of Aztec warriors, these tiny seeds deliver a powerful dose of omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and support the skin's moisture barrier from within. It can also help with weight management and digestive health.
Red Reishi: Known as the "mushroom of immortality" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this adaptogenic fungus helps the body respond to stress – a key factor in premature aging and skin issues.
Butterfly Pea Flower: This striking blue flower has been used in Ayurvedic traditions to support hair growth and vitality. Rich in anthocyanins, it helps protect collagen from degradation while supporting microcirculation to the scalp and skin. It is also well known in supporting cardiovascular health, female health, immunity and cognitive health.
Handcrafted With Intention
What makes Dirty Looks truly special isn't just its ingredients, but how they come together. In an age of automated production lines, Sara and Chantelle insist on blending each jar by hand.
"There's something that happens when human hands touch these ingredients," Chantelle explains. "An intention, an energy transfer that no machine could replicate."
Sara skillfully blends one using precise measuring and then the final touch, is a dirtying of the mixture with the butterfly pea flower mix and then the placing of the lid to the jar.
“We ‘dirty,’ each jar with different ingredients, to add a final flourish of color or a floral fling with rosebuds,” Sara states as she pours herself a Chai made with a spoon of the blend she has just made. “Our Dirty Range of superfoods are fun, but contain some powerful ingredients that support our bodies.”
Each week, the women gather in Lulu Sera's blending space, carefully measuring precise amounts of each superfood. Their huge oak blending station is filled with bags of specialized powders and botanicals. Scales, wooden spoons and gentle music hums away in the background as they look at their orders and begin to hand label the jars and retail bags. There are no conveyor belts, no industrial mixers – just two women who believe that wellness products should be created with the same care with which they'll be consumed.
"We talk about the people who will be using each blend as we create it," Chantelle shares. "We imagine the benefits they'll experience, the transformation they'll undergo. It becomes almost ceremonial."
This hands-on approach ensures not only consistency in quality but allows for subtle adjustments based on seasonal variations, or customers needs in the natural ingredients. It's slow, methodical work – the antithesis of mass production – but Sara and Chantelle wouldn't have it any other way.
"When we blend with our hands, we're blending our love for our community, if we feel our clients need more of an ingredient, we will adjust the blend, just for them," Sara says. "To us, the wellness of our clients is paramount."
Nature's Beauty Arsenal
The benefits of Dirty Looks extend far beyond surface appearance. This carefully calibrated blend works on multiple levels:
Vibrant Complexion: The natural pigments in beetroot, pitaya, and acai help stimulate microcirculation, bringing oxygen-rich blood to the skin's surface for a natural, healthy glow.
Cellular Protection: The powerful antioxidants in butterfly pea flower and acai help neutralize free radicals that damage skin cells and accelerate visible aging.
Stress Adaptation: Red Reishi mushroom helps regulate the body's stress response, reducing cortisol levels that can trigger inflammation and skin issues.
Deep Hydration: Coconut milk and chia seeds provide essential fatty acids that support the skin's moisture barrier from within, helping maintain plumpness and elasticity.
Detoxification Support: Several ingredients aid the body's natural detoxification pathways, helping to clear impurities that can manifest as dull skin or breakouts.
Nutrient Delivery: The blend provides trace minerals and vitamins often missing from modern diets that are essential for hair strength, nail integrity, and skin luminosity.
Unlike synthetic beauty supplements that force specific pathways, Dirty Looks works by supporting the body's innate intelligence. It provides the nutritional building blocks, allowing your system to allocate resources where they're most needed.
A Daily Ritual
Those who incorporate Dirty Looks into their daily routine often describe it as more than a supplement – it becomes a ritual of self-care and intention.
"I recommend starting each morning by stirring a teaspoon into warm (not hot) plant milk or water," Sara suggests. "The vibrant color transformation alone is a reminder of the powerful nourishment you're providing your body. Take a moment to set an intention for how you want to feel in your skin that day. This mindful consumption enhances the physical benefits."
Regular users report noticing changes within weeks – not just in appearance but in how they feel. Stronger nails, more resilient hair, and skin that maintains hydration throughout the day are common benefits. But perhaps most significantly, many describe a newfound confidence that comes from knowing they're nourishing their bodies at the deepest level.
Beyond Beauty
While Dirty Looks was initially created to support external radiance, users quickly discovered its benefits extend much further. The adaptogenic properties of Red Reishi help balance stress responses, the antioxidants support overall cellular health, and the nutrient-dense superfoods provide sustained energy.
"True beauty isn't just skin deep," Chantelle reflects. "When you support your whole system, it shows in everything – your posture, your energy, the brightness in your eyes. That's the kind of beauty we're interested in cultivating."
In a culture often focused on quick fixes and surface solutions, Dirty Looks represents a return to deeper wisdom: that genuine radiance emerges when we nourish ourselves from within, with ingredients provided by nature and prepared with conscious intention.
Each handcrafted jar contains not just powerful superfoods, but the combined knowledge of two women dedicated to holistic wellness, the wisdom of traditional healing systems, and a profound belief that when we align with nature's intelligence, we discover our own most radiant selves.
Dirty Looks is part of Lulu Sera's "Dirty" range of superfood blends, handcrafted in small batches in Guernsey, Channel Islands. To experience this transformative blend for yourself, visit www.lulusera.com or follow @lovelulusera on Instagram and Facebook for wellness tips and community stories.
As with all Lulu Sera products, we recommend consulting with healthcare professionals before incorporating new herbs into your routine, especially if you're taking medications, as natural ingredients can have powerful effects.
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