Earth's Secret of Sugar Grove boasts of all-natural makeup and skin care

SUGAR GROVE – Glenna Armesy of Sugar Grove, owner of Earth's Secret, started her company in 2005 after discovering the makeup she had been using wasn't as natural as she thought.

"I've always been into makeup and skin care," Armesy said. "I'm always reading ingredients. A lot of products are 70 percent good, but they might have synthetic ingredients that in my opinion aren't the safest way to go. I was delving into the natural ingredients of the makeup I was using and found they were made in a manufacturing process with lead and copper and then purified with chlorine bleach. I then decided to buy my makeup from a lady in Missouri who made her own, and 20 years ago, I learned how to make makeup."

Earth's Secret's Pure Mineral Makeup and Pure Skin Care are manufactured by Armesy in her basement workshop.

Earth's Secret boasts a long list of mineral makeup and skin care products, including 28 shades of foundation each named after after deserts around the world, five shades of tinted moisturizers, eight shades of bronzer and finishing veils, 12 shades of blush, 56 shades of eye shadow, eight shades of mascara, 19 shades of lipstick, and 10 flavors and shades of lip gloss, according to Armesy.

Earth's Secret's line of of Pure Skin Care includes cleansers, toners, moisturizers for three different skin types, hand and body lotions, creams and butters, night cream and eye cream.

Armesy's skin care and makeup can be customized to her customers' requests.

"I can customize essential oil scents and moisturizing levels for lotion, cream or butter," Armesy said. "I can also customize shades in regards to makeup specific to the customers' requests."

Armesy homeschooled her son through high school and consequently learned valuable techniques on how to make emulsions and how to test pH levels through teaching her son chemistry. These techniques have helped her with creating her products for Earth's Secret.

"We learned about pH and emulsions," Armesy said. "We made products for [her children's] problem skin that helped instead of drying out their skin. I have also learned how to make makeup from a company based in the UK, School of Natural Skin Care. I have continued my education through countless seminars, webinars and certifications. I recently learned how to make a first-aid kit with essential oils. I'm thinking about teaching first-aid workshops on aroma therapy and include do-it-yourself projects."

Armesy is working on developing liquid Castile-based soaps to add a variety of soaps, including one for babies. Earth's Secret currently has baby lotion and diaper cream as well. New and seasonal items are added each quarter, according to Armesy.

"I try to be the best I can and as natural as I can," Armesy said. "I choose not to use carmine, a natural dye, in my products. Carmine comes from insects that are boiled for a pink/hot red color. I just don't want to use that in my products. I want my products to be more plant-based and my makeup to be mineral-based. There is no talc, no bismuth oxychloride as filler and no synthetic silicone ingredients in my products. Everything is very natural and God-given. This is my take on being as natural as I can."

For more information on Earth's Secret, contact Armesy at 630-707-5811 or email earthssecret@yahoo.com.