Thank you for sharing these Philipp and we’re looking forward to our next adventure filming our Women4Women Journey!

InJoy…!

Four Truffles is an award winning women owned, women-run luxury body care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.  Four Truffles is the proud recipient of the Ladies’ Home Journal “Do Good” stamp for our  philanthropic global efforts.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women.  Four Truffles is available in spas, boutiques and on-line.

While at Treat, I enjoyed meeting and talking to customers about Four Truffles.  I love educating people about the benefits the products have to offer and sharing our Women4Women journey stories. It never ceases to amaze me how inspired I get when I start conversing with people about Four Truffles because I walk away getting to know special women.

During my visit, I met an extraordinary young lady who is one of the Beauty Advisors at the store, and she reminded me of the true meaning of beauty inside out.   At such a young age she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer yet through it all her strong & vibrant spirit triumphed.  She’s surrounded by a loving family and is excited about her future.  Oddly enough a woman came in and was looking for a gift for a friend who is going through chemo treatment and I heard how our young Beauty Advisor recommended Four Truffles to help with the patient’s dehydrated skin.   I was very touched hearing this because the advise came from the heart of one woman who went through the same challenging experiences in her life to another currently going through similar trials and how this encounter brought encouragement to all of us.  I was reminded one more time why I just love what I do and being able to celebrate women helping women.

Health & Beauty Tips: Dry skin can be a common side effect of some chemotherapy drugs used to treat cervical cancer. Drugs like 5FU can cause skin to be come dry, flaky, and cracked.  Dry skin occurs when skin loses essential oils and moisture.
A good hydrating moisturizer that can be used especially for sensitive skin should be used at all times.

Inner Beauty Tips:
Turn your adversities into something positive by encouraging and giving hope to another who maybe going through the same circumstances you can relate to.

In the township of Philippi, a settlement called Sweet Home is where the women who worked on our sewing project live.  Comforting and wonderful thoughts  come to mind when one hears the words “Sweet Home” – ironically enough it is the complete opposite.

Sweet Home is a shanty community with approximately 12,000 people living in one of the poorest areas in the world.  It was originally a rubble dump.  The homes barely have solid walls and most people cannot access electricity nor water.  The unemployment rate is extremely high.  Numerous problems arise in this situation such as malnutrition, children being abandoned and left in the streets to fend for themselves, lack of education, gang related issues, HIV/Aids pandemic and other social crisis associated when a community does not have access to resources.

As we illustrate this setting to help you visualize what Sweet Home is like, we also want to share an inspiring story of transformation in the midst of all this.  Sometimes all we need is Love, Faith, and Hope to help change lives.

Under the leadership of Susan and Dennis Wadley, Bridges of Hope South Africa was created in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the region.  Partnering with the remarkable survivors of decades of oppression, crushing poverty, and the worst health pandemic in history, Bridges has discovered a model of community transformation that works.  They created a Community Health Education program referred to as CHE.  This program empowers community members to take charge of the problems their communities face in a holistic way.  Volunteers are trained to go into their neighborhoods and teach physical, spiritual and social health principles.

Four Truffles is committed to supporting Bridges of Hope’s efforts by providing financial assistance to their educational programs at Bridges Academy and supporting the development of Women Micro-Enterprise.  In September, we commissioned the women of the Masikhule enterprise to sew our passion pouches that we use for our Wooden Truffle Jars.   Masikhule is a name that means “Let’s Grow” and was started by a group of ladies in 2009.

From the start, the women had to learn how to properly start a business.  This included finding the means to acquire sewing machines among other things that would enable them to get started.  Since this is by no means a “hand me down” project, the women had to bake bread and pastries to sell at the marketplace.  With this money, they purchased sewing machines and started their business.  As you can see self-sufficiency and sustainability is the goal from the onset.

(In this first photo, meet Nowetha Boyana 38 years old.  She leaves in a 3 roomed shack at Sweet Home with her husband and 3 kids.  She is a member of CHE committee and is one of the ladies who started the sewing project in 2009.  She is very skilled in sewing)

Once we gave the women the go ahead with the sewing project, we provided them with the fabric and trimming.  We also gave them detailed information like specifications and sewing instructions.  When we finally received the pouches in our office, we were so excited to see how well everything turned out!  The attention to the sewing details was done according to the specifications!

(Meet Nohonest Fokazi, 28 years old.  She also lives in Swee Home with her husband and 2 kids.  She is unemployed and workds as a CHE volunteer and she is good in designing and cutting.  Here you see her with Four Truffles passion pouch)

The reward this project provided the Masikhule women was very special for us.  Financially, a little goes a very long way in countries like South Africa, but the most significant impact was the hope and encouragement women received.  They are now looked upon as role models and a success story.  Other women in neighboring areas are inspired and they too want to learn how this all became possible.  This is what our Women4Women Journey is about.  A true story of Empowerment and Four Truffles is  grateful for the opportunity to make a difference.  We share this story with our friends, families and supporters because you too are a big part of it.

And so we close with heartfelt thanks to each and everyone for their support.  May many blessings come your way and a very Happy Thanksgiving Holiday to All!

With love, hope, faith, eternity,

The Four Truffles Team

Meet Christina Mthandane, 36 years old who lives in Sweet Home with her 5 kids and 1 grandson. She is with the HIV support group and recently joined CHE. After being trained to sew, she decided she wants to train other women as well.

Thumeka Mfeketho, 29 years old and Zukiswa Nkonzo, 33 years old. Both are being trained by Christina after completing their CHE training

We’re pleased to announce that Four Truffles was selected as a featured beauty brand in this article.  This month, we will be doing a series of blogs and videos to share stories of our work with Bridges of Hope South Africa.

EcoStiletto dishes out daily eco-friendly fashion, beauty, lifestyle and celebrity advice that can help shrink your carbon footprint from a ginormous boot into an oh-so-slender stiletto.  Please have a read about this wonderful article here and show your support by getting to know each featured company.

I am a big believer that when you help one woman, you help an entire family.   Here’s to Celebrating Women Helping Women!

With love, hope, faith, eternity,

Ana

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women

It was a great opportunity to introduce FourTruffles company culture and share our award-winning products with guests. It was a fabulous day spent with friends having hand massages and mini-manicures while socializing over a petit brunch. Tangerine Lavender and Bulgarian Lavender were the hands down faves at this event! A relaxing spa day at Joanne’s gorgeous home with proceeds benefiting the Palos Verdes Junior Women’s Club!

Thank you, Joanne and Friends!! We look forward to hearing your Four Truffles stories!!

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women.

Since hope is one of the ‘four truffles’ it is only fitting that we chose this powerful organization that has brought hope for the sick, hope for the dying, hope for orphans, hope for widows, hope for gang members, hope for the young, and hope for the elderly with a model of community transformation that works!

Mission: To build bridges into the lives of those who are suffering in order to create long‐term, self‐sustaining solutions to the deep problems of our world.

Four Truffles specifically focuses our attention and donations on two aspects of their honorable hands-on work:

Micro-Enterprise solutions for women:

Bridges of Hope provides training and seed money for women of Philippi, Lower Crossroads and Sweet Home Africa to start their own sewing, knitting and beading businesses as a means of self-support for them and their families.

Starting in the fall, some of these very women will begin sewing our Wooden Truffle Jar Passion Pouches so your Four Truffles purchases will doubly impact the success of their business and future!

Schooling for children at the Bridges Academy:

A boarding school for AIDS orphans that offers full-time care, feeding, educational and medical needs of 50 children.

Bridges of Hope recently received an award from the Western Cape Education Dept earlier this year, commending them for having a 100% graduation rate (which is very rare in South Africa).

Bridges of Hope shares our belief that it is possible for individuals who live in extremely dire conditions to find hope—to dream about and actually change their future.  The Four Truffles brand was built on this philosophy, as was this nonprofit organization.  We strive to serve as a circle of goodness and empowerment for women and children around the world and our partnership with Bridges of Hope helps action our vision.

How can you help?  Purchase any 6.2oz Body Butter and we donate $4 or visit Bridges of Hope to donate directly.  The Bridges of Hope website is regularly updated with stories of hope and transformation, and will introduce you to ways that you can offer hope and bring about transformation to individuals around the world.

“Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope” – Unknown Author

“Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good™”

The highly anticipated event boasted a plethora of pretty people with an eco-chic conscience from the media, retail world, charitable circles and Four Truffles fan base.  All enjoyed complimentary organic mini-Mani’s and munchies while witnessing the lovely Mary Payne from Ladies Home Journal award philanthropic Four Truffles founder, Ana Soriano, with the “Do Good” Stamp honor for the brands’ efforts to empower women and children locally and globally.

Four Truffles sources the natural ingredients in their 4T PDN Complex™ from female operated collectives in Africa and then donates 10% of net sales to local and international charities that help disadvantaged women and children. “I’m a big believer in paying it forward,” says Ana.

The event showcased Four Truffles beneficial bodycare products in each treatment:

1. Four Truffles Creamy Body Wash lusciously lathered to remove impurities, hydrate, soften and scent skin with the 4T PDN Complex™ that combines mild milk-based cleansers with Argan Oil, Shea Butter and Olive Oil with Aloe to cleanse and prep skin.

2.  Four Truffles Body Smoother was used as a gentle and effective sugar scrub that incorporates the 4T PDN Complex™ to gently smooth away dry, dull surface skin cells to reveal a fresh glow while botanical oils pampered skin, leaving it sinfully soft, smooth and moisturized.

3.  Drops of pure Argan Oil blended with Bulgarian Lavender Oil (new product launch in the winter!) were used to soften hands and cuticles.

4.  Four Truffles Body Butter was massaged into skin at the end of the treatment, prior to polish applications, to seal in moisture, deeply hydrate and rejuvenate skin for a youthful appearance.

Attendees also helped raise money for Palos Verdes Junior Women’s Club who support local women and children in crisis.  One hundred percent of all raffle ticket sales benefitted this powerful organization whose hands-on outreach, support and assistance has made a huge impact in Southern California.

Raffle Basket prizes were generously donated by many kind sponsors and made for 3 very happy women!

“Look Good” raffle basket prize went to Carmelita Flores, Four Truffles fan.

“Feel Good” raffle basket winner was awarded to Nicole Cardi from Beautyfix.

“Do Good” raffle basket won by Tracy Hepler, co-founder of Your Daily Thread.

“Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good™” Raffle Basket Prize Donors

Allison Dayton

Ankh Royalty

BeautyFix

Circle-of-Friends

Jewels by ASTRIK

LA Indulgence

Ladies’ Home Journal

L’Anza

Little Giraffe

Mojo Jewel

Real Solutions Hair Care                

Rocco e Dante

Tikkun Holistic Spa

Urban Organics

The “Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good™” event is one of many ongoing philanthropic parties thrown by Four Truffles throughout the year.  Every dollar adds-up, especially internationally, so each party and product positively impacts women and children to make their lives just a little better today than it was yesterday.

Thanks to all our sponsors, donors and revelers for participating and helping improve the lives of women and children!  A special thanks to Jeff Lin of 310 Studio for capturing our special day with his beautiful photography, Jeneration PR for hyping it, and to Nidhi Lal, owner of Recess Organic Nail Spa and her team for a wonderful afternoon!

Enjoy the photos and keep in touch with Four Truffles via the blog and Facebook page to find out about our next event and how you can support our Women4Women journey!

Here’s an excerpt from Naag.com, a fab lifestyle online magazine created by British actress/ supermodel Agyness Deyn and French writer Fiona Byrne.  In this piece Tamar says “limes are boss”  and points out emphatically why Four Truffles lime basil mandarin creamy body wash is buzz worthy!

Read on and chalk one up for Lime Basil Mandarin fans!

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women.

Empowering Women Locally and Globally 

Organic skincare company Four Truffles may be a small business, but founder Ana Soriano has made a huge commitment to giving back. For starters, she buys eco-friendly argan oil and shea butter for her bodycare products from female-owned cooperatives in North and West Africa. “Cultivating these ingredients is a major source of income for women there,” says Soriano. And even though her Palos Verdes Peninsula, California-based company is a start-up, Soriano donates 10 percent of net sales to local and international charities that help disadvantaged women and children. “It’s definitely a financial challenge for us to do this but I’m a big believer in paying it forward,” she says.

GET INVOLVED

Four Truffles donates 10 percent of all product sales directly to women’s and children’s charities, you help every time you make a purchase. We also donate additional monies that we collect via promotional sales proceeds directly to a different charity every quarter.

We like to think of our Four Truffles customers as people who like to look good, do good and feel good.  We believe beauty is found inside and out and that you deserve products that perform for you inside and out.

Every dollar adds-up, especially internationally, so a little goes a long way. We like to imagine that with your support, we’re making someone’s life just a little better today than it was yesterday. We are eternal optimists and our beliefs are strong even when the world may seem bleak.

Palos Verdes Juniors Women’s Club

In the United States we are a major supporter of Palos Verdes Junior Women’s Club whose outreach to women and children in crisis is tied to the local community.

Ana, our Founder, has been a member and hands-on activist with Palos Verdes Junior Women’s Club for years. She was drawn to their hands-on support and dedication to helping women and children in her own backyard. Throughout the year, they hold multiple fundraising activities with two major events during the Holiday season and Spring. The local outreach, assistance and benefits provide community enrichment, critical needs, crisis prevention and intervention, support, public services and scholarships that make a huge impact.

Bridges of Hope, South Africa | Visit the Bridges of Hope Website

Since hope is one of the “four truffles” it is only fitting that we chose this powerful organization that has brought hope for the sick, hope for the dying, hope for orphans, hope for widows, hope for gang members, hope for the young, and hope for the elderly with a model of community transformation that works!

We love that Bridges of Hope offers long‐term, self‐sustaining solutions to at-risk women and children who are suffering. We specifically donate money to sponsor orphans to attend boarding school as we believe that providing an education helps opens the door to a child’s hope and increased odds for a better future.

NLC, Haiti | Visit the NLC Website

We first discovered New Life to Children on Imagine This! TV and felt a tug on our hearts after reading their story. NLC is a grass roots movement that helps rescue children at risk of starvation and enslavement near Port-au-Prince, Haiti and provides them with a safe house.

Don Skow heads up a team who has been doing incredible work with the Haitians for nearly a decade. We reached out to Don and offered a donation of body care products as part of the basic essentials needed for the women and children. In a country already plagued with the nations highest poverty rates we feel that every effort helps. Our goal is to raise funds to help build homes for the families by donating the proceeds from our “Make Your Mark” promotion.

Volunteering to help women and children who are victims of domestic violence transformed my life.   Beauty inside out has made more sense than ever, and while it’s rewarding to be recognized for our Do Good efforts, it’s even more rewarding to witness the incredible ways women’s and children’s lives are being transformed.

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women and tribunity.