The Roaring Fork Valley is now home to a growing new USDA-certified organic makeup company.

Olga’s Organics, which locals may recall seeing at valley farmers markets this summer, offers a signature loose facial powder and a collection of body butters. The young company was founded in August 2015, and its products have been available for purchase for about five months.

“After a long process we received USDA certification in May, so that is when we were able to officially begin selling our product,” said founder and Glenwood Springs resident Olga Reding. “Many other products out there claim to be organic, but they are not USDA certified. We are trying to do it right, to build confidence in our brand. That is what sets us apart from so many others in this market.”

In 2013 Reding began wondering about the products in her makeup bag. Curious to know where their ingredients came from, she dug into online research.

“Unfortunately I found that the conventional cosmetics I was using had a lot of questionable ingredients,” she recalled. “Even carcinogenic ones. It dawned on me that I needed to change my beauty routine, and that I wanted to switch to using products from an organic makeup company. But I couldn’t find one — and I was completely surprised by this.”

After her search for readily available organic cosmetics yielded no leads, Reding decided to create her own.

“I did a lot of research, I read books and experimented. It was a lot of trial and error, but I felt the final product ended up being amazing,” Reding said. “Our skin is our largest organ, and it absorbs what we put on it into our bodies. We think a lot about eating organic foods, but we should think about what we’re applying on our skin as well. After making my own products, I felt there was a need to have a bigger voice in the marketplace.”

Fast forward a couple years, and Olga’s Organics was born. Soon after Reding launched the brand she applied for the USDA’s lengthy organic-certification process.

“In order for us to have that USDA label, our products have to be at least 95 percent organic,” she noted. “Our powder formula is about 96 to 97 percent organic, and our body butters are 99 percent organic. Plus, our production facility here in Glenwood is also USDA-certified organic, meaning that everything is made by following their specific guidelines and procedures.”

Olga’s Organics’ powder is available in three different shades, and includes ingredients such as arrowroot flour, cacao powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and a proprietary blend of oils. It retails for $32, a cost comparable to or even less than conventional upmarket powders available at beauty supply stores.

“We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our customers, who are local valley residents and also people from around the country and even Canada,” Reding said.

Reding noted that the company has been able to reach a global audience quickly thanks to a highly active social media presence, which savvy small business owners now utilize for not only free marketing but free brand building and more. Olga’s Organics can be found on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, Instagram and its website, olgasorganics.com.

“I truly love Instagram, it is by far my favorite social media outlet,” Reding said of the photo-centric social platform. The Olga’s Organics Instagram account has amassed thousands of followers since launching in January, and features images and targeted content including testimonials from happy customers.

“Our online presence has been growing, and slowly this is turning into more sales,” she reported. “It allows us to connect with like-minded people from all over the world. We still have a tremendous amount of work ahead, but the results so far are showing a very positive response.”

Looking ahead, Reding hopes to expand her product line and to see it in larger retailers and in more makeup bags of people who want a conscious alternative to traditional cosmetics.

“Our intention is to make Olga’s Organics part of everyone’s beauty routine,” she said. “People deserve to be informed, and to know what’s in their makeup so that they can feel safe and confident applying it to their skin. It’s quite a big dream, but someday we dream of revolutionizing the cosmetics industry.”

Locals can find Olga’s Organics products online or at several area shops including the Osage Gardens Farm Store in New Castle, Marianne’s Boutique at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood and Dandelion Market in Carbondale.

“We are so thankful for our local customers and our community’s support,” Reding said. “It makes us so proud to be a new family-owned Colorado business.”