Rising Stars: Meet Cynthia Chavarin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Chavarin.

Hi Cynthia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am the maker behind UrthBeauty. I am 28 years old, the daughter of immigrants from Mexico. I was born in Harbor City, CA but have lived in Arizona the majority of my life. Growing up, my mom always instilled in me to focus on my education so that I can have a better life than what she was able to provide. I was always a good student and went on to get a B.S. in Business Economics from the University of Arizona. Six years into the corporate world, I had achieved many things I set for myself in my career and had a great salary. However, my mental health was steadily declining. I didn’t feel happy in my job. I didn’t feel passionate about the work I was doing.

Until recent years, I never pictured myself starting a small business or being an entrepreneur. I always thought I would just continue to climb the corporate latter. The more I climbed, the clearer it became to me that I craved a greater & more creative adventure. During the pandemic, it really opened up my eyes that life is too short to not follow your heart and wildest dreams. I intentionally experimented with different hobbies to see if maybe I was good at something else. I tried making gummy bears, concrete sculptures, candles until I stumbled upon soap ingredients. I made my first soap and I immediately fell in love with the process. I felt a renewed confidence and ventured into formulating other products like deodorants, creams, and lip balms.

With the help of my family, we set up a fully-equipped home studio and are now six months into business. Many of my customers are in the LA area and my products are also going to be carried at the new brick & mortar for Blow Me Candle Co. in Santa Monica and ManeSoul Salon in Covina. I jokingly tell my husband that my growth in California is due to the fact that the state is always ahead of the curve with reducing single use-plastics.

All my products are minimally packaged using eco-friendly materials like paper-based tubes for our lip balms, aluminum-lidded glass jars for our deodorants, and compostable pouches for our soaking salts. I am a HUGE lover and advocate for ocean protection and conservation. It is extremely important to me that whatever I create does not contribute to polluting our planet so I try to make our products and packaging as planet-friendly as possible. I named this business UrthBeauty because it is synonymous with our planet “Earth”. My vision is for UrthBeauty to always be clean, natural, & in harmony with our planet. I enjoy the challenge of a plastic-free business. I am constantly researching materials and looking for vendors with innovative, sustainable packaging solutions.

This business allows me to have a canvas to show the world what goes on inside my heart and my creative mind. I love that I get to design everything from the product to the labels, my website, the packaging with no boundaries. It is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever worked on and makes me so happy. I never want UrthBeauty to be another business that preys on people’s insecurities or fears to make a profit. I believe beauty is feeling good in your own skin & never at the expense of others, our planet, or animals. I feel so lucky & grateful to share my creations with the world and I’m excited to keep growing and reinvesting into my business.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I work full-time and I’m a mom to a very energetic three year old. The biggest struggle is balancing being a mom & wife, my day job, and growth of my small business. No complaints here though, I’m super grateful and excited to finally do something I’ve always wanted to do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in creating personal care products that are good for your skin and kind to the planet. I started with cold process soaps and that is my top seller. I incorporate my art to make a product that is truly special. Cold process soaps are better for the environment and healthier for the skin because they are free of detergents and surfactants. They are made by combining oils and sodium hydroxide, which causes a chemical reaction called saponification. What is left are luscious oils and butters that have been saponified and are incredibly moisturizing.

All my products are minimally packaged using planet-friendly materials.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’m a huge believer that when something is meant for you, nothing can take it from you as long as you put in the work. My mom instilled in me to be a hard-worker. I’ve always pushed myself really hard. However when one door closes, I’ve learned not to see it as bad luck, where before I’d be really hard on myself. I see it as a redirection to something greater. It does happen to me these days – especially as I am growing and get more inquiries for stockists. Sometimes it’s a match made in heaven, other times it’s not meant to be and I don’t try to force it for the sake of sales.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.myurthbeauty.com
• Instagram: @urth.beauty

Image Credits:
Ocean soap pictures taken by @kristinbytheocean