#BeautyBoss: Gigi Vogel, Founder of De La Heart
Gigi Vogel. [Photo by Gerardo Briceno]
Our latest #BeautyBoss is Gigi Vogel, Founder of De La Heart—a line of transformative Colombian lymphatic drainage body tools and natural skin care. While growing up, her mother regularly used Gua Sha and lymphatic drainage tools on her, and drawing from her ancestral beauty secrets and community insights, Vogel later created The Body Tool, which is a favorite among celebrities including Dua Lipa and Melissa Wood-Tepperberg.
Since launching De La Heart, Vogel has expanded her line to include additional tools and skin care products that are based on the principles of wellness, mindfulness, lymphatic health, high performance and healthy aging. The company continues its dedication to making wellness accessible to more people and promoting a healthy and mindful lifestyle.
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De La Heart also supports the local community by providing training and creating jobs at her woodworking ateliers in Colombia, where every tool is hand made by artisans who are deaf and hard of hearing. The tools are made from 100% ivory wood that is sustainably sourced and each piece is unique with a beautiful color and natural wood grain—giving customers the highest-quality custom tool that will last them a lifetime. In 2023, the company is also starting to work with a variety of reforestation nonprofits in Colombia that are dedicated to restoring the health of forests and reversing biodiversity loss.
“Our purpose is to enhance women’s well-being through approachable self-care practices that help them care for themselves and feel grounded,” Vogel says. “Our products are high-performing, results-driven, and extremely powerful. We use ingredients of the land and simplify rituals that may seem convoluted and unattainable, making DLH products an attainable longterm key to a healthier lifestyle.”
We chatted with Vogel, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, secrets for success, wellness tips, favorite beauty products, and much more.
When was De La Heart founded and what does the name mean?
De La Heart was founded in 2017 with the purpose of spreading love through wellness rituals that enable a healthier lifestyle. Inspired by my own personal journey of self-discovery and my family’s ancestral beauty secrets, De La Heart was born from my heart’s desire of wanting to be of service to my community by making mindful living and wellness accessible to everyone. Hence the name—a Spanish play on “from my heart” honoring my Colombian heritage.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
My career started in the rough-and-tumble fashion realm, finance and international business. After years of paying a fast-paced industry's high emotional and physical toll, I looked for accessible and natural alternative practices to restore balance in my daily life. I started a journey of discovery,exploring natural health alternatives and innovative wellness rituals. I then started to dive deep into different theories and wellness approaches.
I studied to be a holistic health coach at the IIN and first-hand experienced the magical benefits of a plant based diet, and various holistic rituals that interconnect mind and body. After fully transforming my life, I felt the need to share my experience and latest findings with my community on my then blog, de la heart. In 2018, I discovered the transformative power of lymphatic drainage and the innovation marked a turning point in my career—De La Heart skin care was born.
De La Heart is a line of transformative Colombian lymphatic drainage body tools and natural skin care products.
Does De La Heart have a hero product? What’s your favorite?
In 2018, I discovered the transformative power of lymphatic drainage. Drawing inspiration from my ancestral beauty secrets and community insights, I developed The Body Tool—a simple yet effective tool to bring the traditional lymphatic drainage ritual into everyone’s home. The Body Tool is our hero product due to its ability to reduce puffiness, relieve tension, boost your body’s natural detox flow, and achieve a more toned and sculpted body contour.
Where are your products sold?
You can find our entire line on our website as well as in some of our retail partners like Anthropologie, Clean Market, Gee Beauty, Skin Local, and many more.
Future plans for the brand?
We continue to focus on body skin care and this summer we will be launching five new products: three body creams and balms and two body oils with signature proprietary blends. Stay tuned!
Who inspires you?
Every woman is my muse and inspiration. We all wear so many hats and play so many different roles, yet at some point of our lives we all go through the same struggles and suffer from the same insecurities showing us that we are more alike than we think.
Drawing from her ancestral beauty secrets and community insights, Vogel later created The Body Tool ($34), which is a favorite among celebrities.
Secret to success?
Believe in yourself. Be laser focused on your vision. Show up every day and work hard. Be relentless and never take no for an answer.
Beauty secrets?
Not so secret! I built my community by sharing every single one of my “beauty secrets” because I believe in sharing to empower other women to feel their best. My go-tos are: drink two glasses of room temperature water upon waking up, lymphatic drainage ritual (dry brush and body tool) three to five times a week, at least 10 minutes of meditation a day, and PicoWay laser with Dr. Stacy Chimento for beautiful skin.
Wellness tips?
Have one 16 oz glass of green juice a day, I often start my day with plain celery or a blend of celery, cucumber and lemon. Low-impact workouts like yoga, pilates, and long-brisk walks; meditation and breath work; and avoiding gluten and dairy.
Best advice?
Work hard and don’t give up.
How do you like to relax?
I love to take a two to three-day trip with my husband sans kids. These short trips without kids are so energizing, fun, relaxing, and an excellent time to connect and get inspired.
For more information, visit De La Heart’s website and follow on Instagram: @delaheart
[Images courtesy of De La Heart]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk