"Our goal is for Fine Feather to be a haven for learning and empowerment because we believe that wellness is for everyone. "

In effort to (literally) clean up my skin & beauty routine, I went to Fine Feather, a health & beauty shop in Columbus, Ohio, to learn a little bit more about clean beauty products. I was also able to meet with the found & owner Diana Wang and learn more about her story. We did a little Q&A so read below to find out how she started Fine Feather, some of her favorite clean beauty products and what ingredients to stay away from.

What made you want to start Fine Feather?

I was a pastry chef who had been really into the local and organic food movement for years. I was hyper-aware of toxins in our food supply and in packaged foods, and though I began to switch out the products I was using 8 years ago, I really didn’t know what a paraben or pthalate was, nor was I clear about whether petroleum products were safe because petroleum is a natural material (they are not, it turns out, because of the toxic chemicals used to refine all petroleum used for industry). Even as I made the switch to more “natural” products, I couldn’t tell you anything about the harm that toxic ingredients can cause to the body and environment.

When I was pregnant 3 years ago, I started to do more reading on this, and found myself way down a rabbit hole. A lot of info had come to light for consumers in the past few years, and what I learned shocked and frustrated me. Most of what we have always believed about conventional products (including anything labeled “dermatologist-recommended’) is a lie and big companies have been exploiting consumers for many decades.

I was also in my early 30s and wanted products that perform and do more, so I found brands that make nontoxic products, that are actually appealing and do what they claim. Unfortunately, none of these could be found in our part of the Midwest. I watched what was happening on the coasts and in bigger markets and thought to myself that it wasn’t okay that there wasn’t a store in Columbus that’s dedicated to clean beauty.

I spent almost 2 years learning and researching and opened Fine Feather last August. When I was in food, I was the odd one out who cared about wellness and so I was also seeking a community around the things that I valued. That’s why we have always had events on subjects like digestion, women’s hormones and manifestation along side beauty workshops.

What are a couple of your favorite brands that you carry and what is your favorite product?

This is a tough one to answer as I take a lot of pride in everything we stock but I definitely have some personal favorites!

Since I have to pick, my favorite brands are Agent Nateur, Vintner’s Daughter and Josh Rosebrook for skincare.

Agent makes my favorite oil-serum (Holi Oil Ageless Face Serum) and my daily vitamin C booster (Holi C Face Vitamines).

Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum absolutely lives up to its hype and the scent is truly outstanding (like a rose garden).

Josh Rosebrook makes my favorite toner (Hydrating Accelerator) and daytime moisturizer (Nutrient Day Cream Tinted SPF 30).

My makeup favorites are ILIA, Kjaer Weis and Westman Atelier.

ILIA‘s True Skin Serum Foundation is my favorite ever liquid foundation – so lightweight, natural-looking and has staying power. ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner is one of the best lip products ever and all the shades look good on everybody.

Kjaer Weis makes the best cream-based products and my favorites are their Cream Blush in Blossoming and Sun Touched.

Westman Atelier is our newest makeup collection and every piece in it is not only perfectly formulated but makes you feel a certain way when you’re using them. My favorites are the Lip Suede Palette in Les Rouges and Eye Love You Mascara (it’s shocking how good it is).

If I had to pick one single product it would probably be Living Libations Best Skin Ever Sandalwood because it smells incredible -of sandalwood, vetiver and frankincense. It doubles as a cleanser and moisturizer and I’ve used it for years.

What are the major ingredients we should always avoid or big red flags?

Out of the thousands of toxic ingredients used in topical products, the major ones to avoid are anything that ends with -paraben (preservatives), phthalates (plasticizer used in many products but notably always in fragrance), “fragrance” or “parfum,” sulfates (agent to reduce the surface tension of water, or what creates foaming or suds) and an active ingredient in sun products that is not zinc oxide (that means all chemical sunscreens plus titanium dioxide).

What are some ingredients you love?

Rosehip! In topical form, it’s high in vitamin A and ingested is high in vitamin C. All carrier plant oils, particularly evening primrose, argan, marula and hazelnut. Plant oils are food for the skin because they’re rich with all the things that skin needs – antioxidants, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids, sterols, cholesterols and vitamins. I also love vitamin C. It has been a complete game changer for me, and at the shop we only carry the stabilized kind.

What is your biggest skincare tip?

I love answering this question and its always this: what you use to cleanse your face can make or break the health of your skin. A bad/toxic cleanser will strip it, wipe out your skin’s natural microbiome, and damage its protective acid mantle. Many adult skin conditions such as sensitivity and even rosacea can be traced back to the cleansers used everyday for many years. A good quality and clean cleanser will help your skin help itself to be healthy and beautiful.

Why is using natural products so important?

I actually would like to mention that we are not a 100% natural store. The term natural when used to describe personal care products is fairly complex and often misused. It refers more to how an ingredient is processed than anything else. Generally speaking, our products are largely (like 90%+) of natural origin, but some of our brands do use thoughtfully chosen synthetic ingredients like vitamin C. Personally, I embrace science and have never had a problem with synthetic ingredients as long as they are chosen for a purpose.

We also carry nail polish which will never be a natural product, though ours is 10-free (the number indicates the level of non-toxicity in the nail polish, noting how many toxic ingredients are not included).

I identify the store as clean, which means free of known of suspected harmful ingredients.

Having said all this, it is so important to focus on using natural ingredients because we are natural, and ingredients from nature are bioavailable to us more than synthetics. Our largest organ actually benefits from them, just as we benefit from a diet rich in whole foods. A $7 lotion from Walgreens may seem like a great value, but you’d be hard-pressed to find more than one natural ingredient in it, and the other ingredients not only have no nutrients to them but are actually damaging to our biology and the long term health of our skin.

How can we take care of our face/skin while out in the summer sun?

Definitely use zinc oxide-only sun products and be mindful about the fact that the SPF you applied at 7:30 is no longer doing anything at 3 pm. This applies to all SPF products, and I recommend keeping around a portable translucent powder with SPF to reapply without disturbing your makeup, etc. You can use it elsewhere too, like your driving arm!

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I was inspired by the clean beauty stores that came before me, for sure. My biggest inspiration has been Lemon Laine, in Nashville and Houston. Other ones include CAP Beauty, Shop Good, Welwythn and Citrine Natural Beauty. They made me believe that a market like Columbus can sustain the business I wanted to have.

What is your favorite thing about Fine Feather?

Owning Fine Feather is truly my dream job and I’m so grateful to love what I do. I have wanted to be my own boss for a long time but I’m glad that turned out much differently than I originally intended (which was to open a cafe-bakery). My favorite thing is our customers. I had no idea what kind of resonance a clean beauty store would have with the Columbus community the day I opened, but they have embraced us and really shown their support. COVID would have been much harder on us if not for them.

What's next for you and Fine Feather?

To say that COVID taught me a lot would be an understatement! My husband and I have been learning from all the ways we’ve been affected and are still trying to stay quick on our feet to weather the pandemic now and to come. We are working on our online store, which will be live very soon. We also are implementing new ways to stay connected with our customers. Over the quarantine, we came out with beauty boxes, which really helped keep us above water, and they were a hit. Those are now a permanent part of our offerings. Since in-person events will not be on the horizon soon, we are coming up with other ways to engage and empower our community.

We are also working on partnerships to be more of a resource about a clean lifestyle and to empower vulnerable black women and children in Columbus.

To learn more about Fine Feather, you can check out their Instagram or go to their website. If you are local to Columbus, be sure to stop by Diana’s shop in Grandview. They are located at 1201 Grandview Ave and open Tuesday – Saturday from 11am-6pm.