Our Lady’s Face

CLIFTON  The reviews are in: the Our Lady’s Face line of beauty products keeps skin soft, clean and supple and helps fade wrinkles.

But what is the secret ingredient of these all-natural skin-care products, made by the young women of Casa Guadalupe here: coconut oil, aloe vera, or essential oils, such as lavender? Jennifer Dircio, who has lived at the diocesan house of discernment and prayer for women here since May, thinks the “something special” is “prayer”: intentions that they offer over the beauty products — a cleanser, toner, a facial scrub, a moisturizer and an eye serum — as they make them.

“We pray for those, who use our products, hoping that they are touched by Mary’s love and maternity,” said Dircio. About a year and a half ago, she bought a bottle of one of Our Lady’s Face products, which displays an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the label, at a women’s retreat to support the house’s ministry — before she came to live here from the Bronx, N.Y. “I love the way that it moisturizes — no dry skin and no pimples. Our Lady’s Face comes through for me,” she said.

Yet, the mission of Casa Guadalupe’s “cottage industry” of beauty products, made in-house, goes beyond skin-deep — supporting its ministries in vocations, Respect Life and social justice, including a recent mission trip to the Texas-Mexico border. From Dec. 27 to Jan. 2, four Casa residents, including Dircio, joined two Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to bring love and comfort to many of the thousands of immigrants and refugees in desperate conditions in camps there, hoping to enter the U.S. legally.

“They are so grateful for our presence. They had few basic necessities but wanted our prayers most,” said Holly Wright, Casa’s director and a mission trip participant, who noted that profits from Our Lady’s Face netted $500 for the trip. “Missioners returned with the joy found in the most vulnerable, having learned that we want the same determination to get to heaven as many refugees are in dire need of finding shelter and have the determination to get there. This mission had the purpose of bringing Christ to those in need,” she said.

Our Lady’s Face products started when Wright began making an organic moisturizer for her face because of her many allergies. One Casa resident tried it and liked it, telling Wright, “You should sell this.” Today, the six women here work together to manufacture the products, which starts with mixing the ingredients in the kitchen. The all-natural ingredients also include olive oil, sugar, vitamins C and E, baking soda, frankincense and lemon and orange, Wright said.

“The product is a wonder-maker. I put it on at night and wake up with my skin feeling silky, especially in the winter, when it’s dry,” said Brooke Fowler, a Casa resident, who formerly lived with the Sisters for Life. “We have gotten great feedback from customers. It gives me a good feeling to help make such a beautiful product,” she said.

After the mixing, the women place the product into the jars, after affixing the labels, which display the name “Our Lady’s Face” and the house’s website address, www.casaguadalupe.net, along with the Our Lady of Guadalupe image. Each package, whether it is an individual bottle or a set, comes with a sheet on how to use the product. At Christmas, the women expanded their line with Wise Men Body Scrub and Peppermint Body Scrub that looks like a candy cane, Wright said.

“People love these products, even if they have never heard of our Diocese. Also, people are happy to support vocations,” said Wright, who noted that Casa has mailed their products to people as far away as Florida. Originally, they started selling them at retreats and other area Catholic events. “It’s all natural. We want to be pure of heart — all natural — like Our Lady. The label with Our Lady Guad­alupe on it is also a form of evangelization,” she said.

Profits from Our Lady’s Face help support the ministries of Casa Guadalupe, which also receives contributions from donors. The Catholic lay and consecrated women here are dedicated to living an authentic Franciscan spirituality in a communal life of prayer. They are discerning their vocation through prayer and service in such ministries as pro-life and chastity, under the spiritual direction of Father Agustino Torres, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal from St. Michael’s Friary in Paterson.

As part of their discernment, Casa residents embark on mission trips, like the one to the Texas-Mexico border. There, with the local Catholic Charities and the Franciscan Friars, they shared Christ’s love with immigrants and refugees from around the world who are fleeing political persecution or extreme violence and poverty in their native countries. They visited with some newcomers, who camped out in bare conditions with little more than stoves fashioned from mud. They also talked with Africans so desperate to come to the U.S. that they sailed to Brazil and walked north to the U.S. border, learning Spanish on the way. These missioners also brought people Christmas gifts and school supplies and played with the children. Father Torres celebrated Mass for people on both sides of the border, Wright said.

“The mission moved my heart. I saw that people there went through a lot to get here because they want a better life. I wanted to comfort them,” Fowler said.

Also moved, Dircio noted that the children lost their innocence along their difficult journeys to the U.S. “I just wanted to play with them — they loved riding in old shopping carts — and painting with them,” she said.

The cost of individual bottles of “Our Lady’s Face” is $8 for a 1.5 oz. bottle, $12 for a 4 oz. bottle and $15 for a 6 oz. bottle. Eye serum costs $8 for a .75 oz. bottle or $15 for a 1.5 oz. bottle. Sets of five, with one of each type of product, cost $30 for travel-size bottles, $45 for 4 oz. bottles and $60 for 6 oz. bottles.

[To place an order: call (201) 951-2857 or email [email protected]