Named one of the Top 50 Women in Wellness by Authority Magazine, Heather Florio is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to women’s health issues and needs. She is the second-generation owner of organic nutritional supplement and skincare brand Desert Harvest. Working personally with medical professionals around the world to conduct research and develop innovative products, Heather has a wealth of information to share. I had the pleasure of speaking with her to learn more about her family’s business and what the future holds for Desert Harvest.
Thank you so much for joining us! Please tell us about your background and what brought you to this specific career path.
I’m the second-generation owner and CEO of Desert Harvest, a medical-grade and evidence-based aloe vera-focused company and manufacturer of pelvic health and sexual health tools and products. I’ve been working for the company in some capacity since I was a teenager, but it was my mother and aunt who discovered the connection between interstitial cystitis and aloe vera 30 years ago and began the research and development for our central product, Super-Strength Aloe Vera capsules that are used to treat the symptoms of interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome. IC is a debilitating and underserved and underrecognized chronic diagnosis that I actually suffer from myself. Not only is there little support for this condition, but we still don’t understand what causes the condition and there are not a lot of options for treatments. It has become a huge motivation of mine to be an advocate for this community, to provide awareness as well as tools to support and teach others how to be our own experts for healing.
Just to confirm: aloe vera is in most of your products? For those of us who are unfamiliar with its benefits, could you please elaborate why we would want to implement aloe vera into our diet?
Yes, aloe vera is used in most of our products. In our research, not only did we find the support it provides in managing the symptoms of IC, but it also acts as a carrier, allowing other nutrients it is paired with to penetrate all the dermal layers and become more bioavailable in the system. However, not all aloe vera is created equal. There are only two ways to preserve aloe vera juice. Pasteurization kills all its active nutrients, and the other uses bladder-irritating preservatives. Aloe vera is mainly water, which means even if a bottle of aloe vera juice says 100% Aloe Vera juice, it is still over 95% water. In fact, in our studies, many of the aloe vera juices on the market tested negative for aloe vera. They were essentially sugar water. When aloe vera is harvested, malic acid begins eating away at the nutrients and within six to eight hours, all nutrients are dead. Our patented process of preserving its nutrients is important when it comes to actually benefiting from aloe’s more than 75 active nutrients. Finally, aloe vera contains a naturally occurring latex, anti-nutrient that is a carcinogenic. This chemical makes it a laxative and unsuitable for internal long-term use. It is our process that naturally preserves, concentrates and removes these toxins, rendering it safe for long-term use as a potent supplement, unlike any other aloe vera on the market.
What are your most popular products, and do you have any personal favorites?
Our Super-Strength Aloe Vera is our central product, developed for managing the symptoms of IC and BPS. It has been shown to be up to 92% effective at reducing the symptoms associated with IC/BPS. Again, there is nothing on the market that has demonstrated such positive results for these issues. Additionally we have a line of supportive supplements and sexual and pelvic health products to support the needs of those with sensitive symptoms. Our recent launch of our Vulva and Body Balm has been so well received that it is already a crowd favorite. It’s intended to be used from head, to vulva, to toe – and helps support the sensitive skin of those going through hormonal shifts of postpartum, menopause, and other issues of irritation, used in conjunction with our concentrated aloe vera and rich body butters. Or it can simply be used as a luscious and all-natural body butter. Our Aloe Glide, an FDA-cleared medical device, is also a favorite. It is a 100% natural-origin aloe vera-based vaginal moisturizer and sexual lubricant for dryness, itching, inflammation, burning, and pain associated with vulvar irritation and many of the overlapping symptoms people with IC experience. It is not only pH-balanced but also only one of two lubricants on the market that is iso-osmolar, which mimics women’s natural lubrication and will not disrupt the natural flora needed to fight off infection.
What sets Desert Harvest apart from other brands, and are there future plans to produce more innovative products?
At Desert Harvest, we are committed to an evidence-based model of innovation. All our products are backed by research. Being someone who also deals with IC and endometriosis, I have a personal investment in furthering the research and innovation of our products. For me this extends beyond our research and into creating sustainable solutions, aligned with eco practices, sustainable farming and organic aloe vera that all contribute to the efficacy and integrity of our products. We have some exciting and innovating products that will be launching later this year based on our continued research that are sure to disrupt the way UTIs are treated, as well as a line of period and bladder support underwear made from a truly innovative and aligned material. We can’t wait to announce them!
What Desert Harvest accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the connections we’ve been able to foster, the education and awareness we have been able to bring, and the lives we have been able to help change for the better. We get emails and calls daily from people who have been introduced to our products as a last resort and for so many the resounding response is: “I wish this was the first thing I tried, not the last!” The shift for many has meant being able to hold a job, date, have relationships uninterrupted by constantly managing navigating their illness. It’s the biggest validation and accomplishment.
Working in the wellness and beauty industry for so many years, could you please share with us your top tips or advice?
Be wary of marketing. There are so many products and ingredients flooding the market that are based off of glimmers of truths and others’ research. We see it all the time with our own Super-Strength Aloe Vera Supplement and copycats claiming their product does the same thing but not removing the toxic chemical components or not containing any actual aloe vera, for example. Don’t jump on to every bandwagon or fad ingredient. What works for someone may not work for you and in many cases a product containing the same ingredients can be very different based on how the ingredients are grown, sourced, and processed.
Anything else you would like our readers to know?
Just because something is normalized doesn’t mean it’s normal. Get used to being the expert of your own body. Be your own advocate for your health and ask questions! Remember, doctors do not have all the answers. You should never have to suffer.
