Dimitra in the land of Cosmetics
Beautician – Cosmetologist, Dimitra Goula’s Quest
Passionate from a young age
Cosmetics, as we all know, are facial and body care preparations. For Dimitra Goula though, they mean something more. They symbolize images of secret recipes that make us feel good. They make us look fresher and more radiant. They boost our confidence. They emphasise our femininity. They rejuvenate us without unhealthy side effects.
Dimitra grew up in Heraklion, Crete. Her hobby was art and as a child she would draw at every opportunity she had. At the age of 13, she had her first experience of the world of beauty, at the hotel where her father worked. In this small beauty parlour, little Dimitra felt that she was in paradise. Without a second thought, she asked the German beauticians to let her watch them while they worked. She spent endless hours with them observing everything they did. Every summer, she would spend her free time there watching the beauticians work, and by the age of nineteen, she had already decided that she wanted to study Aesthetics in Germany.
When you set out for Munich, may your journey be filled with adventures and knowledge
Germany was a very big life lesson for Dimitra, as the professionalism, the consistency and the hardworking approach that characterised Germany as a country, became the basis on which to build her career. She completed her studies in Munich successfully. Unfortunately however, after repeatedly applying the products used at the Institute, she soon realised that she had some kind of intolerance to them – an allergy to beauty products, which was a very big problem for her professional career in the field of beauty. She believed however, that it was due to the specific products.
Athens and its obstacles
Every new beginning is difficult
On returning to Greece, Dimitra continued her studies with a Master’s degree on the Organisation of Financial Institutes and Spas. She placed a bond at the bank and bought her first professional chair and vaper, and began working with friends at first in the small apartment she was living in with her sister Maria, in Ampelokipi. She then found a very small workspace in Kolonaki, she placed the vaper and chair, an old baroque office of her dad’s, she added two lovely chairs and a modern lamp, and launched her first Boutique Beauty Institute.
Great expectations
Alongside her daily demanding job at her institute (since everything always had to go through her first), she continued her studies for the next 10 years in the fields of aesthetics and natural cosmetology, deepening her knowledge on herbalism, aromatherapy, phytotherapy, aesthetic acupuncture, the composition of natural cosmetics, and everything else that was related to aesthetics that had no side effects, and for sure, Dimitra was ahead of her time. At her second institute, the “Dimitra Goula Boutique Institute”, her expectations grew. She began appearing on television shows as a guest and was the first person to present natural, alternative solutions to beauty and skin health on television in Greece. At the same time, she was a columnist for many health and beauty magazines, and in 2004, she became a judge on the “Prix de Beaute” committee of the “Votre Beaute” magazine, ranking all the products of the year by the world’s most renowned companies for performance, fragrance, texture, packaging, and for all product categories, luxury, range of distribution, pharmaceutical cosmetics, perfumes.
With nature as her guide
Μy handmade Beauty by Dimitra Goula
Despite her good intentions, Dimitra unfortunately was not able to put anything on her skin without it bothering her. This was, as a result, essentially a wake-up call for her to begin a more detailed research on the ingredients that cosmetics contain, and which continues to this day and is unlikely to ever end.
Researching each individual ingredient, she discovered substances that are directly or indirectly linked to mutagenic diseases, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, respiratory disorders and hormonal disorders, and she was very shocked when she found that exactly the same substances were being used in products for babies and children.
For this reason, she decided to combine all her studies and knowledge, and her experiences from her project in natural cosmetology, and to set up in 2011 her own freshly-made cosmetics company “My handmade Beauty by Dimitra Goula” with products that contain 100% natural ingredients, 0% preservatives, 0% excipients, 0% colouring agents, and 0% perfume.
Dimitra’s approach
“Having my own institute, being distinguished for my work, writing in magazines, publishing books, and finally making my own line of pure cosmetics, was my dream. I believed it and I accomplished it. I was afraid and believed many times that I would not succeed, but when you truly love what you do, it will fill you with positive energy, patience and faith.
My so-called “failures” are those which brought me step by step closer to my dream and I am grateful for them. It may take years of trial and error in the lab to create a natural cosmetic, with hundreds of failed attempts, but with each attempt taking me closer to achieving my goal. This is how I have approached everything in my life till now. And I continue to do so…”
Acknowledgements
Because success is almost never achieved alone, and it’s important to give thanks every opportunity we have, Dimitra Goula would like to thank her mother, Kika Tseroni, for bringing her into contact with the world of fashion. Efi Tsimara, director of the health and beauty magazine “Harmony”, who opened the way for her to write as a columnist in magazines. Rika Vagiani, who opened the door to television, Constantinos Papadopoulos of Dioptra Publications, who published her first and second book “Beauty Elixirs” and “What flavour do your cosmetics have”. Alexandra Paschalidou for her friendship and support, and for christening her daughter Eva, her valuable colleagues at the “Dimitra Goula Boutique Institute”, and of course, her beloved clients who have supported her work and have been following her faithfully for 20 years now.