I was born in Brescia, a small town in the north of Italy, where I trained as a pharmacist and did everything I was "supposed" to — go to college, graduate, find a job.

At 28, I left everything I knew and moved to the United States, drawn by a dream I'd carried since visiting Boston as a teenager: to live and work in the United States. Thanks to my degree, I landed a job at a cosmetics company in Los Angeles. Within months I was supervising bulk production, and before long I became the company's head chemist.

That's also where I saw how the industry really works: products diluted to cut costs, formulas padded with filler ingredients that look impressive on a label but do nothing for your skin. I had no interest in that game and felt like life was a giant performance I couldn't control. So I left. With Luisa True Skincare my goal is to bring Italy's tradition of craftsmanship to skincare and create every product with precision, integrity, and an uncompromising commitment to quality.

Throughout my career I have helped hundreds of people — including some celebrities — launch their own beauty lines.

My mission is to demystify beauty: to help you understand what's actually in your products and what really works, so you don't waste time and money.

I believe knowledge is freedom, and so my ultimate goal is to provide you with the tools you need to make your own decisions when it comes to beauty and health.