Photography by Venera Alexandrova
Beauty expert and town native Theresa Plavoukos has worked for major brands such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder and has helped launch many indie brands as well. Now she’s started her own line, a liquid collagen supplement called Fat Mermaid, designed to promote plump skin, full hair and strong nails. We caught up with the entrepreneur and Old Greenwich mom of three to talk collagen, local haunts and all things beauty.
YOU’VE BEEN WORKING ON LAUNCHES FOR YEARS. WHAT LED YOU TO START YOUR OWN BRAND?
I’ve enjoyed creating beauty products in every category for the past 20-plus years—long-wear lip color, lengthening mascara, luxury fragrances, facial moisturizers and serums. Three years ago, I developed tinctures for an organic skincare brand and learned the product-development process for ingestible beauty. I had always taken supplements and had been using powered collagen for ten years. I knew that collagen gets results, but all the scooping and stirring, followed by stomach aches, made me realize there’s got to be a better way to take it. I wanted an easy-to-take collagen, the most efficacious variety possible, and I wanted it to be liquid, because I knew from my work on tinctures that’s the easiest way to get quick results. I also wanted to design it specifically for beauty benefits—even though it helps with joint support and inflammation, too—and to make the branding fun, something that’s enjoyable to take every day.
WHY IS MARINE COLLAGEN SUPERIOR TO OTHER TYPES? HOW IS IT SOURCED?
Research shows that marine collagen is more bioavailable than bovine collagen. Clinical studies show that your body can absorb up to 80 percent of marine collagen but only 40 percent of bovine. Because marine collagen has a lower molecular weight [smaller molecules], it is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly and more efficiently. Also, marine collagen is predominantly Type 1 collagen, the same kind found in your hair, skin, nails, lashes and brows. We lose one to two percent of our natural collagen annually, starting at age 25. When you ingest Type 1 collagen, you can help replace that lost collagen.
Marine collagen is also more sustainable than bovine because it comes from fish skins, which would have otherwise been thrown away. The fish are from European cold waters, and they’re farm- raised, which now is considered more eco-friendly than wild-caught because it’s not depleting the ocean’s natural supply of fish.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS PEOPLE CAN EXPECT FROM FAT MERMAID?
Clinical studies show that after 60 days of continued use, you will see a reduction in lines and wrinkles, increase in skin elasticity, firmness, hydration, stronger nails, and thicker hair, lashes and brows. And, bonus: Fat Mermaid also supports strong joints and bones.
HOW DO YOU DRINK YOUR FAT MERMAID?
I take it straight like a shot! A beauty glow shot. Fat Mermaid features a dosing cup right on the bottle. I pour one ounce and drink it out of the cup, rinse, then back on the bottle and into the fridge. I also mix it right into my yogurt, stir and eat. The only thing I taste is the yogurt.
WHAT FEEDBACK ARE YOU GETTING?
People who have gone through one bottle [a month’s worth] are seeing longer, stronger nails and sending me photos of their hands. Two friends were asked what they’ve been doing because their skin looks so bright and glowy. Thicker hair should be reported next after about three months of continued use.
GLOW AND GO
FOR YOUR OWN BEAUTY ROUTINE, WHAT ARE YOUR MUST-HAVES?
One product I love is Paula’s Choice 2-Percent BHA Liquid Exfoliant. You put it on with a cotton ball at night, and the next morning your skin is so smooth you can’t even believe it. Other favorites are Merit Great Skin Instant Glow Serum (I buy two bottles at a time, only $38 for the perfect glow), Jones Road Powder Bronzer, Merit concealer and Glossier Boy Brow.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GO-TO PLACES IN TOWN?
I don’t miss a day at Sweet Pea’s for my pao de queijo and iced coffee, even through the winter months. I find the best gifts at No. 299 in Old Greenwich. My 15-year-old son, James, and I like to peruse McArdle’s for seasonal flowers and plants. And I can’t wait to try new Suma Life House in Old Greenwich—it will be our first retailer in town. Of course, I love Tod’s Point. I walk early every morning to the beach and back wearing my weighted vest.