Join Sara Damelio of Skincando in the initiative to get these combat-ready skin balms to our troops in Iraq. Photo Courtesy of Keith Barraclough.

In 2005, a woman sent a jar of Combat-Ready Balm to her military husband stationed in Iraq. The Balm’s creator, Sara Damelio, never imagined this one act would end up having such a strong impact on her skin care business. Soon after, soldiers began emailing Damelio praising the balm. She had been told previously that her products were usedfor purposes she had never anticipated when she first set out to create an organic face moisturizer; it had already been found to be an effective salve for diaper rash, bug bites and even razor burn. However, she didn’t expect to hear the Balm had become a lifesaver in one of the world’s harshest climates. A mix of sandstorms, exposure to 140-degree temperatures, sunburns and sand flea bites constantly wreaked havoc on soldiers’ skin. A donation campaign was formed and today thousands of care packages of Combat-Ready Balm have been sent overseas to the troops in Iraq.

Damelio has embraced — and felt humbled by — the gratitude she has earned from the campaign, dubbed “Operation Sand Flea.” And the incorporation of charitable giving into her business model has helped her company, Skincando, grow rapidly since its creation  in 2000. Its products are currently available in 100 boutiques in the U.S. and Australia — though she still works out of her kitchen making the batches by hand.

The company’s roots were planted when Damelio, then a National Geographic intern battling problem skin, spent years trying to find the solution to her breakouts and blemishes. She thought her problems were solved when she began working part time at an upscale DC boutique in 1998. She was sure these expensive top shelf products would finally eliminate her problem skin, yet it got worse. With the National Geographic Library at her disposal, she began to research beauty products and was shocked to discover how many toxic chemicals and preservatives are used as ingredients in many facial soaps and lotions. Damelio started experimenting in her own kitchen with natural ingredients like yogurt and honey, and eventually developed her own skin care line.

From the start, Damelio had a clear objective: she wanted to come up with a moisturizing cream that had a completely organic and natural formula. With ingredients like beeswax, black tea and coconut oil, Combat-Ready Balm aims to heal skin while eliminating the use of chemicals. Damelio also wanted to keep things simple by creating just three main products: the Balm, a Bar, and Lip Balm. Each is made to order to ensure freshness, and while the peppermint scent is gender neutral, Damelio plans to release a balm soon intended solely for women. Additionally, she strives for Skincando to be a green company all around. Helping the local community, environment and economy, she uses local products to create her line. By participating in other green practices such as using non-toxic cleaning agents, recyclable materials and cloth towels, Damelio hopes the growth of her skin care line will always be earth friendly.

As demand for the Balm grew from soldiers in Iraq, Damelio knew her efforts alone could only do so much. In 2008 she launched her donation campaign as an interactive charity, establishing a goal of shipping 1,000 jars by September 11th of that year. That goal was met and exceeded, and each subsequent year the target has been raised. In 2009, it was 5,000 jars by July 4th. Now, it’s up to 10,000 jars by December 2010, and if this is met Damelio intends to go to Iraq to personally thank the troops. On the Skincando website, there is the option to send any amount of the balm through an anonymous donation. Or, if someone has a particular service member in mind they want it sent to, the address can be specified and Skincando covers the shipping charge. Every three months this year, Damelio and volunteers will be at BWI airport handing the balm directly to the troops as they’re being deployed. Through the on-going efforts of her company and the community’s involvement, she hopes to improve the soldiers’ situation in a real and meaningful way.

To get involved you can follow Sara Damelio and her campaign on Facebook and Twitter, or visit www.skincando.com.