EP 302: From Daughter's Eczema to Boutique Success: The CVA Products Story

What happens when a mother's desperation meets determination and research? Trang Nguyen discovered the answer during four years of watching her daughter struggle with eczema that wouldn't respond to conventional treatments. Steroids, endless doctor visits, and extensive testing became their norm until COVID lockdown provided the unexpected opportunity to explore natural alternatives.

We dive deep into Trang's transformation from frustrated parent to successful entrepreneur with CVA Products, her natural skincare boutique in Old Town Keller. She reveals how handmade soaps and complete lifestyle changes helped her daughter become steroid-free, and why she decided to share these solutions with other families facing similar challenges. Trang also tackles the biggest misconception plaguing the natural skincare industry - that natural products aren't strong enough for serious conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Her unique approach involves testing every product on her own family first, creating personalized solutions based on real results rather than marketing promises. From farmer markets to storefront success, Trang shares her marketing journey and explains how she balances running a growing business while raising four children. We also explore her rigorous testing process, the importance of proper formulation, and why sometimes the best solutions come from stepping away from conventional approaches.

Ready to discover natural skincare solutions that actually work? Subscribe to hear more stories of local entrepreneurs making real differences in their communities, and don't forget to leave a review sharing your own experiences with natural health alternatives.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor.
Podcast the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a health andwellness boutique?
Well, one might be closer thanyou think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor
Trang Nguyen with CVA Products.
Trang, how are you today?
I'm good.
How are you?
I'm also doing good.

(00:31):
Now we are excited to learn allabout you and your business.
Can you start by telling ourlisteners a little bit about
your company?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yes, so CVA Products is a small boutique that's based
out in Old Town Keller.
We specialize in handmadenatural skincare things like
soap, balm, serums and many moreand everything is crafted with

(00:59):
sensitive skin in mind,especially for those people who
are dealing with eczema,psoriasis and have allergies.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
So Trang.
How did you originally get intothis business?

Speaker 3 (01:14):
So it started out with my daughter eczema.
She was born with eczema andnothing over the counter was
working.
I was struggling for the firstfour years dealing with steroids
, taking her to a doctor, do allkinds of testing, and when
COVID came, you know everybodyhome.

(01:36):
So I just started to dig deeperbecause I don't want my
daughter just to be on steroidcream.
It's not good, went from what Iheard.
So I started researching greenand looking to what I can do to
change her lifestyle, and I cameacross many different articles
talking about soap change yourlifestyle.

(01:59):
So I learned how to make soapand when I started making soap,
um, I tested on my daughter.
Long story short, it worked.
It's not like one day working,but it took about two, two years
.
You see the effect to it, andnot just the soap.

(02:20):
But you have to actually make acommitment to change your
lifestyle so we don't use anymore store-bought stuff.
She's off on steroids, which Iwas so excited about it, and so
when I started with her, Iwanted to share what I did with
many other families.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Wow, Now what is the biggest myth or misconception
you come across in your industry?

Speaker 3 (02:49):
The big myth is that natural products they actually
don't work and are not strongenough.
The truth is, if you formulateright, the ingredients will work
and it will healing and muchgentler on your skin.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Now, who are your target customers and, in terms
of marketing, how do youcurrently attract them?

Speaker 3 (03:19):
My target audience are families, especially mom,
who are looking for safe,natural skincare, gentle
skincare.
Um, how did I marketing um whenI first start out?
Well, I started out doingformer market um local events

(03:41):
and then now we're doing cityevents, uh, a little bit of expo
.
Uh, we also have a storefront,so we start google um ads.
Like two years ago we did someFacebook and stuff, but then we
haven't done that much, butright now just primarily through
events and local farmer marketsand newspaper too.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
Now have you thought about doing your own podcast?

Speaker 3 (04:12):
Oh many times People ask me and I don't know how to
do it.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
And outside of work with your family.
What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:24):
So I'm a mom of four.
So usually for fun for me iswhen I get there's a holiday
coming up, we just all take itoff and take the kid to um the
beach or do camping orsightseeing.
You know, spend time with them.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
That's my fun part now please tell our listeners
one thing they should rememberabout cva products.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
Oh, one thing they should remember.
Um, oh, one thing they shouldremember.
I would say healthy If anythingcomes to your mind.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
you want to keep yourself being healthy and,
Trang, how do you ensure thatall the products that you use
are healthy and safe for theclients and customers?

Speaker 3 (05:21):
Well, I don't sell them.
I usually do testing andeverything I make.
We are a little bit differentcompared to other people, so our
product is just primarily basedon my daughter and I.
So my daughter has eczema, soanything to do with eczema, and

(05:43):
it worked on her for a while.
Then I share with the customerand then for me I have a little
bit of psoriasis.
So I test it on myself and ifit worked worked then I would
share with customer and then ifsomebody come to me, um, it's
something completely new um, Igive a sample to try it out, and
if it doesn't work, um, I don't.

(06:04):
I usually ask them for feedbackand then from that feedback I
would just tell them okay, thisis the other option you can.
And some of them took thatfeedback and go and try it on
their own and it worked and theydon't need my help anymore.
So that keeps them healthy aswell.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
And where can our listeners go to learn more about
CVA products?

Speaker 3 (06:30):
They can go to our website, which is cVA, Charlie
Victor, Apple products.
With an scom On there they canfind where our store is.
They also can find us like wehave a calendar on there where
they can find where we at themarket.
And then we also have differentblogs they can go in and read.

(06:51):
If they are have severesensitive skin, they can read
what to do with it as well as wehave articles.
They want to know more about us, and then we have different
products on there that they canlook at it.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Well, Trang, I really appreciate you being on the
show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPFriscocom.
That's GNPFriscocom.
Or call 469-221-9345.
9, 3, 4, 5.