Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Lucia Echeverri.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The Story of Fiora Labs: Where Natural Science and Family Love Come Together
Clara Inés Yela, a proud Colombian woman—curious, persistent, and with the soul of an alchemist—was searching for real solutions to her hair loss, caused by keratin straightening treatments. But it wasn’t just about stopping the shedding—she wanted to protect her hair during the process and keep it healthy with products free from salts, parabens, and harsh chemicals.
That’s how, together with a chemical engineer, she embarked on an exciting phase of research. The goal was clear: to find natural ingredients that not only helped reduce hair loss but also hydrated the scalp, strengthened the hair shaft, and—most importantly—were safe for her children. They wanted formulas that were gentle, natural, free of endocrine disruptors, and suitable for the whole family.
From that search, Cortezas was born—Fiora Labs’ first shampoo and conditioner: a blend of science, tradition, and family love.
One summer, her best friend Diana Echeverri—based in Fort Lauderdale—came to visit. Diana, a true advocate for natural living and always on the lookout for the best for her family, was also dealing with hair challenges due to highlights and bleaching. When she tried Clara’s products, she was instantly impressed—as were her children—since they were free of endocrine disruptors and left their hair incredibly soft, shiny, and healthy. But she didn’t stop there: she proposed creating an intensive hydrating treatment to complete the line. From that moment on, they decided to become partners and take the project to the next level.
That’s how Fiora Labs was officially born—a women-led brand, built on a deep friendship, and carried across borders to bring a conscious, effective, and meaningful hair care solution from Colombia to the United States.
Fiora Labs is more than just a hair care brand. It’s a tribute to our roots. In Colombia, for generations, we’ve relied on nature as a source of health and beauty. Plants, barks, seeds, and flowers have always been part of our traditional medicine. We wanted to honor that ancestral wisdom by transforming it into modern formulas that respect the body, the environment, and our cultural heritage.
Today, Fiora Labs represents much more than hair care. It’s a philosophy. We believe in the power of nature, in science used responsibly, and in the idea that taking care of your hair can also be an act of love—for yourself and for those you care about most.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The Challenges Behind Fiora Labs: Building a Conscious Brand from the Ground Up
Like any project born from passion, Fiora Labs has faced its share of important challenges along the way. Behind every bottle of shampoo or hair treatment lies a careful process filled with learning, adjustments, and perseverance.
One of our first major hurdles was developing the formulas. While we were clear about the type of ingredients we wanted—natural, gentle, free from harsh chemicals and endocrine disruptors—not all natural components can be blended together. We went through many rounds of testing before achieving a stable, safe, and truly effective formula. It took deep research to understand how each ingredient interacted with others and to fine-tune the right proportions until we reached the perfect balance and results we were aiming for.
Another major challenge was complying with the legal requirements in both Colombia and the United States. In Colombia, we had to obtain approvals from the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce, which meant meeting all the labeling, safety, and quality standards necessary to legally export the product. But from day one, our vision was clear: we wanted to do things the right way.
Bringing a Colombian product into the U.S. market presented a new set of challenges. We had to research and adapt to the strict standards required by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), a rigorous but essential process to ensure that our products could legally enter the country and meet all necessary regulations.
At Fiora Labs, every challenge has been an opportunity to learn and grow. Transparency, legality, and commitment to our customers have always been our top priorities. It was important to us that every person using our products could feel confident knowing they were choosing something safe, high-quality, and trustworthy.
And our journey is far from over. We are currently continuing our research, development, and formulation of new natural products that will soon be added to our line. Because at Fiora Labs, we believe in constant evolution, in listening to our customers’ needs, and in creating thoughtful solutions—with the same love and dedication that inspired us from the start.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
From Physical Therapy to Hair Care: A Mission of Holistic Wellness
Clara Inés Yela and Diana Echeverri are licensed physical therapists, both graduates of the prestigious Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, Colombia. From the beginning of their professional journeys, they shared a common purpose: to help people recover functionality, overcome injuries, adapt to disabilities, and ultimately improve their overall quality of life.
Physical therapy is far more than rehabilitation exercises. It’s a human-centered science—deeply connected to empathy, movement, and healing—that views the body as an integrated system where everything is interconnected: the physical, emotional, neurological, and social. It requires not only deep anatomical knowledge, but a sincere desire to care for others.
Throughout their careers, Clara and Diana learned that true wellness doesn’t end with recovering from injury—it also includes healthy habits, self-care, and the small, everyday choices we make. Among those choices, the products we use on our bodies and hair matter more than most people realize.
This understanding—that the body must be seen and treated as a whole—led them to explore a new way of caring for others: through the development of natural hair and scalp care products. Products that honor the body’s balance, are free from toxic ingredients, and are designed with health in mind.
That’s how Fiora Labs and Cortezas was born—an organic extension of their calling as physical therapists. Just as they once helped patients regain movement and reduce pain, through Fiora Labs they bring that same dedication, knowledge, and responsibility to the world of personal care. Because health is also built through what we apply to our bodies every day.
Caring for the hair and scalp is not a superficial act. The skin is our largest organ, and what we put on it truly matters. Every ingredient has an effect. Every decision contributes to or takes away from our well-being. That’s why, at Fiora Labs, Clara and Diana have applied their health science backgrounds to create products that cleanse, nourish, and strengthen—without harm, without hormonal disruption, and without compromising safety.
At Fiora Labs, beauty is health, and true health begins with recognizing the deep connection between body, mind, and environment.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support us simply by trying our products and sharing their honest feedback. We truly value hearing from our community—it helps us improve and innovate. We also love when people reach out with ideas or suggestions for new products they’d like to see, not just for hair care, but for overall body wellness.
Following us on social media, sharing our content, and recommending Cortezas to friends and family also makes a huge difference. Word of mouth and genuine testimonials help us grow organically, and they mean the world to us. At Fiora Labs, every voice matters—we want our customers to feel like they’re part of our journey.
Pricing:
- Cortezas Shampoo with Guacimo, horse tail and rosemary $19
- Cortezas Shampoo for light colored hair with Guacimo and chamomile $19
- Cortezas Conditioner with Elderberry, coconut oil and avocado oil $19
- Cortezas Deep hydration treatment with macadamia oil, Argan oil and Biotin $19
- Combo Shampoo & conditioner: $34 Kit shampoo, conditioner and treatment: $50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fioralabs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiora_labs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ByHHx2i6N/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Fiora Labs photos.
