Ancestral Italian Tradition
By Valenti® may have officially begun in 2007, but its story reaches back more than a century.
Although By Valenti was officially founded in 2007, the foundations of the brand trace back generations through Northern Italian family traditions centered around craftsmanship, botanical preparations, soapmaking, and a restrained approach to skincare.
Founder Manuela Valenti was raised between Italian cultural traditions and modern cosmetic science, drawing inspiration from family knowledge, Mediterranean ingredients, and the longstanding role of botanical formulations in everyday Italian life. These early influences shaped the company’s minimalist philosophy and long-term focus on skin compatibility, formulation integrity, and ingredient function.
What began with small-batch soapmaking evolved into an independent skincare company recognized for its focus on sensitive and reactive skin, minimalist ingredient composition, cruelty-free standards, and environmentally conscious formulation practices.
Today, By Valenti continues to formulate and manufacture its products in the United States while maintaining its Italian identity, heritage, and formulation philosophy.
— 2004 / 2006
Manuela Returns to Europe
- Manuela Valenti and her family temporarily relocated to Spain and later to Gorizia, Italy, frequently visiting family in Trieste, where she reconnected with stories of her nonna’s soapmaking traditions during World War II.
- With the help of her parents, the historic Valenti family soap recipe was revisited and adapted in response to Manuela’s longstanding chronic dermatitis. This process would later become the foundation of By Valenti®, honoring both the family name and generations of Italian soapmaking tradition.
— 2007
By Valenti® Sells its first batch of Soap
- Manuela Valenti offers collectors the first By Valenti® Lavender & Almond Bar Soap. Excess inventory was later made available through www.manuelavalenti.com, where it sold out in less than 48 hours.
- As demand for additional soaps increased, Manuela began cultivating lavender in her Michigan garden, further shaping the botanical identity that would later become closely associated with the By Valenti® brand.
— 2008
By Valenti® Expands ManuelaValenti.com
- Harvesting of the first batch of lavender to begin new production of the original Lavender & Almond Bar Soap — soap she formulated with her mother and father.
- Manuela expands her website www.manuelavalenti.com to make it easier for her collectors to acquire the soap. It was agreed to call the soon to be formed brand By Valenti®
— 2009
ByValenti.com launches internationally
- Manuela Valenti acquires the domains byvalenti.com and byvalenti.net, formally establishing By Valenti® as a skincare company focused on sensitive, reactive, and dermatitis-prone skin.
- By 2009, By Valenti® products were already reaching customers internationally, including markets such as Qatar, Australia, and Italy, reinforcing the company’s early global presence as an independent skincare brand.
— 2010
By Valenti® Signs the Compact for Safe Cosmetics & A Turning Point
- By Valenti® signs the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics” and is recognized as a “Champion” brand in 2011 — one of only 321 out of more than 1,500 companies to meet and surpass its strict requirements. LEARN MORE
- In December 2010, Manuela’s father — the man who connected her to her family’s heritage and inspired the revival of the Valenti soapmaking tradition — passed away in Gorizia from lung and brain cancer. His memory continues to guide the values behind the By Valenti® brand, strengthening its legacy.
— 2011
Manuela Valenti LLC is formally established in Michigan
By Valenti® recognized as a “Champion” brand
- Manuela Valenti legally registers Manuela Valenti LLC in the state of Michigan, establishing the parent company for both the Manuela Valenti Studio & Gallery and By Valenti Organics®. The DBAs for By Valenti Organics® and Manuela Valenti Studio & Gallery are formally secured, supporting the continued growth of both the skincare and creative divisions of the company.
- By Valenti® is recognized as a “Champion” brand by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group (EWG), becoming one of only 321 companies out of more than 1,500 participants to meet and surpass the initiative’s strict ingredient safety standards. Learn more about The Compact for Safe Cosmetics "Market Shift."
— 2012
Leaping Bunny Certification
- By Valenti® receives cruelty-free certification through the Leaping Bunny Program, maintaining the certification continuously through annual renewal requirements.
- The company upholds its longstanding commitment to avoiding animal testing and declines to sell in markets that require mandatory animal testing for cosmetic products. View our Leaping Bunny Certification
— 2014
By Valenti® receives USDA Organic certification
NCW Eco-Excellence Awards™ recognition
- Five By Valenti® products receive organic certification through the USDA National Organic Program, reinforcing the company’s early commitment to ingredient transparency and formulation standards. View By Valenti USDA Organic Certification
- By Valenti® Pomegranate & Rosa Mosqueta Night Repair Balm receives the NCW Eco-Excellence Awards™ “Best Skin Care for Mom” recognition from Natural Child World, an award program focused on environmentally conscious and family-oriented products.
— 2015
A period of loss and transition
By Valenti® discontinues USDA Organic certification
- In April 2015, Manuela Valenti’s 17-year-old daughter passed away. Despite this profound personal loss, By Valenti® continued forward through the support of family, resilience, and the company’s longstanding commitment to its formulation philosophy and traditions.
- By Valenti® announces it will not renew its USDA Organic certification after raising concerns regarding standards and certification processes originally designed for food rather than cosmetic formulations. By Valenti Organics won't renew its USDA organic certification.
— 2017
Manuela loses her mother to Alzheimer’s disease
Manuela Valenti’s mother, whose knowledge of herbalism and traditional botanical preparations helped shape the earliest By Valenti® formulations, passed away after living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Her influence remained deeply embedded within the company’s formulation philosophy, particularly in the creation of the Lavender & Almond Bar Soap — one of the original By Valenti® formulations that continues to be manufactured nearly two decades later.
— 2021
Beauty Shortlist Award (UK)
- By Valenti® enters two newly developed formulations — Barcola Azzurro Mare Replenishing Elixir and Barcola Hydrating Facial Oil — into the internationally recognized UK-based Beauty Shortlist Awards.
- The submissions marked the company’s continued expansion into treatment-focused facial skincare while maintaining its minimalist formulation philosophy and emphasis on sensitive skin compatibility.
— 2022
Beauty Shortlist Award (UK)
- By Valenti® Barcola Azzurro Mare Replenishing Elixir and Barcola Hydrating Facial Oil each receive the Editor’s Choice Award at the internationally recognized Beauty Shortlist Awards (UK).
- Following the recognition, By Valenti® submits two additional formulations to the Beauty Shortlist Awards for the following award cycle, continuing the company’s expansion into treatment-focused facial skincare, Bakuchiol Smoothing Serum and Bakuchiol Night Repair Cream.
— 2023
Beauty Shortlist Award (UK)
- By Valenti® Bakuchiol Smoothing Serum and Bakuchiol Night Repair Cream each receive the Editor’s Choice Award at the Beauty Shortlist Awards (UK).
