Indie beauty: cultivating plant-powered skincare

Cosmetics Design-USA spoke with Jillian Wright, co-founder of Indie Beauty Media Group, to explore how brands in this space are cultivating plant-powered formulations to advance clean and conscious skincare products.

‘Small batch, intentional and result-oriented’​

Wright describes the continuous drive of indie brands to innovate as “quick and nimble, fast and furious” ​in pushing the industry forward and responding to consumer demand for sustainable and skin safe products.

“Not only are they using powerful botanicals, but they are also consciously formulating with the whole supply chain in mind, minimizing their carbon footprint overall. Small batch, intentional and result-oriented,” ​she says.

With botanicals and performance at the forefront of formulation, Wright cites suppliers like Croda/Sederma and their focus on sustainable manufacturing and sourcing as assets to the indie beauty search for ingredients that are “sophisticated, non-toxic and managed in a way that is less depleting to the environment.”​

‘An impressive array of botanicals’​

Among the brands innovating with plant-based ingredients, Wright highlights several brands spearheading the botanical boom with ingredients sourced from around the world:

Dehaz Skincare ​

Dehaz Skincare, “born out of a passion for botany”​, uses natural and organic ingredients to produce its small batches in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Wright says: “Dehaz Skincare is a brand that uses an impressive array of botanicals that are focused and performance-driven like ​immortelle, algae, crowberry, blue poppy and green coffee oil.”​

AveSeena​

AveSeena’s Dermoimmuno Wellness Technology formulates for “inflammaging”,​ a chronic microinflammatory response to stress factors that results in premature signs of aging.

Wright says: “AveSeena employs Globe Daisy Stem Cell (Resistem™), retinol-replacement Bakuchiol, green caviar oil and Persian silk tree bark in its formulations.”​  ​

Lovinah ​

“Inspired by ancient African beauty secrets and centuries old traditional African botanical remedies,”​ Lovinah is rooted in medicinal traditions from founder Joy Ekhator’s native Nigeria.

Wright says: “Lovinah formulates with dragon’s blood extract, blue butterfly stem cells, vegan royal jelly, blue lotus and sea whip.”​

INIKA Organic ​

INIKA Organic prides itself on having the “strictest natural ingredient criteria of any makeup and skincare brand in the world”​ and products that “use only the finest botanicals and pure minerals.”​

Wright says: “INIKA from Australia uses maca root, caviar lime, lilli pilli seed oil, magnolia bark, quandong seed oil and rose of Jericho.” ​

OxygenCeuticals​

OxygenCeuticals is an oxygen-infused skincare brand founded in South Korea in 2003 with offices around the world. Last year, Wright notes, it launched its Ceutisome™ Stem Formula, an oxygen carrier that mimics the behavior of red blood cells and helps to eliminate carbon dioxide and activate the penetration of functional ingredients like plant-based nutrients.

Wright says: “OxyenCeuticals, one of the most advanced skincare lines out of Korea, uses wintergreen, terminalia chebula fruit extracts, caesalpinia sappan bark extracts, magnolia obovata bark extracts to focus on hyper-sensitivity, acne prone skin and post-procedure care.”​