Nourished Skin Co founder & maker, Kate Basset, has been really looking forward to getting her (multi!) award winning Organic Eye Serums into the hands of Retreat Yourself subscribers, as well as introducing herself to our Retreat Yourself Community. We thought what better way to introduce Kate, than to have a chat to her about why she started Nourished Skin Co, her favourite products, and what plans she has for the future of her brand (hint: watch this space!).
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Tell us a bit about the people behind your company:
It’s just me! Although I have wonderful friends and family who pitch in to help when I need it. Whether it’s trialling products, labelling for large orders or looking after my girl whilst I head to markets, I have a wonderful support network around me.
What inspired you to start your company and when did you start it?:
Firstly it was my own need for truly natural skincare. I had started having reactions to most skincare & makeup when I was 19. I searched endlessly to find natural products to stop my reactions and heal dermatitis rashes around my eyes. Nothing worked, so I started researching plant oils and their benefits.
I registered the brand in 2018 but life got busy and I had a baby. After taking a redundancy at my long standing job at Gucci H/O I knew the time was right to create a life I wanted for myself and my daughter and also fulfilling my need to create a brand that nurtured and nourished skin in the most natural way possible.
My daughter was 1 when we launched, she’s now 3. Also having a baby really opened my eyes up to:
a) The lack of natural skincare for newborn babies, and
b) The importance of natural skincare for pregnant mums.
Two of my driving forces.
What is an interesting way of using your products that not many people would know about?
I use the Eye Serum around the lines above my eyebrows, and around my lips to give them an anti-aging boost.
Why did you want to work with only organic/vegan/natural/ethical ingredients?
The skin absorbs so much of what you put on it, up to 67%. So I think it’s important for your body to make sure you are giving it natural goodness and not synthetics. I’m a nature lover and have always been aligned to natural therapies, so to focus on the benefits of plants is important to me.
Also I’m a very direct and honest person and have always been true to who I am so having my business do the same is key for me.
At what moment in your life did you realise that there was nothing in the market that could meet your needs?
I saw so many brands claiming to be natural that from my perspective weren’t. A lot of skincare formulations are so complicated. I kept thinking ‘there has to be a better way’. So I decided to create something myself. If I couldn’t find what I was looking for in terms of natural skincare, surely there were others out there looking for the same thing.
What sets your product apart from the rest of the Australian skincare/beauty market?
I think the fact that we are focusing purely on plant oils and their benefits without the need for complex preservatives. Keeping it simple, going back to nature.
Who is your product perfect for?
Particularly people with sensitive skin that's in need of healing. Pregnancy skin also goes through some big changes, our products are designed to be gentle enough for pregnant mums through to babies and postpartum. In saying that our products really do suit all ages and most skin types.
What will we notice immediately from using your product?
Your eyes will have a subtle glow around them that lasts all day long.
What changes/improvements will we notice after a month of using your product?
Dark circles will lighten, fine lines will fade, age spots/pigmentation will fade. Your eyes will have a permanent youthful glow.
Here at Retreat Yourself, we LOVE dreaming BIG - what is your vision for your company?
I want to not only grow my brand nationally but internationally. There is growing recognition but also a need for more conscious brands. That is my focus.
I want to have a range of fully sustainable packaging, including refill options. To keep production in house, to keep our formulas original and developed internally, and to focus on delivering the best customer experience I can possibly give.
And lastly, what does a fulfilled life look like to you?
To me a fulfilled life is to be able to grow and learn with meaning and purpose. To be able to provide an abundant life for my daughter doing what I love.
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Nourished Skin Co’s Organic Eye Serum features in our Summer 'Imagine' Retreat. To shop with Nourished Skin Co, visit https://nourishedskinco.com.au/ and use discount code RETREATYOURSELF FOR 15% off your first order (on Nourished Skin Co's entire range!).