In a world where sustainability often feels like a chore, My Skin Feels is turning the concept on its head, proving that being eco-conscious can be both luxurious and enjoyable. This innovative brand is reshaping our perception of sustainable skincare while tackling a significant global issue: food waste.
The Birth of a Sustainable Beauty Revolution
When Danielle Close, a beauty industry veteran with 15 years of experience, attended a packaging show in Paris in 2020, she was struck by a sobering realization: the beauty industry had made minimal progress in sustainability. Rather than simply discussing the problem, she decided to take action and prove that sustainable beauty could be both achievable and appealing.
"If no one's doing anything, I have to do something to prove that it can be done, and if I can do it, everyone else can do it too," Danielle says.
This determination led to the creation of My Skin Feels, a luxury skincare line that ingeniously transforms food waste into effective, coveted products.
Turning Trash into Treasure: The My Skin Feels Approach
The Food Waste Dilemma
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year. This represents about one-third of all food produced for human consumption. My Skin Feels tackles this issue head-on by incorporating food waste into their product formulations.
From Farm to Face
My Skin Feels utilizes rescued ingredients that would otherwise be discarded:
- Organic orange juice
- Tomato skins
- Olive oil
- Breakfast oats
These "waste" products are transformed into luxurious skincare items that have caught the attention of high-profile publications like Vogue, Elle, and GQ.
The Art of Making Sustainability Fun
Danielle Close's approach to sustainability breaks away from the traditional, often somber messaging associated with eco-friendly brands. Instead, she's crafted a playbook that makes sustainability accessible, enjoyable, and profitable.
1. Make Sustainability Accessible
My Skin Feels' core philosophy is to make sustainability fun and approachable. This approach extends to every aspect of the brand:
- Product Names: Instead of using technical skincare jargon, products are named based on how they make you feel. For example, "My Skin Feels Clean" and "My Skin Feels Moisturized."
- Visual Branding: Product photography is designed to stand out, showing products in action and capturing attention even during casual scrolling.
- Inclusive Appeal: By making skincare more approachable, My Skin Feels attracts a wide audience, including men and teens who might otherwise find skincare overwhelming.
2. Tap into Expert Help
Creating innovative products from food waste requires specialized knowledge. Close emphasizes the importance of working with experts:
- Expert Formulators: The brand collaborates with experienced chemists to develop effective formulations using upcycled ingredients.
- Specialized Partners: My Skin Feels works with a team in Italy to source and ferment food waste ingredients, ensuring the highest quality and efficacy.
3. Take a Hands-On Approach
In an era dominated by digital marketing, My Skin Feels takes a refreshingly personal approach:
- In-Person Pop-Ups and Markets: Close spent two years testing products and refining messaging at markets across the UK.
- Building Genuine Connections: This grassroots strategy allowed for direct customer feedback and relationship-building.
- Unexpected Opportunities: Through these events, Close even met King Charles at a market in Battersea Power Station, leading to unexpected publicity.
4. Spend Intentionally
To maintain profitability while pursuing sustainability, My Skin Feels is strategic about spending:
- Negotiating with Suppliers: Close reduced minimum order quantities from 50,000 to 10,000 units, making production more manageable for a startup.
- Focus on Reach Over Product Expansion: Rather than rushing to launch new products, the brand concentrates on reaching more customers with existing offerings.
The Impact of Fun Sustainability
My Skin Feels' approach to making sustainability fun and accessible has far-reaching implications:
Changing Consumer Perceptions
By presenting sustainability in a light-hearted, enjoyable manner, My Skin Feels is changing how consumers view eco-friendly products. A study by Nielsen found that 73% of global consumers say they would definitely or probably change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment. My Skin Feels taps into this sentiment by making sustainable choices more appealing.
Inspiring Industry Change
As a successful model of sustainable luxury skincare, My Skin Feels is setting a new standard for the beauty industry. The global natural and organic beauty market is projected to reach $54.5 billion by 2027, according to Grand View Research, indicating a growing demand for sustainable beauty products.
Reducing Food Waste
By incorporating food waste into their products, My Skin Feels is directly contributing to the reduction of global food waste. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that a circular economy approach in the food sector could generate $2.7 trillion in economic benefits annually by 2050.
Educating Consumers
Through their fun and approachable branding, My Skin Feels educates consumers about sustainability and food waste in a non-threatening way. This aligns with research showing that positive messaging is more effective in promoting sustainable behaviors than fear-based tactics.
The Science Behind Food Waste in Skincare
The use of food waste in skincare is not just a gimmick; it's backed by scientific research:
Antioxidant Properties: Many food waste products, such as fruit peels and vegetable skins, are rich in antioxidants. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that fruit peels often contain higher concentrations of antioxidants than the flesh.
Natural Acids: Food waste from citrus fruits contains natural alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) like citric acid, which can help exfoliate and brighten skin.
Nutrient-Rich: Discarded parts of fruits and vegetables often retain significant amounts of vitamins and minerals beneficial for skin health.
Sustainable Sourcing: Using food waste reduces the need for cultivating new ingredients specifically for cosmetics, lowering the overall environmental impact of skincare production.
Case Studies: Success Stories from My Skin Feels
The Orange Juice Cleanser: By upcycling organic orange juice that would have been discarded, My Skin Feels created a vitamin C-rich cleanser that has become their bestseller. Customer testimonials report brighter, more radiant skin after consistent use.
Tomato Skin Serum: Utilizing tomato skins, which are often discarded in food processing, My Skin Feels developed a lycopene-rich serum. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that can help protect skin from UV damage and signs of aging.
Oat-Based Moisturizer: By repurposing breakfast oats that would otherwise go to waste, the brand created a soothing moisturizer particularly beneficial for sensitive and eczema-prone skin.
The Future of Fun Sustainability in Beauty
As My Skin Feels continues to grow and influence the beauty industry, we can expect to see:
More Brands Adopting Playful Sustainability: Other beauty companies may follow suit, incorporating fun and accessibility into their sustainability messaging.
Increased Innovation in Upcycled Ingredients: The success of My Skin Feels could spark further research and development in transforming food waste and other "waste" materials into valuable skincare ingredients.
Collaboration Between Food and Beauty Industries: We might see more partnerships between food producers and beauty brands to tackle food waste creatively.
Consumer Demand for Transparent Sustainability: As consumers become more accustomed to brands like My Skin Feels, they may demand more transparency and creativity in sustainability efforts from other companies.
Expansion of Sustainable Practices: The fun approach to sustainability could spread to other industries, making eco-friendly choices more appealing across various sectors.
Challenges and Opportunities
While My Skin Feels has found success, the path to sustainable beauty is not without challenges:
Scaling Production: As demand grows, maintaining the quality and sustainability of ingredients while scaling up production can be challenging.
Regulatory Hurdles: Using food waste in cosmetics may face regulatory challenges in some markets, requiring careful navigation of beauty industry regulations.
Educating Consumers: While the fun approach helps, there's still a need to educate consumers about the benefits and efficacy of products made from upcycled ingredients.
Competition: As the sustainable beauty market grows, My Skin Feels may face increased competition from both established brands and new startups.
However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and further disruption of traditional beauty industry practices.
Conclusion: A New Era of Joyful Sustainability
My Skin Feels has successfully demonstrated that sustainability in the beauty industry doesn't have to be dull or preachy. By turning food waste into luxury skincare and wrapping it all in a fun, approachable package, Danielle Close and her team have created a blueprint for making sustainability enjoyable and accessible.
This innovative approach not only addresses serious environmental issues but also proves that eco-friendly brands can be both profitable and entertaining. As we move forward, the success of My Skin Feels serves as an inspiration and a challenge to other businesses: sustainability can and should be fun, engaging, and integral to brand identity.
In a world where environmental concerns often feel overwhelming, brands like My Skin Feels offer a refreshing perspective. They remind us that making a positive impact can be as simple as enjoying a beautifully crafted skincare product – and having fun while doing it. As consumers and businesses alike embrace this joyful approach to sustainability, we move one step closer to a world where being eco-friendly is not just necessary, but genuinely enjoyable.
The journey of My Skin Feels is more than just a business success story; it's a paradigm shift in how we approach sustainability. By making eco-consciousness fun, accessible, and luxurious, they're not just selling skincare products – they're fostering a new culture of joyful, responsible consumption that could have far-reaching impacts on our approach to environmental challenges.
