JadeVibe

True sensitive skin is rare, but still needs nourishing ingredients that it’s biocompatible with. The types I don’t necessarily believe in are ingredient-induced – acne-prone, sensitised (most people call this sensitive), oily (the kind when skin is overcompensating from being stripped over and over) and combinations.

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They blame those types on their own skin when they should be blaming them on the unnecessary, disruptive ingredients they are using every day. I am convinced that more often than not these behaviours, or conditions as I like to call them, are ingredient-induced. The ingredients responsible can be found in some combination in almost every skincare product on the market.

We notice mixing products together to create a smoothie is encouraged. What inspired this? What are the rules?

No rules! All of my products are formulated to be bioavailable, or highly absorbable. The only exception to this are the cleansers and sunscreen. When mixed, my sera, oil and moisturisers will all melt into the skin when applied alone or together, so you can create customised smoothies based on your skin’s needs at the time.

The idea of mixing came to me because I’m always in a hurry. I have four kids and a job so I don’t have time to layer anything … I put the products in the palm of my hand, mix them together and apply and go.

I think the idea of layering came about because most products have silicones or heavy oils or waxes that block absorption, making it impossible for anything to get through. Mine don’t so there’s no order or reason to apply in steps.

The brand is also a big proponent of clean beauty – even before this became a thing. What does clean beauty mean to you?

Clean to me meant safe and skin-friendly, aka biocompatible. The way the term clean is now being used by many brands and retailers today isn’t my definition. Slapping a clean label on a product doesn’t mean it’s going to be well-received by the skin organ itself. In fact, in most cases, “clean” products contain ingredients like essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones and even fragrance in low amounts … that may mean the product is “safe” to use, but certainly those ingredients can wreak havoc on skin and lead to inflammation and bad skin behaviours.

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Drunk Elephant has just been bought by Shiseido for US$845 million. What was it about Shiseido that attracted you to this company compared to others?

It was easy for me to see that they had a beautiful culture, one that puts people and consumers first. We share similar values, and I was assured that they would allow us to continue to be who we are. We have a particular way we go about formulating, messaging, marketing, and I don’t want it to ever change because it’s working for us.

My goals include becoming more sustainable across the brand and spreading my philosophy globally to help people. Shiseido is the right one to help me do that.

What does that mean for the future of the brand? 

We will be launching in more markets around the globe and we will have more access and ability to do so in a more efficient way. There will be much more exposure to Asia naturally, but also markets all around the world.

In the US and Canada, Drunk Elephant is sold in Sephora; in China, it’s sold via Tmall – does this acquisition by Shiseido change the business model at all?

The business model will stay the same. We will use Shisedo’s incredible resources to grow the brand globally.

Now that your title changed from CEO to chief creative officer and president of Drunk Elephant, will you still be involved with the creative side of things?  

My role is exactly the same. I’m very involved in product development, packaging, social media and design and marketing. Now I have a lot of talented people helping me so I’m very lucky.

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We know you started Drunk Elephant at home – how did you grow the business?

My focus was just on making products that worked. That sounds obvious, but I couldn’t find any that did. I think my philosophy of avoiding the “suspicious six” was a game-changer for many. If a product delivers, you can’t keep people from talking and sharing, and that is how Drunk Elephant grew – by word of mouth. We have never paid a single influencer or advertised.

What were some of the mistakes you made?  I think the times I’ve listened to others instead of following my gut were my biggest mistakes … Even if you make mistakes, that’s OK. Just make sure they’re your mistakes and not someone else’s.

What is your skincare routine? In the morning, I splash a bit of water or take a shower … I don’t even cleanse in the morning. I go in with a mixture of vitamin C, hydration serum, a moisturiser and some retinol. I top that off with a physical sunscreen. At night, I cleanse with an oil balm cleanser and then I apply a mixture of pure oil, AHA/BHA serum and a hydration serum. Eye cream both morning and night and a butter salve for my lips. Once a week I do a stronger exfoliating AHA mask.

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