Ever wondered what goes into creating clean, effective beauty products? We sat down with our product chemist to talk about the science behind our formulas, how we choose natural ingredients, and what “clean beauty” really means from a formulator’s perspective. Get ready for an inside look at the process, the passion, and the purpose behind every product we make.

 

Ingredient Insights

 

What’s your favorite ingredient to work with—and why?

I love working with Murumuru butter in the lab because it is extremely moisturizing for your skin and the raw material smells like peanut butter! I think it is an underappreciated ingredient that’s often overshadowed by other butters like shea, cocoa, and mango butter. It’s also fun watching it melt with the other oils when I make emulsions.

What’s the most surprising ingredient that actually works wonders in skincare?

One ingredient that caught me off guard was rice water. I had already known that rice water was great for hair and skin, but I didn’t know the full extent of what rice water can do for your skin! Rice has so many bioavailable ingredients that your skin loves. It can brighten, hydrate, and soften your skin, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

What’s one “natural” ingredient that gets overhyped in beauty trends?

In my opinion, I think jojoba oil is extremely overhyped. I do think jojoba oil is good for skin and hair, but I think it’s one of those “Jack of All Trades” situations. Jojoba oil is great for basic skin and hair maintenance, but I see way too many products overhyping its capabilities when there are so many other natural oils out there that are sometimes a better fit for certain functions or products.

Have you ever had an ingredient or product totally flop during R&D? What happened?

Yes, an ingredient combination that flopped for me was using sugarcane extract together with radish root ferment filtrate. I was making an early stage facial mist and when I mixed those ingredients together, the sugarcane extract solidified and clumped together, making a chunky separation at the bottom of the mixture. Safe to say, I definitely will not mix those ingredients together again!

 

Produce Innovation & Development

 

How long does it really take to formulate a new product from idea to launch?

I would say on average, it takes around 6-7 months to formulate a product from concept to launch. There is a lot of trial and error when trying to find the right ingredients and figuring out how to use them synergistically with each other. Some product formulations are pretty linear, where there aren’t many hiccups, and some products take a lot of back-tracking and adjusting.

How do you stay on top of trends in clean beauty, while still keeping formulations effective and true to your brand values?

Some beauty trends are easy to follow when formulating within the all-natural and clean category. However, there are times when it takes more effort to stay on trend while remaining true to clean ingredients—or to make the product truly stand out. I like to think of it as a puzzle. There’s a solution to almost every situation, and that’s what keeps things fun and pushes me to think outside the box. 

If you could invent a dream product with no limits, what would it be?

A product that I would love to make is a mineral complex serum that highlights a variety of minerals, such as copper, magnesium, selenium, etc. Your skin loves minerals (when prepared correctly) due to their high bioavailability. I think a serum would be a fun project because you can typically use higher amounts of the “fun” ingredients for optimal product performance.

 

Personal Favorites & Preferences

 

What product do you never skip in your own routine?

I will never skip my facial moisturizer step in my routine. Moisturizing is a key step for me because I struggle with keeping my skin barrier protected and my oil production regulated, so if I happen to skip my moisturizer, my face will become super oily and super sensitive.

What’s your favorite scent or fragrance to wear?

My favorite scent is a soft forest-like fragrance; usually a composition of various woods, conifers, and a touch of florals as well.

What’s your favorite Scentral Zone product?

If I had to pick just one Scentral Zone favorite, it’d be the Magnesium Body Lotion. I love the super silky feel of the lotion and how fast it sinks into my skin and the sweet, woodsy smells reminds me of a cozy cabin. It is a product I use almost every night before I go to sleep.

If you weren’t a chemist, what do you think you’d be doing?

If I weren’t a chemist, I would probably become a professor and would teach at a college or university. If I opted for a different route other than chemistry, I would probably go into math or physics.