Often when we think of ‘clean’ or ‘natural’ skincare products, our assumption is that they’re less effective, or maybe not effective at all. Lucy and Ross Macdougald, founders of clean skincare brand Biologi, are on a mission to change that perception!
Biologi is a revolutionary skincare brand, using world-first technology to extract 100% of the good stuff from native Australian plants. We chatted to Managing Director Lucy about all the ways Biologi is breaking down barriers, transforming people’s skin, and giving a good name to clean cosmeceuticals. Read all about it below!
Tell us a little about the Biologi brand—its mission, its products, how it got its start.
Biologi came up with the concept of Clean Cosmeceuticals after feeling like our products didn’t clearly fit into their own category. Thanks to our revolutionary extraction technology, we have been able to extract pure plant serums and bottle 100% of the active ingredients, keeping it stable for the skin and allowing for it to deliver fast and effective results.
The terms like ‘natural’ and ‘clean’ are often shrouded in a stigma of ‘not working’ and we were finding some consumers were opting for synthetic alternatives because they believed they would work better. However, what many people didn’t realise is that Biologi’s natural ingredient serums contain 100% active ingredients without all the nasties.
Part of Biologi’s ethos is ensuring that our customers know exactly what’s in our products. We also have all of our ingredients independently tested as well to ensure our customers can rest assured knowing the products truly work. The results on people’s skin speak for themselves!
We know that each ingredient in Biologi products is carefully chosen and extracted—what is the process behind choosing those plants and ingredients for each product?
Our process requires a lot of research into plant extracts which is often the thing that decides what we will launch next. We’re really lucky because we have incredible technology that allows us to extract 100% active plant ingredients. We spent years doing our own analyses of plant ingredients and we continue to discover more (largely untapped) ingredients that are beneficial to the skin.
A great example of this is that in the past we said we would never develop a cleanser because at the time, we hadn’t discovered a plant extract that would have been effective as a single ingredient. Then we discovered that soapberry extract (which is the ingredient of Biologi’s Bc Refresh Cleanser) was packed with nourishing actives that can wash away impurities and leave skin fresh, clean and clear. This is a world-first! The naturally occurring amino acids, phenolic acids and amines work together to remove all traces of dirt without disturbing the skin. However, if you had asked us about developing a cleanser from a single plant extract a year ago, we would have said that it was impossible!
Which Biologi products are your personal favourites? Which ones are in the highest demand?
That’s like asking me to choose a favourite child! I do really love our Bf Restore Face and Body Serum, because it’s so versatile and effective—it works really well as an after-sun serum. Funnily enough, our Bf Serum is our best-selling serum—wesell one every 20 minutes globally! Made from Australian native extract finger lime extract, it’s a hydrating bottle of goodness that nourishes and protects skin.
Other than great skin, what do you hope customers take away from the Biologi brand and products?
Put simply: knowledge. It is so important to us that our customers are empowered with the knowledge of what they are putting on their skin. Unfortunately, the beauty industry is known for greenwashing; we want to make sure our customers ask questions, delve deeper, and don’t just take things at face value. As a brand, we’re passionate about educating our consumers on everything from production processes through to how ingredients are made. But most importantly, we want to empower our customers to feel good in their own skin.
What does a typical day in the Biologi office look like?
It changes from day to day! For me, I like to start my day with some exercise—usually a Pilates session, which most of the team come along to as well! Then we head to the office and spend some time getting through emails before we do a morning call together to align our priorities. A big part of what we do is customer service—we take a huge amount of pride in providing valuable service to our customers to ensure they’re doing what is right for their skin.
My personal focus is overseeing the day-to-day operations of Biologi, but also ensuring that I’m working on big picture strategy (which is the part I really love doing!). I love being creative and thinking up unique ideas or collaborations. For me, it is incredibly important to help others make informed choices about what they are putting on their skin and educating them about safe skincare practices.
What’s in store for the future of Biologi?
We’ve just launched an exciting collab with Aussie sunscreen brand Ultra Violette! We like to think of it as a skincare match made in heaven—2 cult beauty brands coming together to bring you the ultimate Summer Pack.
We’ve also just launched our Bm Regenerate Anti-Ageing Serum, which our customers are absolutely loving! It’s developed to address specific needs for those concerned with premature ageing and ageing skin. Australian-grown Mountain Pepper Berry has been chosen as the hero ingredient because of its superior antioxidant and collagen-boosting potential.
We’re also looking at some other exciting new product launches this year, but I can’t reveal too much just yet! Stay tuned!
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