Rewriting The Skincare Standard With ISLA Beauty
ISLA BEAUTY…
is a skincare brand that unapologetically stands out in the cosmetology crowd. In a sea of faces, Isla’s seems a bit brighter - A bit more refreshed and perhaps more honest. Between the Uber chic packaging and ingredient transparency, everything about Isla makes us want to bring her home and introduce her to mom. We sat down with the brand’s co-founder Charlie Denton for a little chat on this beauty must have.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ISLA BEAUTY
Tell Me How You Got Your Start In The Beauty Industry.
I’m actually a 3rd generation beauty industry family member. My grandpa started in it on the packaging side - then both my parents built a product development business from the ground up in Australia. They work with all different labs and partners around the globe. So I have always been around it. I was really lucky growing up, every holiday when I was younger was off to a different part of the world to see some different labs and learn a lot. So it was always a part of me!
What Led You To Start Your Own Product Line?
What I had learned over that time growing up in the industry - was that there is such a disconnect between the people making the formulations and the brands / retailers selling them. There is usually about 3 or sometimes 4 layers of people in between. Ultimately this results in the brands selling products at a much higher cost, because there are so many people taking a clip of the ticket. Combine this with marketing messaging that is absolutely warped from the science - it almost seemed a bit like a game of Chinese whispers was being played (between how the original lab that developed the product spoke about it vs how the brand / marketing teams positioned them).
Where Does The Name ISLA Come From?
We always thought of the brand as a person, and we always spoke of different character traits that went into the brand. There were a few names that were thrown around, but Isla always seemed to stick and we ended up falling in love with it. It also looks really nice on the packaging!
Talk To Me About The Three Different Locations: Italy, Switzerland and Australia. Why Did You Opt To Tap These Three Locations For The Line?
It’s super important firstly for me to tell you, formulation + product is the #1 thing about the brand. Product making is what I’ve been in my entire life, so it only makes sense I feel this way (and you’d think that is normal with any product business) - but you’d be surprised to see how many beauty brands prioritize marketing over product.
The reason we went to these different locations is that each lab specializes in a different technology that helped us bring whichever product to life .
In all cases, choosing a lab partner is one of the first key steps to our product development. Sometimes it predates product conception and we work hand in hand with a lab to turn their newest technology into a product that is perfect for Isla. And in some cases, its the first important step after conceptualizing a product in house. We believe this is the optimal way to marry the technology developments that happen around the world with the custom product development and experience that differentiates us. Labs are primarily picked by track record, areas of expertise and location / localized ingredients and specialties. Our skincare-make up hybrid product from Italy comes from a renowned facility for hybrid make up with technical skincare. Our more technical performance Storm Serum and Snow Scrub come from a Swiss Innovation Lab founded specifically to focus on advanced skincare solutions grounded in world renowned Swiss skincare expertise. Our 100% natural toner-essence hybrid comes from coastal Australia, a worldwide hub for natural leaning products that still perform. Each of products has its "Made In” Country printed clearly on the jar and packaging, as well as on site.
A little detail around one lab - the Swiss partner:
This lab behind Storm Serum in Switzerland has been operating since 2015, specializing in high end, technical skincare solutions where the unique science and technology are prioritized over typical ingredient stories. Product development team members have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in R&D, and their lab is behind some of the biggest international beauty launches in recent years. We work with them to build custom formulas from the ground up, using ingredients and technologies that have independently proven results, which is core to their practice as well as ours.
CHARLIE & TRACY FOUNDERS OF ISLA
Transparency Around What's In Your Products Is Big For You. Why Is It Important For You To Be Clear With Your Customer?
All of our transparency ethos and efforts stem from where and why we founded the brand - wanting to pull back the curtain on the industry and the world of the "beauty insider.” We wanted to do this, not for the sake of exposing secrets, but to bring consumers into the world of product development, for us specifically and for the industry on the whole. In the last decade, as wellness and beauty have exploded, there has been so much emphasis on individual elements of the industry that often get siloed off by an emphasis on one thing - clean, sustainability, ingredients, transparency, etc. Isla looks at all of our transparency pillars as important pieces of the overall story but most illustrative when looked at on the whole.
We think the world of BTS product development as a place where so many consumers already engage casually on social media. It's not just about a price gimmick anymore - people want to know about materials, practices, honest pricing, quality, and integrity. Isla sees its role in this experience as a resource and a living and breathing example of how it's trying to push back on the norm where it makes a difference.
What Excites You Most About ISLA?
The response really early has been amazing for us. The thing that excites me most is the way people respond to the brand and product once they discover us. It obviously was not the easiest time to launch when we did, as a new business right into the chaos of Covid, and people had so many other things to worry about (that all were way more important than a new beauty brand!) - so to finally have some kind of clear runway to grow and build is super exciting to me.
Today the beauty customer is so smart and they really are starting to ask the right questions, which I feel Isla is uniquely positioned to be able to offer the answers + solutions to people through expert product, transparent communication and results oriented formulations that will actually work for your skin.
What’s On The Horizon For The Brand? Any NEW Products or Expansions?
We have an exciting launch in March - its a new repairing moisturizer called Whipped Dream. It works to improve it from the inside out. Whipped dream is a rich, silky and deeply hydrating moisturizer for all skin types that repairs, restores and protects. Formulated with the scientifically ideal concentrations of 5% niacinamide + 1% ceramides to brighten skin and reinforce the natural loss of barrier function, this is more than just a moisturizer - its a complete skincare repair solution. The Niacinamide penetrates the skin to tackle hyper-pigmentation and scarring caused by sun damage, acne and inflammation, while our proprietary blend of Hyaluronic Acid, Ectoin and Gotu Kola synergistically quench dryness, soothe inflammation and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles so skin is more bright, smooth and youthful. Added Ceramides, which naturallv decrease in skin as we age, create a stronger barrier between your skin and the environment, leading to better moisture retention and appearance.
We also are working on some exciting products that kind of push into the ‘color’ sphere a little more - but there is a lot more work to be done here before these come to life!