Nourish skincare is designed and formulated as a skin rejuvenating, natural range that
is perfect for daily skin care needs but also helps you optimise your skin's
health. No small feat: exceptional performance using organic ingredients that
deliver healthy, gorgeous products for the consumer. Here we catch up with
co-founder Dr Pauline Hili, who was Technical Director at Neal's Yard for over
20 years.
So
tell us a little bit about your own history and experience, and what sparked
your interest in natural beauty?
I
came into the beauty industry from the food and brewing industry. I had
qualified as a biochemist and a chemist in Australia and then was working and
travelling around Europe when an opportunity to join Neal’s Yard Remedies came
available. It was a very fortunate opportunity for me that really supported my
natural interests and research. I found sensory science really exciting and had
a real passion for plants and natural ingredients. I spent over 20 years
developing products as the Research Director for Neal’s Yard and did my PhD on
the antimicrobial properties of essential oils. The research was so good and
finding out what these plant ingredients were capable of and then applying it
into formulations that provide benefits on the skin was just a dream situation
and really has been the formula for my career to date. My favorite thing is when plant and plant
ingredients prove my fixed ideas wrong and demonstrate much more capability
than I had given them credit for. Nature and plants have been my mentor and
teacher from a very young age in my career and they continue to guide my
interest and energy in the natural beauty sector. Seeing the results of a formulation being
demonstrated in clinical trials, which we have across the Nourish range is the
ultimate professional prize. Working
with passionate, articulate and intelligent consumers such as those in the
beauty industry makes in a real pleasure to be working in this sector and keeps
my interest high. Innovation and a
desire to have products that raise the benchmark in terms of performance is my
absolute driver.
And
how did the idea for Nourish come about?
The
idea for Nourish came about through wanting to provide a really effective
product of value using organic ingredients, conducting a very rigorous research
program and clinical trials that lead exceptional performance for the consumer.
We have heard a lot of discussions over the past years about Inside Out -
beauty from in and the use of supplements. I would like to now move to Outside
In, which is the idea of creating topical products that are so good that they
support improvement of any underlying issues causing skin issues. The Nourish
range is based on the effective use of vitamins and minerals known to be
crucial to normal cell metabolism and specifically the skin. The range has been
thought out with very specific scientific objectives and many years of
experience of knowing how ingredients behave on the skin.
What
have you found to be the most challenging part of setting up and launching
Nourish?
The
most challenging thing about launching Nourish has been not finding enough
hours in the day to do all the things one wants to do. Also, as a start up,
demonstrating that you do not have to have a huge budget to create pioneering
products that push the boundaries of innovation. Spreading the word that
quality is about how you think and not the size of your budget has been a
challenge also.
There
are lots of natural brands on the market. What do you think sets Nourish apart
from the others?
Nourish
has a pioneering spirit that is based on many years research and experience and
is founded out of an absolute desire to place the consumer at the heart of our
thinking. We see ourselves as part of an evolving community and need to be
providing an effective service to our consumers on an ongoing basis. Part of
that is really pushing the boundaries of shared knowledge to create effective
products. Everything from the
ingredients we choose, the formulations we create, the social media we share
and the way we deliver to customers needs to be at the forefront of
excellent. Great companies are built
from attention to every detail of the customer experience.
If
you had to choose, what’s your favourite Nourish product?
I
am constantly asked this question and my answer is always 'the one I am working
on next!' Seriously, of the current range I think the Argan Skin Renew has
exceptional performance as demonstrated by the clinical results of increasing
skin hydration by over 25% for 24 hours.
Are
there any plans to further expand the existing range?
Oh
yes! I am biologically programmed to
create products. For me it is like breathing. I cannot exist if I am not
envisioning and making research and products. It is instinctive for me -
whatever I see in the world, from a fallen leaf to waste product from a
process, I am always trying to work out how it can be turned into something
valuable and of use. The Nourish range will expand to fulfill our customers’
needs, with products that are pioneering and that provide something, even a
small innovation, to push expectations higher.
What
is your career mantra?
Christopher
Reeve said “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem
improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable”. It
can be done! Innovation and shared knowledge help it happen. Anything is
possible. This would be my career mantra - having been told so often what could
not be done and then being fortunate enough to watch it happen. Naturals are
now mainstream and I feel privileged to have been part of the journey
Who
do you admire, and why?
I
admire people who have a singular career passion and who dedicate themselves
and their skills to making it happen – in particular all the scientists and
innovators who work alongside commercial facilitators. We are incredibly lucky
at Nourish to have a young dynamic team who challenge me constantly, which is
extremely rewarding.
If
you could treat yourself to one thing this month, it would be....
A
day in the sun reading the latest publications on skin and ingredient research.
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here for: Nourish Skincare