Style: October 02, 2020

Style | Feature 31
active ingredients worked well and got to work with
the biochemist at a Christchurch lab.
There is a difference between active skincare and
other products. We turn to Adele, who has a knack
for explaining things that sound a bit scientific.
“A lot of products you will see, mainstream brands,
they’ll say retinol and vitamin C, but they will be very
low quality. Whereas with active [skincare] you go
for what is actually going to get into the skin and
work within the skin cell at a rate that is going to
make a change to the skin. [Active skincare products]
contain more active and higher concentrations
of ingredients in order to get optimal results. It is
scientifically backed with clinical studies, such as antiageing
and removing pigmentation,” she explains.
People will know the difference straight away, she
says, because it doesn’t get a “film on the skin” as it
actually absorbs into the skin.
Their range, says Julia, is not a “coat and cover”
fix – unlike many others on the market, from major
brands to natural products. Real skincare is about
creating and supporting a good skin barrier, so you
are not turning to things to fix it later in life.
The duo are realists when it comes to life and
skincare. Both work, and Adele, who lives in Pegasus,
has two children, including six-month-old Roczen
who is having a great time bouncing on his mum’s
knee as she talks. Julia has two “grown-up” children
and a very “pampered” pug dog called Boo, aka
Queen Bee. Not only does this particular pug have
its own TikTok and Instagram page, but she has been
dubbed the Queen of Cashmere (soon to be the
Queen of Swannanoa, when Julia moves). “Very high
maintenance indeed,” grins Julia, as she whips out her
phone to show photos.
So, skincare must be easy because people don’t
have time to be involved in a rigorous routine.
They also set realistic expectations. In spite of what
the photos on social media platforms suggest, no
one has flawless skin, says Adele. She sees the results
of the anxiety created with young girls worrying
over whether their lips are too small, or they don’t
have big enough cheeks. Instead, Adele and Julia are
committed to “functioning skin”. That means it is
healthy and, as a result, it looks good.
Last year, Julia and Adele launched their first five
products – moisturisers, a cleanser and an all-in-one
product – and they have steadily added to the range.
They now have 11 products.
Word of mouth quickly spread due to the
effectiveness of their products, says Julia, and seeing
their products finally give people healthy skin makes
it all worth it.
“We had this guy that came in, in his nineties,
and he wanted IPL, but his skin was so fragile and
we said, ‘Look, we need to build your skin barrier.’
He started using our Hero and Repair products. A
month later he didn’t need IPL, he was really happy
with his skin and how it was looking,” says Julia.
It has been a bit of journey, 16 years from when
Julia first had that initial thought, with a few babies
and a pampered pug dotted in between.
It was a shared passion that drove Julia and Adele
past the burnout and through the long delays
involved with setting up a business from scratch. But
it was also made easier, they say, when you have a
business partner who you can share a few chuckles
with.
“We are a bit crazy,” admits Julia, smiling. “We
have nicknames for each other, but we aren’t going
to tell you what they are... Adele is looking at me
with dagger eyes now!”
And once again, their laughter bells out while baby
Roczen gurgles happily away.
Their range, says Julia, is not a “coat and cover” fix – unlike many others on the
market, from major brands to natural products.