Get the glow: Emma Lewisham observes gap in market for natural brightening products proven by clinical data

The New Zealand brand recently announced the latest product in its line-up, the Illuminating Brighten Your Day Crème.

Founder and CEO Emma Lewisham told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that the firm was driven by consumer demand for a day cream with a skin brightening effect.

“We’ve had so many customers ask us to create a non-SPF day crème which is packed with vitamins and antioxidants and has a visible and immediate hydrating and brightening effect.”​

The product attributes its brightening abilities to the presence of acerola and Kakadu plum, both potent natural vitamin C extracts.

Kakadu plum is well-known in cosmetics as the world's highest source of plant-based vitamin C. The brand’s cellular extracted Vitamin C uses an extraction method that captures the Kakadu Plum plant cells' photo-active nutrients at their highest point of potency for optimum efficacy.

“We also wanted to support Kakadu plum with our acerola extract. Alongside its high vitamin C content, acerola contains powerful antioxidants and hydrating polysaccharides which help to protect fibroblasts from oxidative damage – so it is wonderful in helping to prevent the signs of ageing,” ​said Lewisham.

Tried and tested

While brightening products are very popular skin care products, especially in Asia Pacific, Lewisham believed there was a gap in the market for a natural brightening skin care product backed with clinical evidence.

“We’ve seen other synthetic glow products circling the market; however, we couldn’t find another natural day crème that had scientific-validated results. ​We believe that is this product’s USP. It’s not enough for us to claim our products work, we have to scientifically validate our claims for our customers too.​” ​said Lewisham.

Brighten Your Day Crème underwent independent scientific in-vitro testing into the production of Type I collagen in the skin and was proven to be able to rebuild the skin’s natural collagen production synthesis at a cellular level.

Additionally, it also underwent a consumer study comprising of 50 participants of multiple ages, ethnicities and skin types to test its efficacy. Over the six-week study period, 90% of participants said the cream enhanced their skin’s glow, and 86% of participants said it improved their skin’s hydration.

As part of the firm’s belief in creating products that have multiple skin health benefits, the cream also contains AHA and BHA exfoliants such as caviar lime, lime pearl and willow bark.

Furthermore, it contains saccharide isomerate, a humectant that replenishes and maintains the skin barrier’s moisture reservoir for up to 72-hours.

“This is really unique in a day crème and this product really delivers so many benefits when topically applied to your skin,” ​said Lewisham.

Refillable beauty

As part of its commitment to sustainability, the brand has developed a new circular-designed refillable jar for its latest product.

Consumers will have the option to buy refillable Day Crème pods and send back empty jars for sterilisation and repurposing or recycling at no expense, through the Emma Lewisham Beauty Circle.

“A circular-designed beauty model, where refills are used first and foremost over recycling, is core to drastically lowering our carbon emissions in the beauty industry and preventing the billions of units of beauty packaging that ends up in landfill and our environment every year,” ​said Lewisham.

Lewisham revealed that the firm would be extending this refillable model to more products soon.

“We’ve invested in creating our own refillable moulds to ensure we’re able to offer our customers a circular, regenerative solution. We are aiming to have a full suite of 100% refillable and circular products by mid-2021, so we will definitely have more refillable products coming very soon!”​