To be a pioneer, you need the courage to venture into the unknown and a strong sense of self-belief to withstand the clamour of naysayers. And our guests, Ross and Lucy Macdougald, have these qualities in spades.
Australian Ross is an experienced industry chemist with 30 years under his belt working for some of the biggest names in beauty. He is also the developer behind the innovative Cold Liquid Extraction Closed System (CLECS II) plant extraction method.
“The extraction process that's behind the Biologi brand is different to everything else. You wind up with nutrients that are pure from a plant, so completely different,” said Ross.
While the idea was ground-breaking, Ross had a tough time selling the idea concept to his clients.
“There were a number of brands that I approached with the idea and unfortunately, a lot of brands out there are far more focused on the bottom line,” he told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.
“It was too radically different for them and so I guess it was up to us to do it,” added Lucy.
With Lucy, a dermal specialist and passionate skin care educator, he eventually decided to strike out on his own and set up Biologi, a clean cosmeceuticals brand known today for its potent plant serums.
“I thought, well, the only way to really prove that the extracts that I've created actually do work is to create a business so that I can show the rest of the world how unique these extracts are – and Biologi was born,” said Ross.
With the profile of highly effective botanicals and Australian native extracts increasing in recent years, it seems like Ross and Lucy are having the last laugh.
“Over the last four years, Biologi is, I believe, changing the industry in some ways. You know, we've had our critics, but they’ve seemed to have gone by the wayside,” said Ross.
In addition to developing products, the company also runs an educational skin care event, Confessions of a Cosmetics Chemist.
“Education is a big part of our brand. I felt very strongly that we needed to pass the information on so that people could get a better understanding [of the beauty industry],” said Lucy.
To learn more about Ross, Lucy and Biologi, check out our podcast above or on Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts and more.
