The founder and CEO of New Zealand skincare brand Emma Lewisham shares not only a name but an ethos with her business. Emma Lewisham, both the founder and the brand, has disrupted the beauty industry since launching in 2019 with a skincare line designed to be sustainable for people and the planet. “I think our success is in most part due to our dedication to never compromise,” Emma Lewisham told Inside Retail. Lewisham’s unwavering commitment to natural beauty has seen top-selling products
products fly off the shelf, including its illuminating oil cleanser and skin reset serum.
“I think ultimately it comes back to people and my belief that we deserve products that are fundamentally better, and I’m not willing to compromise,” said Lewisham.
“I am relentless in wanting to develop the very best products in the world but am determined to do so without compromising on our values.”
Unlocking the power of nature
The brand is instantly recognisable in beauty cabinets thanks to its signature purple bottles – but it’s Emma Lewisham’s sustainable packaging designs that have everyone talking.
“We had to develop our completely refillable packaging from scratch rather than purchasing packaging moulds that already existed,” explained Lewisham.
“This was a huge investment but a foundational part of ensuring our business could be circular.”
Lewisham’s approach to packaging barely scratches the surface of the beauty brand’s investment and research into developing skincare products that are good for people and the planet.
“Our products are the result of hundreds of hours of development and then they undergo independent scientific testing to prove they will deliver the intended results,” said Lewisham.
“Our formulations are also unique in that they are developed by physiologists who understand the complex physiology of your skin.”
This unrelenting commitment to developing efficacious skincare and products that deliver never-before-seen results can be witnessed in the brand’s latest innovation, its supernatural blemish serum.
Twenty years of research went into this one serum.
The probiotic unique to the supernatural blemish serum was identified in a swabbing programme back in 2004 and is now patented by Emma Lewisham.
The patented probiotic reduces and prevents blemishes at the very source as it is scientifically proven to inhibit the skin pathogen C. acnes, which is a key factor in the formation of blemishes, according to Lewisham.
“Other acne treatments in the market act through a range of mechanisms which can include strongly exfoliating or drying the skin and are often associated with compromises to the skin’s condition such as irritation, severe dryness, or compromising of the skin’s barrier,” she further explained.
“Working with your skin’s natural intelligence, our pioneering live skin probiotic is a gentle, yet highly effective way to clear up and restore the skin.”
Build it and they will come
Lewisham is breaking stereotypes about the power of natural skincare with her science-based and evidence-backed product line – and she’s empowering her consumers with information to inform purchases.
“The biggest misconception about natural skincare is that it doesn’t work. Nature is the world’s most intelligent bioengineer, it’s just about understanding how to unlock this intelligence,” Lewisham said.
The brand since its inception has led with transparency around its research and results.
“We have independent biomedical testing behind every product including in vivo (clinical) and in vitro (laboratory) to validate the efficacy of both every individual ingredient and final formulation,” Lewisham revealed.
“This independent biomedical testing regularly validates the superiority of nature in delivering results.”
Ensuring the brand’s products meet Lewisham’s strict no-compromise criteria of being natural and science-backed is one thing, educating consumers on the benefits is another.
“Our key avenues of education for our customers are our email direct marketing and our social channels. We prioritise speaking to these brand pillars to educate our community on their importance,” Lewisham said.
But the brand’s virality has come down to organic peer-to-peer referrals which occur both online and offline.
“Nothing is as powerful as a friend recommending a product to you, and reviews play this role in the online space,” shared Lewisham.
“Reviews from real people who have experienced real results are so important in building brand trust and in supporting people who may be new to the brand in their first purchases.”
The brand’s latest innovation, its supernatural blemish serum, is no exception.
“Our Supernatural Blemish Serum also quickly joined the ranks of these customer favourites after its launch in October,” said Lewisham.
“We’ve had countless people send in before and after photos and letters about this product and how it has genuinely changed their life,” she added.
Lewisham’s refusal to compromise on natural, efficacious and sustainable beauty products has made her a force of nature in the skincare industry.
“It is my North Star to deliver products that work, are good for you, and the world around us,” Lewishman concluded.