HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT CREATING A SKINCARE BRAND FROM SCRATCH?
There are so many new brands launching in Australia every year with some absolutely flourishing whilst others flounder. I knew I wanted my brand to stand the test of time and to do that I needed more than a fancy logo and attractive packaging.
My values were my essential starting point with four basic principles of foundation- simplicity, confidence, honesty and transparency. I wanted to produce a product that I could be proud of, a product that was a reflection of my enduring beliefs.
After years of research I was able to formulate a serum and moisturiser with ingredients that actually addressed ageing issues at the root cause to produce targeted and visible results that women are after.
In a nutshell, what is the process of creating a product?
- Know your values and stay true to them.
- Do your research. (formulations, target audience, competitors….)
- Develop brand guidelines (logo, colour palette, typography and fonts, photography, packaging, web elements….)
- Connect with your consumers and develop real relationships
- Promote brand awareness, brand building (social media, print media, word of mouth…)
Was it important to you to be Australian made?
It was absolutely imperative that my products be made here in Australia. My research took me abroad on numerous occasions and it became quickly evident that Australia has some of the highest safety and quality standards which are set in law (meaning they have to be followed).
Furthermore, supporting Australian jobs is good for our economy with company and employee taxes being spent on hospitals, sporting facilities and schools, so it’s a win-win.
How are your products so beneficial to Australian women’s skin?
Our skincare products are formulated with our lifestyle in mind. We live in one of the harshest and sunniest environments in the world. Australia’s close proximity to the equator brings many clear, blue sky days. However, less cloud cover and a compromised ozone layer means that Australians also experience some of the highest levels of UV radiation. UV overexposure leads to premature facial ageing, such as wrinkles and fine lines. A good skin care regime is therefore vital, not only to combat much of this damage but to prevent further damage from occurring.
We are often asked why we don’t include SPF into our products. It might be convenient, but there’s a good reason you should use sunscreen separately to a moisturiser: neither can work as effectively when combined.
Adding sunscreen to a moisturiser not only potentially dilutes the SPF, it also interferes with a moisturiser’s function. A moisturiser is designed to be absorbed into the skin to effectively hydrate the deeper layers, while sunscreen should sit on the skin and act as a defence between your face and the sun.
Our research has found Australian women, particularly mature women with dehydrated or sensitive skin benefit most from using a separate sunscreen.
The results are pretty amazing! How do you feel when you receive such glowing reports from women who use Claire Hill?
We love receiving feedback on our products and our customer testimonials come from all over the globe. It’s a really lovely feeling to know that your hard work is appreciated by others and has made a real difference to the way woman feel about themselves.
What do you love about Australian women?
Australia is deeply multicultural and Australian women actually comprise of various nationalities. What I love most is our tough fighting spirit. We’re always ready to lend a helping hand. In general, we are go-getters who value courage, kindness and honesty.
Are there any products in the pipeline.
Yes, we busy working on other formulations. Product development is an elaborate process and we prefer to take our time and do our research to produce a quality product that we can be proud of.