Investing in Sustainability

A passionate advocate for natural beauty and a healthy blue planet, Megan Douglas is the founder of The Organic Skin Co. and a fifth-generation herbalist and naturopath. This passion is the product of her past - from the many hours she spent out the back of her grandmother’s health food shop as a child, through her experiences in London as a fashion designer, her work as a naturopath (where she was shocked by the number of patients visiting her with skin problems, most of them caused by environmental stressors and toxins), and by her experience as the mother of a teenage daughter, interested in all things skincare and makeup.

The Organic Skin Co. is an expression of Megan’s deeply held beliefs and her desire to create a cosmetics range that covers natural beauty from every angle: vegan, cruelty free, certified organic, socially and environmentally conscious, with next-gen sustainable packaging and synergistically blended formulas that feature the latest in scientific technology; all created to help you nurture your skin, care for your wellbeing, and nourish our planet at the same time.

1. Tell us about yourself. When did you first know you were interested in the beauty industry?

Throughout my working life, I have followed a passion for creating and making things! My interest in natural beauty however grew naturally out of my childhood experiences of growing up in a family of herbalists. Some of my earliest memories are of the smell and touch of various ingredients in our family manufacturing facility where herbal teas, tablets and soaps were made. At a later age I earned my pocket money by working for my grandmother in her health food shop and I learnt a lot from her about being a business-women who was also a natural product specialist.

Funnily enough, even as a very young child I envisioned myself as a businesswoman when I grew up. My vision was of an older me, briefcase in hand, traveling the globe on business. As it turned out I’m not carrying a briefcase but everything else manifested and is still true today.

2. How do you / your team generate new ideas?

My early career as a fashion designer in my 20’s in London, taught me very quickly that there is little creative integrity or success in simply following trends from a head space alone. For a start, if you are creating your next design or product based on a passing trend, the market for that trend may well have moved on by the time you get to market.

The most innovative ideas in contrast seem to germinate away in the subconscious for a time before letting themselves be known. Therefore, while it’s important to take the time to absorb and understand present-day cultural trends, the generation of new ideas is the encouragement of the instinctive, gut-knowing process. To support this process, I have lifestyle activities that help the creative flow and we also have always encouraged working conditions in our business, such as working from home if preferred, to support the team’s creative lifestyle choices as well.

3. Do you have any specific rituals for resetting creativity?

I meditate, practice self-enquiry, practice yoga, play with the dog and go dancing. I find all these practices help still the mind and get rid of the excess mental clutter that can sometimes hinder the creative process. I also love listening to music and long walks in nature as both open up the creative airwaves so to speak.

4. How do you identify trends? What resources does you use to spot trends and consumer insights within your industry?

I subscribe to a few industry publications, and I often read these first thing in the morning to find out what’s happening ‘out there’. My favorite trend forecaster however is The Concept Bureau. They dig deep into the underlying factors influencing cultural trends and their powerful analysis are generally visionary and deeply thoughtful.

I also find the best trend inspiration comes from listening to inspiring figures in the wider community, albeit in new music or art for example, and always listening to the youth, who ultimately are spearheading the winds of change.

5. What is the biggest challenge you face when innovating within your field?

The Organic Skin Co. has clear non-negotiables in product development that can cause challenges in both time to market and also investment.

The first challenge is that the beauty industry has been lacking in viable choices for truly sustainable packaging, especially for the packaging of creams, oil’s and makeup. Using sustainable packaging systems is a non-negotiable for us and so we have had to invest heavily in our own innovative solutions that also work for our unique formulations. This has been expensive due to packaging and mold minimums and it has also been time consuming due to the lengthy R&D. However it is so, so worth it

The second non-negotiable for us is that we only use certifiable, natural, organic and vegan ingredients and that we require the herbs that we use to utilize clean extraction techniques with no hidden solvents. Every new ingredient must also pass the approval standards of our independent certifier Biogro, and this also involves a heap of paperwork.

This high bar of ingredient selection, and packaging choice means that it can take some time to source and incorporate the new and therefore nothing can be released overnight because it’s a fresh trend. However, we believe in slow, thoughtful beauty and not the fast and disposable kind, and in this day and age true slow beauty can almost be viewed as an innovation in itself.

6. Has there ever been an instance where another industry has influenced your work?

Always – nothing works in silos.

7. What makes an innovative work culture? How do you create a culture of innovation?

Innovation flourishes by supporting everyone to live their most ‘true to themselves’ life and by respecting an individual’s right to express their own unique passions and skills. On a practical level this means our employees have the choice to work from home, if they prefer, so that they can set their own work rhythms. Also, most are also able to set their own work hours - if their work-type allows.

8. Looking to the future, how will your brand continue to be a leader in innovation?

Every creative innovation we enter into will continue to pivot around our true north – i.e., the creation of revolutionary, sustainable, good for you, good for the planet products. Luckily, it’s an exciting time at this juncture with so many individuals and brands now sharing the same vision. We are looking forward therefore to all the possible future collaborations with like-minded people and companies. There is so much that can be done for a better future and by sharing innovation and ideas, together we can build a more sustainable, regenerative life for the next generations.