"Our Kalahari Melon Seed Oil has been featured in VOGUE and has won multiple awards, including The Green Edit Best Skincare Product of the Year 2022, Gold in The Clean and Conscious Awards and Gold in The Organinc Beauty Awards."
In this season’s Peony Parcel is the Nicole Louise Apothecary award winning Kalahari Melon Seed Oil. In this interview with founder Nicole, we dive into the uniqueness of this Kalahari Melon Seed Oil, an inside look at Nicole's journey as an entrepreneur in the Australian beauty industry including the often overlooked challenges that people face when starting their own beauty brand.
What inspired you to choose Kalahari Melon Seed Oil as a key ingredient in your product line, and what makes it stand out among other natural oils?
An exotic and still relatively quite unknown plant oil, Kalahari Melon Seed Oil is considered to be the most sustainable natural beauty oil on the market and its story of origin captured my heart immediately.
Our Kalahari Melon Seed Oil is sourced in small batches from an organic farm in the Kalahari Basin where the kalahari melons grow wild in unadulterated soil. Here the seeds and fruit of the kalahari melon are cold pressed and filtered through organic cotton.
The Kalahari Basin was experiencing the worst climate crisis in over forty years, severely impacting farmers. The kalahari melon, considered a weed, was the only living plant surviving and thriving! It was here on this family run farm that scientific investigations into the properties of the kalahari melon were initiated. The results were outstanding.
Our Kalahari Melon Seed Oil has been featured in VOGUE and has won multiple awards, including The Green Edit Best Skincare Product of the Year 2022, Gold in The Clean and Conscious Awards and Gold in The Organinc Beauty Awards. This unique oil is a stand out for many reasons. Scientifically proven to contain more natural vit E than any other plant oil, its powerhouse cocktail of antioxidants, vitamins and omega fatty acids rejuvenate, protect and support the health and appearance of your skin.
Can you elaborate on the specific benefits and unique properties of Kalahari Melon Seed Oil that make it so effective for skincare, and how has customer feedback influenced its integration into your skincare offerings?
Kalahari Melon Seed Oil is scientifically proven to contain the highest amount of vitamin E, more than any other plant oil, and an exceptionally high concentration of Omega 6, an essential fatty acid vital for healthy skin cell function. This potent combination of vitamin E and 70% Linoleic acid repairs and rejuvenates skin cells and boosts the integrity of the skin barrier by retaining moisture and protecting against pollutants. It’s superior antioxidant properties deeply nourish, hydrate and protect your skin from environmental aggressors and slow the visible signs of skin ageing. Kalahari Melon Seed Oil rebalances sebum production, corrects pH balance and restores skin barrier in twelve days.
Our Kalahari Melon Seed Oil has won multiple awards and we continue to receive amazing feedback from customers, beauty editors, educators, insiders and influences. Its lovely lightweight texture and ability to absorb rapidly into the skin make it perfect for daily use. Customers love that it is 100% pure, organic and unadulterated and suitable for all skin types, including oily and compromised.
There simply isn't another plant oil that can match its rejuvenating qualities. Upon it's discovery we knew immediately it would be the star ingredient of our range!
Nicole Louise Apothecary emphasises natural and organic ingredients. How does your brand prioritise sustainability in sourcing ingredients and packaging materials, and what steps have you taken to minimise environmental impact?
We partner and work closely with producers in developing countries that support the social, economical and ecological growth and independece of rural farmers and communities.
We work tirelessly to source the highest quality, beautiful, earth born ingredients and its important to us to protect and increase their longevity. We choose to house the NICOLE LOUISE range in biophotonic glass. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, its unique properties filter out different light frequences and the damaging light spectrum that leads to the break down and degradation of ingredients. This protective glass enhances and energises the formula contained, drastically extending shelf life.
Our packaging is clean and minimal. We only use recyclable cardboard and packing materials.
In what ways does your brand support local communities or engage in fair trade practices to ensure ethical sourcing of ingredients?
We partner in collaboration with one of the oldest, female run fair trade cooperatives in Morocco, Ghana and other parts of the world which makes a postivie impact on the local artisans and communities. Our Prickly Pear Seed Oil, Argan Oil and Eae de Rose are made to tradition and unsurpasssed in quality. By working in collaboration with these co-ops we are guaranteed the highest quality, clean, organic ingredients while continuing to support the social and economical independence and growth of the indigenous artisans and rural farming communities.
As a female entrepreneur in the skincare industry, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs in the beauty sector?
Back yourself, be brave and let your passion lead you!
Be patient and prepare to be rejected. If you don’t fit what's currently trending in the market you may not be desirable to stockists. That's ok. It can be frustrating and deflating to know you have a product that people will love yet you need the opportunity to get it out there so people can discover it. This takes time. Be patient and remind yourself why you started and let your passion drive you, despite the set backs.
Have a clear vision of your brand. Know what makes your products special and don't deviate or buckle from that to fit a certain mould. It's important to evolve and strive for improvement however you should always stay true to your vision.
Support other beauty brands, bloggers, influences etc... The organic beauty industry is full of truly kind and beautiful people who share the same love of clean beauty as you and you can learn a lot from one another.
What future trends do you foresee shaping the future of sustainable skincare products, and what is on the horizon for Nicole Louise Apothecary?
Beauty consumers are savvy, they are aware of and care about the environment and animals and are thus leaning towards smaller, organic indie brands whose focus is offering sustainable and cruelty free products. This has had a positive shift on the beauty industry. I foresee brands continuing to minimise packaging and offer more multifunctional products to eliminate waste.
We have created a range of multitasking products that are suitable for all skin types, ages and genders. Nature is our passion and we will continue to source the most unique, exotic and efficacious natural ingredients to formulate products that support and improve the health and appearance of your skin and hair.
We are currently in development with two new products, both highlighting our star ingredient Kalahari Melon Seed Oil! We hope to announce their release in the coming year. Stay tuned!
Discover more at www.nicolelouise.com
