When you think of cosmeceutical brands, high quality results-oriented products spring to mind, however they aren’t usually associated with the environmental cause. That’s why is one line of products that grabs our attention time and time again. On his recent trip to Sydney, New York-based skincare expert and founder of the brand emerginC, Ian Lirenman chatted to us about his passion for ethical, results-driven skincare products. And it’s a passion that is really, truly infectious.QV Skincare
The idea behind the brand
Lirenman’s brand, started in 1996, is based around natural and environmentally friendly ideals wherever possible, but never just for the sake of being able to write organic” on a product. We’re really trying to do the right thing. Our first goal is to make the best product we can … but we’re also trying to make it meaningful,” he explains. We use biodegradable packaging, the boxes we use come from sustainable forests, our offices run on wind power … we’re constantly evolving.”
With all this in mind, emerginC still manages to deliver the same standard of products delivered by the big beauty players. We want to get away from the notion that organic, natural brands don’t have the same results as non-natural products.”
In the beginning…
Lirenman’s rise to skincare expert and emerginC founder has been very much a New York story.” After moving to the big smoke in search of a career as a fiction writer, it was by chance that Lirenman fell into the beauty industry.
When I first moved to New York I was working as a waiter for a catering company. I was sub-letting an apartment from a cousin of a cousin, who happened to be distributing a skincare brand. She needed some help, and eventually I became a sales rep. I had people skills, but I learnt a little bit about the industry through that. Eventually somebody approached me to run a [skincare] company part-time so that I could still write. The brand didn’t really have a strong focus at that stage; it had a mish-mash of ingredients and terrible packaging, so we re-branded it. emerginC slowly developed from there – it was never really officially launched.”
Science behind success
emerginC places a natural and ecological focus on their products wherever possible. The brand uses the latest in research and technology to develop their result-orientated, cutting-edge skin care.
We incorporate a wide variety of plant extracts, vitamins, minerals, fruit acids, peptides, as well as active medical- and cosmeceutical-grade ingredients, sourced naturally wherever possible,” says Lirenman.
While using the most natural methods in developing the emerginC line of products, Lirenman refuses to sacrifice quality. We were one of the first companies to get rid of parabens, and from there my vision of where I wanted the company to go really developed.”
In 2009 Lirenman embraced plant stem-cell technology to develop the Protocell range. The technology carefully extracts plant stem cells from a rare type of organic Swiss apple, which was discovered to be highly powerful at preserving the youthfulness and vitality of the skin. It’s a very complicated process but essentially we take stem cells from a very rare Swiss apple. Apples have a particularly long life. Basically we’ve taken these cells so that they can be useful for cosmetic purposes.”
Last September saw the launch of emerginC's organic natural skincare line, Scientific Organics. Aimed at reducing the signs of ageing, each of the five products in the range has a minimum of 70 per cent organically sourced ingredients and is paraben-, petrochemical- and synthetic fragrance-free. The star ingredient in Scientifics Organics is Kombucha, a fermented tea that produces a range of organic acids like glucuronic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, acetc acid, butyric acid, malic acid and usnic acid. Scientific Organics is quick to improve skin tone as it fights free-radical damage and works to diminish the appearance of fine lines.
Product development
The inspiration for emerginC products comes from many sources. When looking to develop new products, we try to listen to people, we read a lot, we do a lot of research. Information comes to us in a lot of different ways,” says Lirenman. We’ve also been aware for a long time about the influence of bloggers. When we get our press report every month, I get a whole report on bloggers alone.”
Giving back and people power
emerginC is philanthropic brand and has a strong association with many global charitable organisations. Ten per cent of proceeds from Triple Threat Peel sales go to Operation Smile, a charity that treats people with facial deformities, and 20 per cent of the sale of Red Carpet Primer is directed to GlobalGiving which supports organisations providing relief and aid to victims of Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. A current initiative sees a tree planted somewhere in the world for every retail size sale of a Scientific Organics product.
But most of all, Lirenman believes in the power of the people. I think most people – certainly in the environment I live in – most people really want to take green initiatives when they can.” His eco-conscious philosophy is one he tries to apply to everyday life, but with a refreshingly realistic approach. I’m not a saint, but the environment is definitely on my radar. You can’t be perfect all the time. If I eat meat, I want to try and make sure it has come from an ethical background. I think about biodegradable packaging. Even if it costs a little bit more, it’s good to try and do the right thing. I think if you lead by example, others will follow.”