Lovingly developed in sunny Nelson, we were eager to catch-up with Lisa Friis, the passionate CEO of the homegrown certified organic skincare brand.
What are Plantae’s core values?
Plantae’s founding existence is the principal belief in the transformative power that organic botanies offer. By harnessing the purest of organic ingredients, we capture nature’s very essence and when combined in our skincare formulations, these botanicals and their effects are maximised to their greatest potential, delivering nature’s healing and soothing properties directly to our skin via our beautiful, effective, organic New Zealand skincare.
We are also super passionate about providing women with the natural tools necessary to heal from the outside in, through active, organic ingredients found only in the plant kingdom. I want to grow our legion of passionate Plantae skincare uses to all four corners of the globe, not for commercial gain but with the sole aim of improving the health, confidence and natural beauty of women the world over.
How did your passion for skincare arise?
I spent a lot of time living overseas working in the fast-paced world of Investment Banking. I loved the intensity and excitement of it, but I didn’t feel like I was doing something in which I could truly make a difference, something where I was positively affecting the greater picture. When I returned to New Zealand I wanted to turn my hand to something completely different, something I could be proud of in a sense of caring for the environment and for women alike. I’m extremely fortunate to come from a family of amazingly strong women, who completely empower me be bold, and to just give things a go. When I had the opportunity to align my inner longing of wanting to do good on a greater scale, and to work with such a phenomenal brand such as Plantae - I jumped at it.
I, like so many women have struggled with different skin issues, which can impact so many other areas of your life. Once I had my daughter (who is now a teenager) I knew she would have difficulty as well. There are a huge number of products on the market, but it is hard to know what is safe and effective. I fell in love with the ethos of Plantae, fully organic skincare focused on harnessing the healing and nourishing properties of plants, and when I tried Plantae, my skin really fell in love with it too. I was so impressed to see such efficacy in a fully organic, New Zealand made product. It felt beautiful, smelled beautiful, and to know that it does no harm to myself, my daughter and our earth just felt really, really good. I’m so proud to be a part of this company.
How are your ingredients sourced and what’s the manufacturing process like?
Focusing on producing extremely high quality, small batches and being fully organic, sourced locally where possible isn’t an easy game. We always look to source our raw materials from as close to our production facility in Nelson as possible. The Blue Lavender in our Blue Lavender Cleansing Cream is from just outside Nelson on a farm run by a husband and wife. But the most important value for our raw materials is the quality. Therefore, if we can’t source the required certified organic raw material locally in the Nelson Bays area, or in wider New Zealand, we will purchase from Australia, Europe and North and South America to ensure we are utilising the very best ingredients available around the world. Each raw material needs to be certified organic and recognised by select internationally respected organic certification boards.
What sets Plantae apart from other brands that make natural and organic claims?
Lots of other skincare brands have organic certification but only for certain products in their range or for certain ingredients within the product. Our entire range meets the strict 95% or above BioGro organic measurement. In New Zealand, and around the world we have a major problem with “green washing,” we don’t have proper labelling laws that prohibit brands from incorrectly claiming to be natural, organic and sustainable. Without proper certification these claims can be made on labels and it doesn’t necessarily have to be true. Only a neutral, third party certification board can assure this to the consumer such as BioGro. We also deliver impressive results and have had our hero products independently tested to add weight to these claims. For example, our most popular Sea Buckthorn Berry Night Cream has been scientifically proven to boost fibroblast (collagen/elastin) production by 272% - aiding in the skin’s natural repair process, increasing radiance, reducing the signs of damage and aging and making your skin look and feel it’s very best!
Many people think natural means compromising on results – what would you say to them?
I get it. I did at one point too, if you could simply get results from nature as it were, someone would have done that already wouldn’t they? And why would we have needed to venture down the high chemical and high intervention path in the first place? I’ve learned from Plantae that in order to solve a lot of our complex issues we actually need to return to nature, to seek as little human intervention as possible, and that the earth and its people are meant to work in harmony. Trust in that and see for yourself!
How effective is Plantae skincare on trouble skin conditions, like acne or eczema?
Acne and Eczema are certified medical conditions and as a cosmetics company we cannot make any guarantees and claim results for medical conditions, we must always suggest when facing these types of medical issues that a person consult a doctor. We have had excellent customer feedback on the products in our ‘Lush Leaves’ range which use Totarol™ - the hardwood extract of the Totara tree. This has both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which work to balance the skin’s pH level and reduce redness. We’ve found a variety of customers from all ages and backgrounds have had a major reduction or complete eradication of breakouts once they switch to using our Ivy Cleansing Gel, Wild Thyme Toner and Watercress Day Lotion. We just received an email today from an American woman, 34 years old just getting over a two-month breakout of Perioral Dermatitis. She’s been using our Sea Buckthorn Berry Night Cream and Vanilla Bean Day Cream and they’ve helped keep her Perioral Dermatitis at bay.
What three products should someone try first?
Another difficult one! I would say:
1) Brightening Camellia Face Polish. It’s gentle but super effective which is hard to find. We think that commonly used natural exfoliants such as ground nuts and kernels can cause small scrapes on the face, actually doing more harm than good, which can lead to women getting bacteria under the skin and then manifesting in rashes or breakouts. We found a mill in France that mills organic grains of white rice into tiny, perfectly even and spherical shaped particles, leading to a gentle and even skin exfoliation and an overall brighter and refreshed skin tone.
2) The Sea Buckthorn Berry Night Cream is like giving your skin a good night’s sleep every time you put it on. I’ve yet to meet any women, age, skin type, whatever that this night cream didn’t do wonders for.
3) Ivy Cleansing Gel - I love how this product makes my skin feel purified and cleansed without stripping it and drying it out. Totarol™ is such an amazing plant extract and using this product has meant my once monthly hormonal breakouts have disappeared altogether.
What’s next for Plantae?
Total world domination. Just kidding, in 2018 we want to focus on providing exceptional customer service for our existing users, streamlining our internal processes and how we can better serve our consumer. We also want to take more of an educative stance, educating women that our efficacy in our products is because they’re organic, and work with you, not against you. Organic farming is the best way to ensure that the raw, plant materials we use are of the best quality available and are importantly sustainable and good for the planet. We have a few other tricks up our sleeves, like some new packaging coming out, so watch this space!
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