Beauty Diary: Aussie entrepreneur fixes global issue with just water
A Melbourne entrepreneur has been recognised after creating a “world first” solution to an issue affecting the entire world.
She’s only 29 years old, but scientist Natassia Grace has already made huge strides in her quest to completely turn the beauty industry on its head.
The Melbourne entrepreneur launched Conserving Beauty, a skincare brand dedicated to caring for the planet as much as our skin, back in 2021 with a “world first” product: fully dissolvable makeup wipes.
There are now three “dissolving” products in its range, including zit strips and a sheet mask, which Ms Grace said she created to help lower the astonishing environmental impact of single-use beauty products.
Currently, 20 million makeup remover wipes go to landfills each day, with 86 per cent of beauty consumers using wipes, some up to three times a day, according to Beauty Independent.
It took Ms Grace “years and countless trials to develop” the dissolvable fabric that allowed her to reimagine single use beauty products and make them safe for the environment.
Now her “game-changing” product has not only shaken up the industry, paving the way for other brands to follow suit and be more sustainable, but it has also landed her on the Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2024, an accolade she said left her “speechless”.
“I didn’t necessarily set out to create a brand, I genuinely wanted to create solutions to some of the common problems I had faced myself as a beauty consumer,” Ms Grace told news.com.au’s The Beauty Diary.
“Ultimately, I wanted to create products that would give people real skin results, and given my 10 year background in the beauty industry, working in supply chain and ethical sourcing, it was a non-negotiable that it needed to be done with sustainability in mind.
“To see my Australian brand celebrated on a global stage, by some of the industry’s most accomplished business leaders leaves me speechless.
“This is a remarkable milestone for the business and my personal career. It’s validation that we are making a difference within the industry and carving the way for other like-minded brands.”
Conserving Beauty was certainly recognised for its remarkable work long before Ms Grace was named by Forbes, with the brand landing a deal to be stocked in Mecca stores across the country shortly after launching – but it was no easy feat.
“It’s taken years and countless trials to develop each formulation which is why our range is still small and curated,” she explained.
“When developing our products, I always start with the skin problem that I’m trying to solve first and identify ingredients that are scientifically evidenced to be effective in helping relieve that problem.
“I never formulate to a price target or cut costs by diluting with water. In fact, our formulations are 100 per cent waterless, making them concentrated and highly effective. For example, our Thirsty Face Sheet Mask contains 10 per cent Niacinamide, 5 per cent Hyaluronic Acid, and 5 per cent Pro-Vitamin B5.
“These are all evidence-based concentrations of these ingredients which is very different to majority of sheet masks in the market that are 90-95 per cent water. That’s why our customers see results.”
In the three years since Conserving Beauty first launched, the brand has amassed a loyal customer base that often includes celebrities, which Ms Grace said always amazes her.
Recently, Australian fitness star Steph Claire Smith shared an unsponsored selfie with her 1.5 million followers after using the zit strips, declaring she was “obsessed” with the product.
“I’ve had stubborn angry pimples all weekend and I was so looking forward to using these zit strips by Conserving Beauty,” the influencer wrote.
“That’s when you know a product bloody works, not sponsored, bought these myself and obsessed.”
Ms Grace described the moment as “special”, adding it has a huge impact on a small business such as hers.
“We are so grateful for her ongoing support, especially as someone I admire so much as a fellow female founder,” she said.
“Steph has shared our Wipes and Zit Strips several times on her Instagram Stories and TikTok which is massive for an Aussie start-up.
“Steph is so thoughtful and considered with her product recommendations, her community responds so well to her authenticity, and we immediately see an uplift in social following and sales.”
She’s not the only fan, with social media flooded with organic reviews and videos, including one who shared a video of her used mask dissolving in a glass of water.
“You just mix it in water, and they’re gone,” the video, demonstrating how the product vanishes, states.
Viewers were equally as captivated, leaving a string of comments on the clip.
“That is wild,” one user commented.
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“What a great idea,” another agreed.
Others asked about the packaging the products come in, which Ms Grace explained for the dissolvable sheet masks, pimple patches and makeup wipes was “completely compostable“ and made using recycled materials.
The bottles and jars its oil and cleansing balm are contained in are “infinitely recyclable glass” containers that can be kerbside recycled endlessly.