We had a chat with Peony Cosmetics in their LA office about their new product launch; the luxurious, vegan face & hair concoction Rosebud Oil. Among others, we were curious to find out what else they have in store for our Nourish subscribers in 2018. We met Daniela who shared exclusive pictures about the making of this rich oil, talked about how meticulously the ingredients were sourced and revealed why they chose to make their skin care line in Europe.
First of all, we are so excited to introduce our very first rosebud-infused, deeply hydrating face and hair oil to your subscribers! We chose Nourish Beauty Box to showcase this product because we believe we’re able to reach and engage the right audience who are focused on clean, healthy beauty, which is what we’re all about.
Our vegan Rosebud Oil is made of 100% natural, plant-based ingredients that are not only kind to your skin, but deliver potent, tissue-regenerating components such as Vitamin-E and Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids that are essential for the healthy functioning of our largest organ, i.e. the skin. We infused this mixture with actual dried rosebuds to slowly release that calming, pure rose scent that adds character and a unique sensory quality to the product.
How do you source your ingredients? For instance, where do those rosebuds come from?
We moved our skin care production to Europe last year as we wanted to create exceptional products that fully satisfy the strict, rigorous EU laws.
“There are over 1300 toxic ingredients banned in Europe. By comparison, the FDA has only banned 11.”
We wanted to bring that high standard of quality we experienced, while spending years on the continent, to the States and introduce highly effective products that are based on traditional skin care practices.
We work with local suppliers to source the best seasonal ingredients possible for our products. We get cold pressed ingredients from small, private businesses that are literally producing high-grade oils in their backyard, herbs are collected from local growers and dried under the Sun, everything is hand checked and crafted from raw components to our finished products. We are incredibly proud to present these beauty items in our online store and as well as to your subscribers as we know how they were made from the ground up, what ingredients were used, even the names of the wonderful people who filled and labelled them.
“I think having total control over the entire production process is the ultimate definition of a truly artisanal beauty brand”
and this gives us the confidence to then introduce the Rosebud Oil as a bespoke, luxurious, hand-crafted product.
Was this shift in your company structure smooth or did you have to face unforeseen difficulties?
Change is never easy. It doesn’t matter if you have a small personal choice or a bigger, professional dilemma, you’ll still have to make a decision that alters things in your life. So, you can imagine that this shift in our business from making it in the USA to Europe was not always a joy ride.
“We had to establish good and reliable relationships with small businesses there that can provide the highest quality ingredients direct from source, bridge language difficulties, figure out a way to test, create and store our skin care to ensure that our ethical production standards are maintained at all times.”
It was a lot to take on but, when you put your mind to something you really, really want, everything is achievable!
What would you suggest to people trying to start their own beauty business?
It’s a really crowded industry and consumers are constantly being bombarded with products from thousands of different brands. From a personal perspective, it’s always important to know that once you transform your hobby or craft into a business, you need to be responsible for this new entity you’re creating. Always make sure there are sufficient funds to kickstart your business that will ensure its day to day workings.
“Unplanned financial expenses can push you to your limits and you may find yourself stranded with little to no cashflow, especially when starting out.”
For us, we scraped every single penny we could get from family, friends and our own savings so that we didn’t have to make the mistake of selling out and using cheaper, synthetic raw ingredients. You should have a clear vision of your brand’s DNA, what it represents, the joy that every single product brings to you and ignite that passion among your employees and customers.
Apart from Nourish Beauty Box, where else can our customers meet and test your products?
We primarily sell our products in our online store but, we’re in touch with other subscription services and we will be featured in quite a few places in 2018. In the meantime, we are constantly looking for new opportunities and planning to partner with US-based stores specializing in organic, cruelty-free skin care. I would really want Peony to reach as many people as possible!
We also have a surprise product for your subscribers later this year. It’s been a while since we designed a vegan, skin-friendly makeup product, and we have worked our butts off to come up with the perfect powder formulation for an amazing dual eyeshadow so stay tuned!