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When you think back throughout the history of civilization, some of the crazy steps women undertook in the name of beauty is enough to make your head spin. Everything from lead-based cosmetics to crocodile-dung facials were de rigueur in their day, but even in modern times, complex beauty regimens and chemical-laden products continue to saturate the market. However, according to Juliana Rochelle, head of product development for Neora, a beauty and wellness brand built on a foundation of natural ingredients, a simple approach to skin care — or “skinimalism” as the crew there has dubbed it — often yields the best results.
At Neora, Natural Ingredients + Simple Routines = Optimal Skin Care
Rochelle, whose beauty pedigree includes an almost eight-year stint in product development for industry giant L’Oréal prior to her tenure at Neora, outgrew her own “beauty junkie” phase as she learned via personal experience and from scientific research just what havoc certain topical ingredients could wreak on the skin.
Initially, Rochelle admits to being somewhat baffled by the results she routinely achieved after following standard beauty industry protocols. Rather than healthy, glowing skin, she instead experienced bad reactions and inflammation. “At first, I couldn’t understand why, since I was using all the things the industry was telling me were good for my skin,” she recalls.
It took years of painstaking work with a variety of skin care and beauty formulations and a process of trial and error, but eventually, Rochelle was able to cut through the industry hype with an epiphany. “The more, the better” mantra she’d subscribed to for so long was actually counterintuitive to achieving optimal skin care. “I finally understood there’s a lot more to a product than just the ingredients companies are calling out,” she confirms.
Neora’s Holistic Approach to Beauty and Wellness
Products must, first and foremost, be safe. They should improve skin and hair rather than damage it. They should enhance wellness rather than rely on questionable ingredients that can lead to harmful side effects. They should also be customer-friendly and easy to use. “That’s where your focus needs to be,” Rochelle asserts.
Rochelle credits Neora’s consumer-centric, holistic approach that champions these precepts as the main factor that initially drew her to join the company’s ranks. She says Neora stood apart from its competitors because it wasn’t afraid to buck conventional wisdom and dismiss last-century product strategies. “They started talking about the synergies of skin care topical products and wellness supplements before anyone else,” Rochelle recalls. “When the industry was telling everyone they needed an 8 to 10-step routine, Neora stood by the ‘skinimalism’ approach and focused on multi-performing formulas.”
When asked what’s the most important pillar of her stick-to-the-basics skin care philosophy, without hesitation Rochelle replies: “SPF.” While she admits most consumers might roll their eyes at the answer, she maintains there’s truly nothing better to stave off the effects of aging and prevent skin cancer than a good SPF with a level of at least 30. “Studies have shown that SPF 30 is able to protect against 98% of harmful rays,” she explains. “Most of the common problems we try to fight — wrinkles, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, dark spots — are caused and/or accentuated by harmful ultraviolet rays.” (Rochelle cautions that no level of SPF can provide 100% UV blockage.)
How Bucking Trends Keeps Neora Ahead of the Competitive Curve
In her steadfast professional mission of ensuring Neora remains on the cutting edge of skin care evolution and is positioned to supply its clientele with product lines that not only fulfill but exceed their expectations, Rochelle continues to research the latest skin care and wellness advances. She studies emerging data, analyzes and assimilates customer feedback, and brainstorms solutions with colleagues who share her core vision. “I read a lot of scientific studies and then discuss with my dermatologist what I could/should implement or not,” Rochelle affirms. “I trust science and I am always reading up on the latest skin care trials to understand the ideal concentration of active ingredients for optimal results; how ingredients react with each other, the latest devices — you name it.”
While trends don’t drive Neora, Rochelle concedes that certain measurable market forces do. “The consumer understands that what you put in your body matters and they’re more diligent than ever about product labels and chemicals used in both food and personal care items,” she notes. “I believe this gives Neora a competitive edge because this is our reason for being.”
The result, according to Rochelle, is that Neora isn’t a beauty company that’s locked into finding the next new thing, but rather, one that continually strives to find creative, effective, pleasing solutions for the everyday health, wellness, and beauty concerns its customers face. “I truly believe this is what has kept us ahead of trends in the first place,” she says. “We strive to have products that are truly relevant for our consumer base, not just another item to add to your bathroom counter.”
Sponsored Content provided by Neora.