Women’s Month has just passed but its never too late for Alyaka to feature an amazing woman who has created a natural skincare brand that is powered by probiotics.
EXPERT PROFILE:
Claire Vero, the brand creator of Aurelia Skincare sticks to the essence of ‘Intelligent skincare with integrity’ as evidenced by her range of probiotic skincare.
It was when she was working as a Director in the Dermatology Centre of Excellence when she became interested in uncovering the connection between confidence and having a great skin. This interest has paved the way for her to put up her very own brand, the natural skincare line that many has come to love–Aurelia Probiotic Skincare.
Aurelia Skincare has launched in 2013 and takes pride in using natural and cruelty-free ingredients that are sourced from various parts of the world. It has become an award-winning brand that already gained celebrity fans and continues to earn the praises of many beauty enthusiasts.
Learn more about Aurelia Probiotic Skincare, as well as the woman who started it all, Claire Vero, through this exclusive interview.
Claire Vero the Skincare Entrepreneur
WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME AURELIA PROBIOTIC SKINCARE?
I have always loved the name Aurelia, it was on my baby girl name list for years, and I then thought it would work beautifully for a skincare brand. The name comes from the Latin word aureus which means golden. I included ‘probiotic skincare’ in the brand name because it’s what makes Aurelia different to so many other skincare brands out there.
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DEVELOP SKINCARE PRODUCTS WITH PURE BIO ORGANIC INGREDIENTS?
I always knew that Aurelia Probiotic Skincare would be a natural brand as I fundamentally believe that it’s the best way to care for your skin, so using plant and flower extracts rich in antioxidants and omegas was inevitable. I was inspired to use superfruits like Baobab and Kigelia Africana after staying with a tree forester near Lake Malawi where these incredible ingredients are harvested. At Aurelia we work with Phytotrade Africa to ensure sustainable sourcing, fair trade and benefits to the communities and villages harvesting the ingredients and I saw first-hand the positive and hugely inspirational impact that partnering with organisations like Phytotrade can have.
IT STATES ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT AURELIA SKINCARE INTENDS TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE TO WOMEN. IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DEVELOPING PRODUCTS?
We have three major brand values when it comes to our skincare. The first is that we are powered by probiotics, a natural, ground-breaking technology that protects, restores and balances the skin from within. The second is that we have a strict promise on ingredients and avoid a large number of questionable ingredients including mineral oil, sulphates, and parabens. The third is our commitment to using pure essential oils to fragrance the products to offer our customers a moment of mindfulness with every application. The combination of these three values ensures that women get visible results, skin is hydrated, nourished and smooth and every use of Aurelia is a luxurious experience from start to finish. The result is glowing, hydrated skin which in turn gives women confidence.
PROBIOTIC SKINCARE IS ONE OF YOUR KEY SELLING POINTS. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT AND WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
Aurelia’s Probiotic Ingredients continuously protect, restore and balance the skin from within. They calm the natural immune triggers in your skin which can be overstimulated by pollution and stress and they reduce the damage these immune triggers cause to collagen, elastin and healthy cells. Our probiotic ingredients then activate the skin’s natural ability to repair itself and boost the natural process of restoring collagen, elastin and healthy cells. Our probiotics don’t use live bacteria or work on the skin’s surface microbiome as we believe there is a much better, more advanced way to treat the skin. Instead, we use a non-live probiotic from bifidobacteria in the form of a glycoprotein (a molecule which helps cell-to-cell communication) to calm the natural immune triggers in your skin which can be overstimulated by pollution and stress, among other factors.
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE BECOME FAMILIAR WITH CRUELTY-FREE BEAUTY PRODUCTS. AS ONE OF THE CREATORS OF SUCH BRAND, WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER AS THE TOP REASONS WHY CONSUMERS SHOULD NOW SWITCH TO ETHICAL BRANDS?
There is no reason why cosmetics brands should feel that they can’t go cruelty-free. For me, it was a major factor, as it was something I looked for in my skincare previously, and I know that so many of our customers have discovered us because we are cruelty-free. Our brand essence is ‘Intelligent skincare with integrity” which I believe captures the ethical side of our mission perfectly.
FOR THE WOMEN WHO HAVE JUST MADE THE SWITCH, CAN YOU SHARE SOME VALUABLE ADVICE FOR THEM TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS?
The most important step to any routine is cleansing. It’s important that your cleanser doesn’t strip or dry out the skin, so avoid using foaming sulphates which can disrupt the skin’s natural barrier. Opt instead for a cream cleanser free from mineral oil (liquid paraffin) like the Miracle Cleanser from Aurelia which removes all makeup, daily grime and impurities while leaving the skin supple, beautifully cleansed and nourished. Using a natural cleanser in this way ensures that your subsequent products are absorbed more readily by the skin, so all of the beautiful natural products you are applying afterward will be working their hardest, and not be impeded by any greasy residue left on the skin. Do use a moisturizer daily to nurture the skin. The great thing about our Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser is that you don’t need much (a pea-size is enough), so your skin won’t feel heavy at all.
WITH THE LIFESTYLE FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S MODERN WOMEN, WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER AS THE STRESSORS THAT CAN KEEP ONE FROM ACHIEVING A SMOOTH AND YOUNG-LOOKING SKIN?
We regard the fundamental cause of premature skin ageing as excessive inflammation. Inflammation occurs deep within the skin and is part of the skin’s natural immune response and repair process. However excessive inflammation, which is caused by exposure to environmental aggressors such as UV rays, pollution, smoke, wind and cold, causes an imbalance within the immune response and thus diminishes the skin’s ability to repair itself and reduces production of collagen, elastin and healthy cells. That’s why the Aurelia range contains probiotic ingredients which help to balance the skin from within and reduce the damage caused by these aggressors.
YOUR ‘LITTLE AURELIA’ LINE IS TRULY NOTICEABLE. WHAT HAS DRIVEN YOU TO DEVELOP A SKINCARE RANGE FOR THE LITTLE ONES?
As a mum, I wanted to create a range of enchanting BioOrganic skincare products to support little ones’ wellbeing. The products had to soothe and nourish the skin and be designed specifically for babies and young children. As with our skincare range for adults, Aurelia Probiotic Skincare, there could be no compromise on ingredients, and therefore the range has strict ingredients promise to help nurture and care for children’s skin. Not only do the products nourish delicate skin, they are also designed to help little ones to settle at bath time and before bed. With oils like chamomile, lavender, calendula and linden blossom making up our sleep blends, every product helps to soothe and calm in the evening – something I know every parent is looking for!
IF THERE ARE CERTAIN PRODUCTS FROM YOUR RANGE THAT YOU LOVE PERSONALLY, WHAT ARE THEY?
I have lots of favourites but for me, the Revitalise & Glow Serum, which is lightweight, non-sticky and delicately fragranced, is total divine. I love that I can layer it with any other product from the range and that it delivers a high concentration of probiotics to the skin. It makes my skin glow almost immediately! The Cell Repair Night Oil is another favourite of mine, my skin drinks it in at night time and the blend of neroli, lavender, rose and mandarin is dreamy.
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, YOU HAVE PROVED YOUR WORTH IN THE INDUSTRY AS EVIDENCED BY THE NUMEROUS AWARDS YOU RECEIVED. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MAIN REASONS WHY YOUR BRAND STANDS OUT?
We know that customers love the fact that there’s no need to compromise when it comes to Aurelia Probiotic Skincare – we are ticking every box when it comes to what people want from skincare; natural, scientifically-proven, cruelty-free, luxurious and a pleasure to use. First and foremost though, our products deliver visible results after only a few uses which keep people coming back time and again.
WILL THERE BE NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES FROM AURELIA SKINCARE THAT WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO?
This year we are planning a very special super serum which will be a total treat for all skin types, concerns and ages, and I can’t wait to share more nearer the launch!
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