How confident are you in your skincare and beauty products? Can you safely say your daily regime is toxin-free and harmless? Not many women can, but it's not all our fault; beauty brands can legally use chemicals, endocrine disruptors and cancer-causing toxins in their products, and unless you pick apart the ingredient list, most of us believe that what we buy is safe.
Propylene and Butylene, for example, are two of the most commonly found ingredients in modern makeup and beauty creams, and they're used to stabilise the texture of a product as well as aid in absorption. But, they're also petroleum-based compounds which means they're derived from a non-renewal resource, and long-term exposure to petroleum-based products causes cancer. Animal studies have also proven that consumption of Propylene and Butylene causes mutation, cancer, and organ irritation, and even though you might only be applying a little each day with a tiny dollop of cream, the impacts of a lifetime of daily exposure isn't something I'd be testing on myself.
Avoiding toxins and discussing the benefits of clean beauty products is a topic I'm deeply passionate about, and my constant search for natural and safe alternatives to everyday essentials is what lead me to Zuii Organic. I switched to Zuii a few years ago, but I fall in love with them all over again with every new lipstick shade or exciting new product release.
Zac Maher shares my love of natural clean beauty, and as Zuii Organic's Marketing Coordinator, he appreciates honest beauty products just as much as I do...
Can you share a little more about your pink clay mask and the benefits of using a clay mask?
We already had a Hydrating Green Clay Mask, so we thought it was only natural to next add a Detoxifying Pink Clay Mask into the mix. The mask was formulated to detox and brighten the skin within minutes, gently extracting all of the hidden nasties and pollutants from the pores – while adding back in an abundance of hydration. And being that it's all organic and vegan, it's suitable for all skin types and will help those dealing with eczema, acne or inflammation.
Your Lux Lipsticks are Certified Vegan, Certified Organic and Australian made. What else makes them so special?
Our Lux Lipsticks very quickly became our most popular lip-seller, and truthfully, I'm not shocked because they really are that good. Aside from being Certified Vegan, Certified Organic and Australian made, what's most special about our Lux Lipsticks is that they provide an anti-pollutant protection barrier to the lips every time you apply. The active formula stops any chemicals or harsh environmental factors from penetrating and damaging the lips throughout the day.
Another thing that makes them so special is that for being Certified Vegan formulas, the shades are 100% true reds. If I've learnt anything from my time in the beauty world, it's so hard to come by an incredibly pigmented and long-lasting Certified Vegan red lipstick, so for this range to currently hold six true vegan reds is so special.
As part of your mission to 'create a much greener and much cleaner future', what commitments will Zuii make in 2021?
Our goal every day is to continue making strides towards a greener and cleaner future for all, and 2021 will definitely see us continuing with this mission. One primary goal is to continue implementing more sustainable packaging and cartons made from recycled materials that can also be recycled. We're in the process of looking at refillable inserts, so you can purchase a foundation shade refill when you run out instead of an entirely new product. We want to bring more eco-friendly packaging options into the process, and by the end of the year we want a zero-waste process from start to finish – formulations all the way through to shipping out products.
Our entire team is always on the lookout for new measures we can take to bring a greener and cleaner future to the forefront, so I'm sure as the year progresses there will be a lot more implementations made in Zuii HQ – and when they come about, you'll be the first to know!
You've won a host of awards. What are your three most recent and for what products?
Our Eyeshadow Range was recently awarded Bronze at the 2020 Australian Non-Toxic awards. Our top-selling Flora Vegan Mascara Range came away with a Silver at the 2020 Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards. And most excitingly, our Cheek and Lip Crème range was awarded the title of Best Lip Product at the 2021 Organic Clean Awards in Europe – which has provided a great start to the year!
What does 2021 look like for Zuii?
A lot of new product releases, and I couldn't be more thrilled. We had so much planned for last year, but unfortunately, the ongoing COVID-19 situation added a few spanners into the mix which halted some releases. But for 2021, we're just going to do what we do best and have some fun with it – so expect a lot of new goodies popping up throughout the year. We'll be releasing some additions to our fan-favourite ranges and some entirely new beauties we've been dreaming up, so stay tuned.
Products aside, I think this year is also about education. Education in the sense that we want to continue sharing the knowledge we have to those listening, showing the importance of choosing organic and vegan – in both a product and lifestyle aspect. We also want to continue to give back and help out where we can through fundraisers, sponsorships, collaborations, awareness campaigns and more. Last year took a toll on so many, so while we have the means, we want to do what we can to continue helping.
Learn more about the benefits of organic, vegan and clean beauty via zuiiorganic.com.
The Fashion Advocate x
