When Davines decided to release Skin Regimen they worked with neuroscientist and Mind-Body Expert Dr Claudia Aguirre to help develop the range. On a visit to Sydney she chats to Anita Quade about her inspiration.
Tell us about how you became a neuroscientist and Mind-Body Expert.“I am from LA and I went to UCLA and I studied biology there and then I took an interim period and went to study mental health in Washington so it was a great place to train. From there I decided to go back to LA and study.”
So how did you get into skincare?
“While I was in school I was looking into doing things that were a little different. I was young and I thought let’s do something on a different path and I decided to look into alternative fields like skincare and the science in that. I connected with the professional skincare world. I learned everything about skin and I travelled the world teaching about all the ins and outs of skin science and after that I left to expand my knowledge in the wellness world and worked with meditation, mindfulness and yoga. Everything is all linked it’s what you eat, it’s what you put on your skin and it’s how you think.”
How did you become an advisor for the new range Skin Regimen?
“I was working with Comfort Zone and the concept of Skin Regimen came about and I was their target market – a millennial and a global traveler. I wanted to develop something interesting that wasn’t overly fragranced. So we decided we needed to target signs of ageing due to our lifestyle but not so much chronological ageing. I then used my knowledge and worked out how I could incorporate that into a skincare product. I was also researching mindful therapies so wanted to bring it all together so that was how the concept came about in 2019.”
How long did it take to develop?
“It has been at least two years in the making starting off with a brainstorm session in Italy, working out who we are going to target. Being an Italian brand they manufacture everything over in Italy and I used to go there a lot for Comfort Zone. The ingredients I was looking at is what are the actives that can target stress and lifestyle factors. What can help you have an arsenal of ingredients that will tackle things at different times because the skin changes constantly. So that is where the boosters from the range came in, it allows clients to boost the skin as needed.”
What’s important to be aware of with skin?
“I think it’s about the knowledge of skin – it is always changing and now the consumer knows that and especially the professional therapist sees that because she can see the changes in her client’s skin.”
What was one of the biggest challenges launching the brand?
“One of the challenges in general was looking at the right packaging I was mindful to look at packaging that was going to be functional and then sustainable and unisex – so they were the real challenges.”
What trends have you noticed in the skincare industry?
“The trend of clean beauty has been around for a little bit of time now and it’s different from organic beauty – it’s free from excess chemicals that you may not need. We looked at how we could replace a silicone with something more natural-based and that was important when we were formulating these products as we wanted no silicones. So the challenge to the lab was can you make something feel as good as silicone using other ingredients?.”
Any favourite products?
“As a new mother I don’t have that much time for anything so at the most I will splash my face with water and the essence in the range for me is the easiest thing. If I wanted to take it to the next level I will just add a booster and a couple of drops of hyaluronic acid – which you need when you are sleep deprived. I’m quite minimal with skincare.”
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