Candice Colin, early Clean activist and co-founder of the Clean Beauty app, has just joined the Seasonly board. For years she has been fighting to give women the keys, with the firm intention of changing the boundaries of the cosmetics industry.
Tell us about your journey:
"I had 2 lives. The first in large financial groups, where I was among the first responsible for sustainable development. And my second life which began in Russia where I settled with my family. It's where I had to learn to reinvent myself for the first time as an entrepreneur."
o You were a pioneer in “Clean Beauty”, how did you get there?
"First there is my personal story. My eldest son was diagnosed with severe cognitive disorders at the age of 5. The question of exposure to endocrine disruptors gradually arose since he there was no family history. I then took a closer look at "this chemical soup" in which we were all bathed, without knowing it.
And at the same time, in a laboratory, Claire Gagliolo, Doctor of Pharmacy and cosmetologist, was already formulating ultra clean cosmetic products. Our meeting was written, and our association, obvious."
o Your definition of clean?
“For me, a “clean” product is a product that does not contain any controversial ingredient, of synthetic or natural origin, according to the state of science. This last point is important because science is in motion. What we think we know today will not be the truth tomorrow. For our part, the state of scientific knowledge remains our only guide.
o Why is it important to do better in cosmetics?
"Because we're talking about beauty products. What is a controversial ingredient doing in a product supposed to only do good?! It's an aberration! But today the consumer realizes the gap between the dream of marketing campaigns that have been sold to him for years and the reality of certain products. For example the fact that behind the word "natural" there can be the word "petroleum"."
o Why did you agree to be part of the Seasonly board?
"I found in the Seasonly team a real desire to do better, but also an immediate putting into practice! Many approve of the idea of having a cleaner approach (who would be against?!). However, few recover really in question, particularly because of the short-term financial issues. In the medium and long term, it is of course a very bad calculation. It must be admitted that moving your entire product portfolio at once is complex. is where young brands like Seasonly are more agile to get a head start and adapt quickly.”
o Your next challenge?
"Household products. It's a very opaque universe. Unlike cosmetics, it's very complicated to have access to the composition. According to a study, (Norwegian university study on 6000 people over 20 years), do it regularly cleaning would be as harmful to the lungs as smoking twenty cigarettes a day!”
o What would it be like to live better for you?
“Better control my chemical exposure. Today I am experiencing it.”
o Who inspires you?
"My children. Noah, my eldest son: he changed my outlook on life. On difference. I tell him every day “your difference is your opportunity”. It was mine too. Eden, his little brother, for which the situation was not always easy to manage."
o The final word:
"Transparency". We don't ask all beauty brands to be 100% clean right away, but on the other hand we must ask them to be honest. On what they do well and what they do less well. Being clean is first of all a state of mind, a way of communicating, sincere and honest before even being a framework for formulation.
Besides, I can tell you in complete transparency that I have not given up on certain products like my nail polish or certain makeup products which are not all clean! But I do it knowingly, and that’s what makes all the difference.”
Find the 5 things to know about Clean Beauty from Skin School with Candice at Seasonly.
