The Skin Pantry is one of the leading clean beauty brands on Sublime Life and has a lineup of some of the best organic, natural ingredient-rich skincare essentials. We had the pleasure of interviewing the founder, Colette Austin, and here’s us throwing spotlight on this exceptional clean beauty brand. Read on to know more.
Tell us a little about your inception journey, your inspiration, and what kept you on the growth path?
The Skin Pantry started out in my kitchen in 2015. A few health setbacks forced me to relook at my food and personal care choices, and opt for organic ones instead. There were not many options in the market at the time, with product credentials and promises that were dodgy to say the least. I found that the term 'natural' to be a very blurred word, oft used in an industry with very little regulation. Besides, the fine print on most 'natural' product labels were full of words like paraben, sulphate, phthalate etc and various chemical names I couldn't pronounce. Out of necessity, I decided to make my own skin care products, using kitchen ingredients to formulate emulsions and creams. At first I made the products for myself, but there was always lots left over, so jars were filled and handed out to family and friends to try out. Soon requests were made for refills, which was when I decided to take it seriously and create a brand. Quite naturally the name The Skin Pantry came to mind, simply because ingredients from the kitchen larder and cabinets were used to formulate the products.
My 30+ year background in advertising & brand identity design held me in good stead, enabling me to position, package and create a distinctive brand personality. From 2015-2019 I whipped up orders every day, received by email or message, as well as filled, labelled, packaged, invoiced and dispatched the same. I also managed the sourcing, ordering of raw materials, ingredients and packaging formats, while maintaining a small Instagram presence. The brand trended, got written about and received an encouraging response and eventually became an invested partnership firm called The Skin Mill LLC, launched in November 2019, to which The Skin Pantry brand and factory belong.
What is the USP that makes you unique in your category?
The Skin Pantry is a range of handcrafted skincare products, made fresh to order in micro batches, with certified organic, natural and plant based ingredients, created on the belief that beauty should be good for you!
Our range includes our signature Skin Smoothies Non Soap Facewashes, Face Moisturisers, Face & Body Scrubs, Body Milks and Body Butters.
No nasties here; no chemical ingredients, no chemical preservatives to ‘pickle’ our ingredients for years (which is why our products have a 3 month shelf life, and even our preservatives and emulsifiers are Ecocert and organic, 100% plant and vegetable based), no synthetic stabilisers, no petrochemicals, no fillers, no sulphates, no silicones, no parabens. We are also vegan and cruelty-free.
The Skin Pantry is skin food. Literally.
The brand's philosophy is based on the belief that 'you shouldn't put on your skin what you wouldn't put it in your mouth'. The brand promises a deeply nourishing, honest-to-goodness, chemical-free range of skincare products, with the sensorial appeal of delicious food, with its textures, aromas and ingredients, encouraging the customer to delight in her skin care ritual, to revel and savour the product experience, as one would a fine dessert.
The products are freshly handmade and hand-packed in small batches, with potent certified organic ingredients sourced from all over the world, which don't only do good, but feel good and smell divine as well. Our 100% chemical free claim begs a one year only shelf life for our products, which is proof of product purity and integrity, and ensures that our products are made fresh.
Also, in keeping with our chemical-free philosophy, we do not use chemicals to clean our surfaces and equipment. Even our washing liquid/solvent is plant based and detergent free. Ours is possibly the only factory permitted in the heart of Mumbai as we have zero emissions and zero chemical waste.
Despite the absence of any chemical preservatives, our products score very high on safety/hygiene lab tests.
1. Decadent, delicious and divine....all our creamy moisturisers, body milks, scrubs, smoothies and clays are perfect recipes for glowy, healthy, happy skin. Handmade from scratch, using the finest organic butter bases drizzled with organic virgin cold pressed oils, spiced and sprinkled with nature’s heavenly fragrances and served up in little jars.
2. Our ingredients are plant based, organic, ethically sourced and vegan. We procure them from India and around the world (Madasgascan Vanilla Beans, Bulgarian Lavender, Ghanian Shea and Cocoa Butters, French Pink and Green Clays, Rhassoul Clay from Morocco, Italian Lemon, Bergamot and Bitter Orange oils, Sri Lankan Coconut Pulp etc)
3. We use no chemical preservatives, sulphates, parabens stabilisers etc
4. We do not bleach, deodorise, heat, stabilise our ingredients, as these processes all require chemicals. In fact we prefer working with the raw earthiness of our amazing ingredients. We fold in incredibly pure mixes of organic and essential oils to come up with formulations that not only leverage raw phytonutrients, but also deliver sensorially.
We insist on formulating with ingredients in their purest, organic, raw and natural states in order to transfer their nutrient potency to your skin. This way, our products are immediately absorbed and accepted and nourished by even the most sensitive of skin types.
5. Our ingredients are stored in glass or metal containers, in a climate controlled raw material room at an evenly controlled temperature of 24 degrees at all times. We are mindful that our precious ingredients too, have a shelf life, as they are all plant and vegetable based.
6. We make our products fresh, to order. Our products are handcrafted, hand labelled, hand packed in micro batches
7. We hold ourselves to a high standard of safety and hygiene. We adhere strictly to the manufacturing SOPs laid down by the FDA. In keeping with our chemical-free philosophy, we do not use chemicals to clean our surfaces and equipment. Even our washing liquid/solvent is plant based and detergent free. Ours is possibly the only factory permitted in the heart of Mumbai as we have zero emissions and zero chemical waste. Our products score very high on safety/hygiene lab tests, despite us not using any chemical preservatives (we invariably score higher than conventional products).
The first product you created, and the last one….
First One: Vanilla Bean Drench, a face moisturiser for Dry Skin
Last: Skin Smoothie White, a Non Soap, Mineral Based Brightening Face Wash
The one product/formula/innovation you created that you’re most proud of?
I am most proud of my Skin Smoothie Soap-Free, Mineral Based Face Wash range (the range includes variants for dry, normal, oily, sensitive and acne prone skins, as well as a brightening one)
This is a unique formulation of precious carrier and essential oils, minerals and clays whipped into an organic Aloe Vera base. Cleansing is the least it does. Its a high performance product and the difference it makes to the skin is evident in the first wash. It actually deposits minerals and oils on the skin, thereby balancing the skin's own oils, thereby cleansing, toning and even hydrating the skin.
Describe your brand in 3 words?
Handcrafted Microbatch Organic
- Colette Austin, Founder The Skin Pantry
