Our Y Factor

Beauty Independent Features Oyl + Water Founder, Rachel Roberts

As written by Rachel Brown in Beauty Independent. For natural beauty brands, the past was far easier than the future will be. Stores are swamped with eco-friendly personal care options, and customers have plenty to choose from if they’re switching away from conventional beauty products. Rachel Roberts, founder and CEO of Oyl + Water, a marketing firm that counts Beauty Heroes, Luxe Botanics, International Orange, Laurel Whole Plant Organics, MŪN and Innersense Beauty as former and current clients, argues brands must develop sharper storytelling and differentiation to stand out. “The biggest pivot point today is that it’s just not enough to be natural,” she says. “Indie natural beauty brands have an opportunity and responsibility to up their games.” Beauty Independent chatted with Roberts about buzzwords, trite terms and the emerging language of the green beauty segment.  

COMMANDING THE MODERN PHILOSOPHY OF AGING

Here’s some good news: natural beauty brands have pioneered a growing-old-gracefully message that’s catching on across the beauty market. Here’s some less good news: those pioneering natural beauty brands could loose ground as traditional beauty players coopt their positions against anti-aging. Roberts asserts natural beauty companies should defend their territory as acceptance rises of the inevitable. “This is the new definition of sustainable beauty,” she declares. “There is this huge myth that cosmeceuticals containing chemical agents are somehow better for our skin. It’s comparable to saying McDonald’s is better than Whole Foods. It’s crazy. We are learning skin will look better and age better over time with natural ingredients.” Roberts encourages natural beauty brands to discuss self-love and self-care at any age, and tout that their products excel at nourishing the skin of women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. “Its about going from the negative to the positive,” she says. “We can shift from a conversation about fighting aging to a conversation about health, vitality and radiance.”   Read the complete feature article on Beauty Independent. 

Leave a Reply