Emma Peters, Founder of Aleph Beauty. Image supplied.
These days it’s easy to find beauty brands boasting about being natural or vegan, animal-cruelty free, sustainable and ethically produced but quite often you will find that these beauty brands will be one thing but not the others. For example, a brand that claims to be animal-cruelty free will quite often have a lot of toxic chemicals that are harmful to humans, a natural beauty brand may be natural but comes in a plastic jar or tube or a product that comes in sustainable packaging has been somewhat tested on animals so it’s easy to see that “natural beauty” can be quite contradictory.
As people are starting to wake up and realising that everything we do and everything we consume has an astounding effect on the planet the demand for natural and sustainable products becomes higher. More and more brands are trying hard to fit the mould to give the consumer what they are asking for and ultimately, lessen their impact on the environment. But there is one small New Zealand based beauty brand that is rising up and standing out from the rest, to become the ultimate example of conscious beauty – that brand is Aleph Beauty.
Aleph Beauty was founded by Emma Peters, a professional makeup artist with over 20 years in the industry, who has been pioneering the use of natural cosmetics for her entire career. Tired of carrying around a huge makeup kit filled with bottles and tubes that never saw the light of day but reluctant to throw these perfectly good products out and only really using about 10 percent of what she owned, Emma realised she needed to make a change. With an already acquired love for natural beauty and sustainability, Emma saw a gap in the market for a conscious beauty brand that ticked all of the boxes and this is how Aleph Beauty was born.
Her brand is a boutique, multi-functional but modest range of beauty products that each serve a multitude of purposes making them super versatile and easy to use. Aleph Beauty is cruelty-free, GMO-free, fragrance-free, vegan, ethically produced and sustainable for the planet with the packaging being plastic-free and biodegradable. Each of the products are sourced and developed from naturally active ingredients which each serve their purpose to help increase the cellular metabolism of the skin and protect the skin from environmental aggressors. Some of the main ingredients include, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Organic Totarol, Cold Pressed Jojoba Seed Oil and Coenzyme Q10.
We asked founder Emma Peters to explain how to use the functions of each of the key ingredients and here’s what she had to say:
Alaria Esculenta Extract Seaweed is brimming with powerful nutrients and nourishing vitamins like Vitamin A, B12, C and E. This underwater cocktail of goodness keeps you healthy, fights free radicals, increases your cell turnover rate and keeps your skin firm and radiant. Alaria Esculenta is an eco-certified oil extracted from a species of brown algae. It’s dense with amino acids, powerful antioxidants, vitamins and minerals – aka all of the things our skin loves. While something that originates from brown algae might not sound particularly glam, it’s truly unrivaled when it comes to promoting gorgeous skin.
Organic Totarol is nature’s super antioxidant. Its naturally occurring preservative qualities make it a perfect organic alternative to chemical synthetic preservatives, commonly loaded into our everyday cosmetics marked as “natural”.
More than three times stronger than Vitamin E, Totarol is a force to be reckoned with. Its powerful antioxidant properties neutralise free radicals linked to skin ageing. In other words, it slows down the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and spots. Scientific studies have also proven the value of its antimicrobial activity. These studies show Totarol prevents a raft of bacterial infections like our old foe, acne. So, it’s hardly surprising that many skin brands are quickly adding this to their anti-acne formulas.
Cold Pressed Jojoba Seed Oil is a fabulous ingredient to use in makeup because of its similarity to human sebum. Jojoba seed oil has protective and nourishing properties and easily penetrates deep into the skin, helping to reduce water loss by forming a protective film. Historically, jojoba oil extracted from the seed was used by Native Americans to treat sores, cuts and wounds. It assists in regulating sebum production, making it a great choice for all skin types including oily skin.
Finally, Coenzyme Q10 is a nutrient that occurs naturally in the body and is in many of the foods we eat. A fat-soluble vitamin, it is responsible for cell protection and energy production in the body. Studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 can significantly reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve the appearance of aged skin. This is due to its powerful antioxidant properties, which help to protect the skin from UV damage, stimulate healthy collagen production and breakdown substances that wreak havoc on the skin’s support structure. Topical application of CoQ10 also has anti-inflammatory properties and is a potent moisturiser with liposomes easily penetrating deep into the skin to minimise water loss.
Aleph Beauty’s small but multi-functional range of products all serve their own purposes but can also be mixed together to create a bigger kit, without the added products. The range includes a concealer and foundation in-one with five shades ranging from light to dark and each shade can be applied from lightweight to full-coverage. The kit also includes a range of cheek and lip tints with six different naturally derived shades, each designed with the natural hues of the human body in mind. The serum/primer is the latest addition to the range, this product is palm-oil free and is designed to nourish, prepare and protect the skin for makeup application. You may also use the oil to mix in with the concealer/foundation to create a lightweight base, similar to the consistency of a bb cream for a more natural coverage. Finally, the range includes the diffuser brush which is created to be 100% vegan, helping to deliver a seamless, professional application of foundation and the radiance pot which is a multi-functional product to help transform your makeup using a glowing shade for the eyes, cheeks and lips.
To find out more about Aleph Beauty and their products you can check out their website.
Images supplied.