THE STORY BEHIND THE BRANDS
WHAT WAS YOUR DRIVING FORCE INTO RESEARCHING PLANT EXTRACTS?
In the mid-2000s, I noticed that beauty companies were starting to use plant extracts to seemingly only look good on labels. They added such tiny amounts that likely had no effect on your skin. With my background in oil products, I knew plants had real power. That led me to then test existing plant extracts that were available at the time, and I found that most were just coloured water with no skin benefits.
I then started to investigate how people made these extracts. They soaked fresh or dry plants in liquids like alcohol, water, or glycerine for weeks. This process just created liquid from rotting plants which destroyed the good nutrients. To remedy this, companies then added man-made chemicals to the liquid, calling it a "standardised" extract.
I wanted to change this, so I set out to create a real plant extract. My goal was to make something comparable to synthetic chemicals, giving your skin the same benefits as eating the fresh plant would.
WHAT IS THE BRAND ETHOS BEHIND BIOLOGI?
Firstly, I need to explain where the brands ethos comes from.
Humans and plants evolved together and that is why plant nutrients are critical to our well-being. These nutrients need to be delivered in the same delivery system that plants produce and nothing more. It has taken millions of years for the human body to develop to where it is today with plant nutrients powering the beneficial changes in us. The human body has developed unique pathways for the uptake of plant nutrients, and these pathways are activated by the plant liquid matrix that carries the plant nutrients.
For the human body to benefit from nutrients they need to be from a plant source, in the plant’s liquid matrix.
WHY DID YOU DEVELOP A SKINCARE BRAND?
I knew that plant extracts were so beneficial for the skin in so many ways. I decided to bring a skincare range to market that proved this, and Biologi was born. Today, we have hundreds of customer testimonials stating that Biologi has changed their skin for the better.
When you launched Biologi, you chose the power of Australian botanicals, including Kakadu Plum, Finger Lime and Davidson Plum. Why did you choose those specific plants to launch with and what makes them so unique?
I chose the Australian natives as several of them grow in the region I live and accessing them and understanding their biodiversity was important. These indigenous plants are termed “living fossils” which means they closely resemble ancestors. The species are highly abundant in plant nutrients that the human body needs and contain the liquid matrix that the body requires to deliver them. There was also a need to support the growers of these unique plants for the industry as a whole to prosper.
Biologi has a very small ingredient list! What ingredients would you never use in a skincare formula and why?
With what I know understand about how the body takes up nutrients, what is required to deliver these nutrients effectively and most importantly knowing the nutrients and compounds the body will except and use I would say anything that is synthetic/naturally derived.
Many brands talk about the compounds they don’t contain so you don’t focus on what they do contain. One example of this is indicating a product that contains ‘no glycols’ while listing the compound 1,2 propanediol which is propylene glycol! Of course there are many others.
WHAT BIOLOGI SERUM DO YOU USE ON YOUR SKIN EVERY DAY?
I use the Biologi Bm RegenerateAnti-Ageing Serum. I love it and use it every day.
What is your favourite plant extract and why?
Finger lime extract is my favourite because of the amount of phyto-nutrients it contains and how well it works for so many people with skin issues. Bf Restore Serum is the extract of Finger Lime and today it is the number 1 product in the Biologi range.
You talk about phyto-actives – what are they?
Phyto-actives are the nutrients found in plants. There are presently 50,000 – 130,000 phyto-nutrients found in the plant kingdom. Phyto-nutrients act like a natural shield for your body by cleaning up cell damage (as an antioxidant), to reduce swelling (as an anti-inflammatory), as a defence against severe diseases, balancing hormones and immunity. My golden rule is to always source from plants.
You mentioned you use a revolutionary extraction technique, called C.L.E.C.S™ II. Can you explain this process in simple terms?
C.L.E.C.S.™ is a unique extraction process which I created in 2017. As mentioned earlier other extraction techniques have their failings, and I wanted to eliminate these while also extracting the full plant profile of phyto-nutrients along with the unique liquid matrix the plant creates. C.L.E.C.S.™ creates an environment around the plant material that allows the nutrients and liquid matrix to flow through the cellular structure of the plant into the extraction vessel. The entire process takes only a few hours. In 2019, we further developed and refined the extraction system to create C.L.E.C.S.™ II extracts. These extracts are only used in the Biologi serum products, making them unique.
WHICH KEY ELEMENTS DO YOU CONSIDER VITAL FOR OPTIMAL SKIN HEALTH?
My opinion is skincare products should only contain ingredients that the skin needs. I believe that ingredients in skincare should come directly from plants in a delivery system that plants produce and at levels that do not exceed what the body requires.
You also have an interest in essential oils, can you explain a little about how they work and what to consider if using in a skincare formula?
I have worked with essential oils for over 30 years of my professional career. One of the businesses I founded is Phytoverse, which is a wholesales essential oil company that I still operate today, stocking over 200 different types.
Essential oils are extracts from plants as well but are extremely concentrated. They are made up of hundreds of volatile organic compounds. Essential oils trigger your limbic system which is your emotional control centre which can help with sleep, stress, anxiety, energy and brain focus. They can soothe physical pain and muscle aches and may be used in the home for cleaning.
When using in a skincare product you need to consider the type of emotional trigger you would like your consumer to feel while incorporating the oil or oils at a percentage that is below irritancy and sensitivity limits to ensure your customer doesn’t become sensitised.
Biologi have face and body oils as part of their range. Can you explain the benefits of choosing cold pressed, unrefined oils and why they are so good for the skin?
Cold pressed oils have little processing. When kept in the first pressed state (unrefined), they retain the vitamins and essential fatty acid elements which are critically important to our health. That is the reason Biologi Br Rosehip Oil is a vivid orange/red - it’s the vitamin E and A content while Biologi By Blackberry Seed Oil has a deep green hue to the vitamin K content. Both these oils also contain significant amounts of Alpha Linoleic Acid.