Sisterhood and natural skincare - the Trilogy story

13 November, 2010. Brand: Trilogy Natural Skincare. Tags: Why Natural

Trilogy founders Sarah Gibbs and Catherine De Groot tell us how an amazing discovery led them to develop the Trilogy Natural and Organic skincare range, and share what motivates them to continue creating great natural skincare products.

How did Trilogy come into being, what inspired you?

Sarah: Like many new ideas the Trilogy story began with a discovery. I set up a company manufacturing ingredients from plants for the natural supplement and cosmetic industries and during this time I discovered the remarkable skin-loving properties of Rosehip oil.

I immediately shared my excitement with my beauty journalist sister, Catherine de Groot. Rosehip oil was like nothing we'd ever tried before. A pure, natural, un-fragranced oil which absorbed effortlessly into the skin leaving none of the greasy feel one expected from oil, only soft, smooth skin. After several months of trials and research into the science behind it, we were hooked and decided to launch an entire skincare range around this remarkable ingredient.

We launched Trilogy in 2002 with five face care products. Today the Trilogy range consists of over 40 face, body and hair care products.

What has been your proudest moment so far during the growth of the Trilogy brand?

Sarah: Some of my proudest moments have been receiving notes from happy Trilogy customers. Our reception in Australia has been amazing. We get glowing testimonials from happy Trilogy customers daily praising us for the effectiveness of our products as well as our ethical and environmental commitment.

If you could wave a magic eco-wand and fix just one environmental problem, what would it be?

Sarah: All individuals and businesses taking responsibility for their environmental impact and making an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.

What eco-friendly things do you do as a company?

Catherine: From the moment Sarah and I founded Trilogy, the company has taken a holistic approach and is committed to ethical, cultural and environmental sustainability. So its not just about making high-performance, 'eco-friendly' products, it's about being responsible with every choice we make, big or small, and about trying to do better ethically, environmentally and socially.

Trilogy is a carbon neutral company, we source fairly traded ingredients where possible, we produce recyclable packaging using inks and papers that are sustainably managed and we have always been strongly against animal testing.

If you could recommend just one change to our readers looking to make their lives a little greener, what would it be?

Sarah: Everyone should be in the practice of recycling and should always opt for environmentally-friendly products that are both biodegradable and recyclable.

When it comes to choosing a healthier skincare product, what are the pitfalls to avoid?

Catherine: In Australia, the use of the words ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ are not regulated. Therefore a company can label or describe products as organic or natural even if they only contain tiny amounts of organic or natural ingredients.

To ensure a product is a fully certified organic product, look for a certification body logo, such as the Bio-Gro or Eco-cert logo. Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, for example, is certified with Bio Gro. This organisation is internationally recognised for organic certification by the world’s leading authority on organic certification – IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).

Do you have a skincare tip to share with readers?

Catherine: Invest in a cleanser to balance oil on the skin’s surface such as Trilogy Cream Cleanser or Balancing Gel Cleanser. The best cleansers are those that minimise the stripping of the skin’s surface as this upsets the skin’s natural moisture barrier meaning you are more likely to get bacteria or skin irritations or excess oil production.

I would also suggest getting into the routine of exfoliating once a week with a gentle exfoliant such as Trilogy Gentle Facial Exfoliant. Simply shedding old, dull skin cells to make way for the new ones will give you a healthy glow and avoid blockages.

Do you have a favourite Trilogy product?

Catherine: I’m obviously a huge fan of all our products. Currently though, my top pick would have to be our new Sensitive Skin range consisting of Very Gentle Moisturising Cream, Very Gentle Calming Fluid and Very Gentle Cleansing Cream.

All three products have been formulated to protect the weakened skin barrier of sensitive skin and are alcohol free, fragrance free and have been dermatologically tested. The Sensitive Skin range is designed specifically for extra sensitive complexions, including skin that reacts to other skincare and is intolerant due to hormonal or environmental changes.

I’m particularly fond of our Very Gentle Calming Fluid, a beautifully soothing serum I wear daily under my moisturiser for extra comfort. I’ve found it’s also a fantastic SOS moisture boost to calm my skin when it’s experiencing flare ups.

What’s next for Trilogy?

Sarah: Trilogy has a number of exciting product launches planned for the next 12 months. These product launches will build on this busy year, which has seen the launch of the Sensitive Skin range as well as new products in the Trilogy Age Proof and Body Care ranges.