Sunday Riley On Bridal Beauty, Botanicals and Brilliant Skin: An Exclusive Interview
With brides-to-be seeking at-home skincare solutions and consumer demand for cruelty-free products at an all-time high, more and more beauty brands are carefully combining science with nature to deliver high-speed fixes. Firing on all cylinders is skincare guru Sunday Riley…
Powered by science and balanced by botanicals, Sunday Riley launched her eponymous skincare brand in 2009 during the global financial crisis. Fusing scientifically proven ingredients with botanical elements to develop award-winning formulas that deliver instant and long-lasting results, the PETA-approved brand is adored by women and men across the globe.
Here, Editor Nina Catt catches up with the Texan founder, CEO and lead product formulator to discover the ‘power of three’ philosophy, and learns what brides-to-be should be doing in the run-up to their big-day. Notepads at the ready…
What is your brand ethos? I believe in the power of change and the ability to change your destiny to achieve what you want. Skincare is a very honest experience and skin has a profound effect on how we feel about ourselves. To have the chance to help people feel like they can be better, more confident versions of themselves, and that they can make great choices in life, that’s really an honour. Sunday Riley is built on the power of ‘yes’ and the power of positivity. We believe in curiosity, doing things differently and in making the impossible possible. Ultimately, we are a ‘yes’ brand!
Sunday Riley’s ethos and core is built on active ingredients, science-based formulations, creating the highest quality products, being an advocate for human rights, being a female-owned and founder-owned brand, being cruelty-free, sustainable and being an advocate for giving back. Everything we do from start to finish encompasses these values and is important to the functioning of every aspect of the brand.
What inspired you to create your own skincare line? Was there a lightbulb moment? I’ve always had a passion for skincare, since childhood. It’s hard to pinpoint one moment, it was more like a series of little flashes. I remember my grandma cutting aloe in her backyard for abrasions and saying how good it was for your skin. I remember my mother applying blue eyeshadow when I was young, looking like the most beautiful woman in the world. I grew up on old movies, my mother and I watched them together and everyone had this beautiful, glowy presence about them. I was just infatuated with this idea of beauty and self-care from a young age. I’d watched all of Marilyn Monroe’s films by the age of 11. When I was 12, I read that she had started using anti-wrinkle cream at the same age, so I hopped on my bike (against my parent’s wishes) and rode to the pharmacy and bought a $10 jar of pink face cream. I cherished every drop and was instantly mesmerised by skincare. I like putting products together – I like creating things and solving puzzles.
What sets you apart? I started a skincare company because I believe that I have an ability to listen to what people want, and craft formulas that can actually make a change in the way people look and feel. When we launched in 2009 there was a real hole in what I call ‘green technology,’ which is balancing science-based active ingredients with botanicals. Active ingredients are essential for optimum skin health and transformation, but there are other ingredients I love for soothing and sensitivity, like botanicals. At the time there wasn’t a real mix of that. I wanted to formulate products that achieved instant results without the downtime, which is what I did combining these two elements.
What inspires you? Something that truly drew me to create a skincare company is that I love problem-solving, and I love formulating. Really being a part of other people’s journey towards self-love and self-care is what inspires me, and what gets me up in the morning. I’ve never really considered myself an entrepreneur. The brand, the formula and skincare itself is more than just a business to me; I live and breathe skincare and I am just glad that I can share all of that with others.
What was the vision for Sunday Riley when you first started and how has it evolved or changed since inception? We launched in the midst of a global financial crisis. At the time it was a recession, and a lot of people weren’t doing something new. It was a time to be cautious. But I like a good risk so for me, it was a wonderful opportunity to start something new. Sometimes taking advantage of a slow moment is a bigger risk but that can be the perfect moment for you. I always say the perfect moment is never tied in a bow – sometimes your opportunity comes housed as chaos. We are 12 years old now, but Sunday Riley still feels brand new! When you start a brand from nothing, you’re kind of always in survival mode. You live to fight another day because you’re up against mega brands – particularly in beauty. So initially all I was focused on was staying alive, but now the vision is global visibility. I don’t think it’s gotten easier… if anything it’s more complex. We’re constantly trying to innovate, think outside the box, and show up against new competitors. But the passion is still there. I never have this feeling of ‘we’ve made it’. I’m always looking ahead. When I received a customer email recently comparing us to a huge brand with 50 years’ experience, I had to pause for a second because not only was it beyond flattering, but it served as a reminder that our customers have high expectations and we need to be consistently levelling up. It’s scary but rewarding.
You touched on sustainability and ‘green technology’. Why is this approach so important to you? As a brand, we are continuously evolving, and we always try and do better for our customers. This comes through in our pledge that we only want the absolute best available to people, that’s part of our mission. This includes ensuring we’re the best we can be in all aspects of business from product performance right through to giving back to the community and sustainability. It was important to me to ensure we’re using our business as a force of good, influencing positive change wherever we have a corporate presence. I’m a huge animal lover so it was a non-negotiable for our skincare to be cruelty-free and it always has been from the very beginning. We’re double certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA. We are also proud to be plastic neutral and a B Corp certified brand, recognised for our conscious efforts and commitment to minimising our impact on the environment.
That’s extremely applaudable. Can you elaborate on any other initiatives? Among many other things, we will also continue to support social impact initiatives. Over the years we have made significant contributions to organisations that align with our brand values. This includes planting trees around the world through ‘One Tree Planted’ where we have bedded thousands of trees across the globe, and we will continue to plant 500 trees per month internationally. I strongly believe we can achieve products that are good for the skin, good for the environment and good for you!
Which product is the hero and why do you think it’s so popular? Our hero product is Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment. Good Genes is the one product that has remained with us throughout our evolution. It embodies our philosophy of ‘powered by science, balanced by botanicals’. It’s a great product where you see instant results, which is what Sunday Riley is all about. This product is a one-stop shop – it smooths texture, brightens the appearance of dark spots, targets fine lines and instantly plumps the skin. It’s a multi-tasking, targeted lactic acid treatment that rapidly exfoliates and boosts natural youthful radiance.
I’m a huge fan myself! Any other best-sellers? Our C.E.O. range is also hugely popular in the Middle East. This includes our C.E.O. Glow, C.E.O. Rich Hydration Cream and C.E.O 15% Vitamin C Serum. Our serum includes the absolute gold standard vitamin C – THD Ascorbate/Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate. This is an extremely stable, oil soluble and ultra-powerful form of vitamin C that quickly fights the look of dullness, dark spots and discolorations at the source, while diminishing the signs of ageing caused by time, stress, lifestyle, and pollution.
And you’ve just added C.E.O. Afterglow to the family, congratulations. Please tell us about it… Vitamin C is a key part of our ‘power of three’ philosophy and the new C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream is an extension of our C.E.O. Collection in Sephora. For me, I focused on creating a lightweight texture that sinks-in quickly for all skin types, but still hydrates the skin for 24 hours. Vitamin C can be very tricky to formulate so it took hundreds of iterations to get it right. I feel like this little jar of magic is my secret weapon and I use it twice per day.
You also recently launched 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum. What was the inspiration behind that? I find mixing, formulating and working with different ingredients both challenging and rewarding. It’s a lengthy process, from sourcing the ingredients to naming the products but I love the fact that I’m able to create what I love. It differs from product to product, but I always start with the skin and a problem to solve. Our ‘power of three’ philosophy incorporates three key ingredients into your skincare routine for transformative results: AHAs, vitamin C and of course, retinol. For 5 Stars, it was of the utmost importance for me to create a retinoid eye serum for our line-up to complete the evening routine. With the increase in mask-wearing due to COVID-19, I felt there was a larger focus on the eye area so when we launched, it seemed like the right time to innovate in the eye category and extend our retinol range.
What is the biggest misconception when it comes to skincare routines or mixing certain ingredients? One of the biggest misconceptions is that it needs to be overcomplicated and follow a stringent routine or type of layering. We want skincare to be fun and accessible, a form of self-care and taking time out for yourself. My skincare philosophy is simple – everyone can benefit from incorporating AHAs, vitamin C and retinol into their skincare routine. If you’re incorporating these ingredients in some way throughout your routine, you have a recipe for radiant, healthy skin. I also think we all get a little hung-up on percentages and ensuring we are always putting the highest concentrations of active ingredients on our skin. When in fact, we sometimes need to look at the ingredients themselves, the quality of the ingredient and how they are being delivered into the skin.
What’s your best advice for brides-to-be on their journey to better skin? When should an elevated regime begin? Starting a targeted skincare routine that will combat any skin issues that matter the most is crucial, because not only does it take several skin cycles, an average of 28 days, to see noticeable changes, you also want to figure out which products and treatments work for you (and which don’t) well in advance. I recommend starting at least three to six months out from the wedding day to really work on any skin issues that might be bothersome. You can then start to optimise your skin health. This also gives ample time to build up retinol use to daily application. Find the products your skin loves and stick to a targeted routine incorporating AHAs, vitamin C, retinol and regular facials once per month. Your daily at-home skincare routine is the most important – what you’re putting on your skin day-to-day consistently is going to make a huge difference in the long run. Stick to the foundations of cleanse, active oil, serum, moisturise and eye cream. Plus load up on sunscreen every single day!
What are your tips and tricks for instant glowy-looking skin for special events? I use C.E.O. Afterglow mixed with a small amount of C.E.O. Glow, under foundation. The vitamin C works with golden turmeric for instant vibrance, a brightening effect and antioxidant defence. C.E.O. Glow is a lightweight, dry-touch oil which gives a really luminous, hydrated look to your base. To top it off, I apply a touch of Auto Correct around the eyes, along the cheekbones and on the cupids bow. Auto Correct instantly delivers a brighter, more lifted look. Plus, the pearlescent finish gives a beautifully natural highlight.
Great tip, I’ll try that. Finally, what’s next for Sunday Riley? Please share a secret… There is a lot I’m interested in at the moment, so many areas that I’m interested in expanding into – so watch this space. I just bought a farm in Italy and I’ve been experimenting with a lot of the botanicals from the land especially for body products, so stay tuned…
Images courtesy of Sunday Riley.
From the A/W22 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Bride