Stella McCartney skincare wants to take clean beauty to the next level

“My aim was to reinvent refills, which I’ve done through the creation of reusable bottles made from recycled glass and super-light and soft refills that are obtained from certified renewable sources and are recyclable. If you refill once, you lower your impact on climate change by a third, if you refill twice – it’s by half and you can also use the refill on its own, reducing the impact by two thirds. I find that very cool.”

Another important point of difference that contributes to the brands superior sustainability credentials, is that they have adopted a “slow” ethos, i.e. it’s not launching with dozens of products, nor does it have plans to launch them in the future. Instead, Stella McCartney skincare consists of a very concise curation of three products – a cleanser, serum and moisturiser.  “I think there is a need to simplify our routines – to pare it down to the essentials,” Stella says. 

“What I’ve seen over the last five to ten years – and particularly when we compare to skincare routines in the 90s – is that people can over complicate and over consume skincare, and then when those products aren’t used many are thrown away and end up as landfill. Our skin is very good at looking after itself. It is an ecosystem, just like nature. That is why I have created a new essential skincare line and why I have launched with just three products.”

First, there’s the 2-in-1 Reset Cleanser, that melts away makeup along with impurities like pollution without disrupting the skin’s natural pH. Then, there’s the Alter-Care Serum, which took two years to perfect and boast some impressive, dermatologically-assessed results including a 123% boost in nourishment, and a reduction in dark circles by 50%. Finally, the Restore Cream reduces visible wrinkles by 51% by delivering essential hydration, strengthening the skin barrier and improving elasticity. Pretty impressive.