Vain Pursuits: A Behind-The-Scenes Look at an Organic Skincare Company

I’m finally taking a break for vacation this week (woohoo!) but Audrey from Vain Pursuits joins us today for a special guest post. (woohoo again!) Vain Pursuits is a Montreal-based natural skincare company that provides custom-made products tailored to your specific skincare needs. Ever wonder what it’s like to work for a natural skincare company? Audrey, the head of Vain Pursuits’ Customer Service & Marketing, is  going to give us a special peek behind the scenes:

For many of us, finding the perfect natural skincare can feel like a full-time job. And for a select few of us, it actually is! My name’s Audrey, and for the last year, I’ve been working at an organic skincare line in Montreal, Canada called Vain Pursuits. Every day, we make it our goal to fix customer’s skin issues so they can finally quit the tedious trial-and-error process for good. Our company’s philosophy is all about “skincare made for you.” That’s not just some cutesy promise – we actually create unique skincare formulas for each and every customer! All our ingredients are organic, cruelty-free, and locally sourced whenever possible.

Working at an organic skincare line, especially one where we custom blend formulas, requires a lot of creativity and attention to detail from everyone on the team. Everyone’s skin is different, and it’s no small task figuring out exactly what products will work with someone’s skin type and lifestyle. We put a lot of thought into choosing ingredients we think they’ll love. Everything we do happens in our tiny office downtown, and this time of year, we’re tucked away working, drinking coffee and trying to keep warm as the snow piles up outside!

Whenever a customer orders one of our Vain Kits, we all give a little cheer and our skincare elves (we call them “GalPals”) get to work. The GalPals take a look the customer’s skincare profile, which asks questions like “How often do you break a sweat?” and “What’s your favorite texture in a night cream?” From there, they carefully blend formulas to create three different skincare products to try out at home. Once we’ve got the right consistency, we take a look at the customer’s scent personality and add the essential oil combinations that their skin (and nose!) will adore. One thing I’ve noticed working at a natural skincare line is how few people realize the benefits essential oils can have on your skin. These concentrated fragrances can contain astringent and antiseptic properties that can help with skin issues like acne, rosacea, and fine lines. With essential oils, scent is a whole lot more than smelling good!

As a small company, everything we do is a team effort, from website building to packaging our skincare and sending it out the door. We’re an all-women team, so there are lots of late-night giggles and baked goods along the way. My favorite part of the job is definitely getting to chat with our customers every day. It’s the best way to figure out how to improve our approach to formulating, packaging, and everything in between. Each week, we feature a customer on our blog called the Vain Fit of the Week. Everyone has a ton of fun, and we get to chat with them about all things beauty and skincare. There’s really no better way to end a work week!

 

For me, the most rewarding part of working with organic skincare is getting to see people transition from all-natural skeptics into complete believers. I’ve been an organic beauty nerd for as long as I can remember, and it’s become my mission to make that philosophy ring true for everyone! Too many people think organic ingredients can’t deliver high-performance results, and it’s always fun to change somebody’s mind. Skincare is a journey – and all journeys should be holistic, earth-friendly, and personal.

If you have any questions, I’ll be hanging around the comments section! What’s your biggest frustration with skincare these days?

To learn more about Vain Pursuits and to sign up for their customized skincare kits, visit their website. Follow more of Audrey’s posts over at the Vain Pursuits blog.

 

*All photos courtesy of Vain Pursuits.