When did you first know you wanted to enter the world of beauty ?
Charlie: We have both always loved skincare and makeup, but i dont think either of us thought that we would set up our own beauty company together. The idea for Found Clean Beauty was really born out of frustration around just how hard it was to look for truly clean beauty products that had been properly screened for known toxins, and how difficult it was to understand what the ingredients were in these products as well as decipher what different claims such as ‘free-from’ and ‘natural’ actually meant. In many ways we were trying to fill a need that we had, and create a place that we would feel comfortable shopping at.
Describe your career arc which has resulted in the launch of Found Clean Beauty?
Zoe: Charlie and I have been friends for almost 30 years since we met at university. We both studied for a design degree but our careers took us in different paths. I went into designing retail stores, spas and hotels and advising companies on future retail strategies. When Charlie relocated to Australia one of her first jobs was working for the pioneering biodynamic skincare brand Jurlique where she learnt about how they formulated their products and the different ingredients that go into making them. She also gained a wealth of experience over the years in helping to set up companies for other people. Even if we didn’t realise it at the time, looking back at our careers we gained many different skills that we have been able to utilise when setting up our own company.
How did your personal experience lead to the launch of Found Clean Beauty?
Zoe: Following a stage 3 cancer diagnosis, Charlie wanted to re-think the way she treated her body. As well as other lifestyle changes, this also meant taking a really close look at the ingredients in products she used every day. One of the hardest products she found to source was replacements for the conventional beauty products she has been using for years. Trying to navigate the different marketing claims, shopping from multiple sources and having to really dig deep into each ingredient list to make sure there were no toxins was really time-consuming. She wanted to set up a company where for those consumers looking to make the switch to clean beauty products, there was an easy option, where all your beauty needs were covered under one roof and that you had confidence that someone else had done all the hard work for you when looking into the safety of the ingredients.
With Charlie it was a life changing illness which was the catalyst for launching the company, but people look to embrace a lower-tox lifestyle for many reasons. It could be an illness, or a particular time in their life, for example pregnancy, a newborn or body changes during menopause or it could simply be that as in my case that you are looking to embrace a more mindful, gentler lifestyle that looks at prioritizing less toxins.
Tell me more about the toxic ingredients you found in traditional beauty products and how you became demystified by this?
Charlie: It's important to note that we luckily live in a part of the world that is regulated far more than most, with the UK and EU having some of the highest restrictions in the world. That said, we would like to see the regulations far stricter. Removing all known toxins and conducting further research on suspected toxins.
At Found we look for any ingredients that are known or suspected, carcinogens like Titanium Dioxide, endocrine disruptors, which in some cases even in a small amount can disrupt your hormonal system affecting everything from fertility to cell development, such as Phthalates and organ, neuro and cell toxins such as Acrylates found in lash glues and film-forming products such as nail polish.
When these ingredients are tested in labs, it is generally over a short period of time at a much higher level than are allowed in each product. However, the fact that women especially can use around 12-16 different products a day over many years, if your body is not processing these chemicals and excreting them quickly they can build up and cause health problems. They are not testing for the ‘cumulative’ or ‘cocktail’ effect of all these different chemicals in our bodies. So in effect, we are human guinea pigs.
What ingredients are no-gos for Found Clean Beauty?
Zoe: We screen for over 150 different chemicals, some of these may fall under the same group of ingredients such as PFA’s, Paraben, certain Chemical UV filters or Formaldehyde releasers. To make it easier for our customers to learn about and understand what the issues are with these ingredients, we have formed our No-Go Ingredients page which categorises each ingredient under the health concern it is associated with.
We continue to monitor this as new research becomes available, or further ingredient restrictions are put in place by governing bodies.
What sets Found Clean Beauty apart?
Charlie: Before we even launched the site we spent over 2 years researching the ingredients used in beauty and skincare products. We first went to the source and read white papers and published scientific testing reports on ingredients.
We also looked at the research done by charities such as breast cancer UK, and websites such as The EWG and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in association with the breast cancer prevention partners. As well as latest research from Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) who advise the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards and research coming from the European commission.
It was as a result of this process we were able to understand what, and why certain ingredients were problematic.
When did the brand launch and how has it evolved since?
Zoe: We launched the website in April 2024, our focus was really on telling our story highlighting the information we had researched and introducing the brand to the market. We have had a big focus as well this year on connecting with our customers and building a really lovely engaged community.
What are some of your favourite products currently available on the site that you personally use?
Zoe: I love Josh Rosebrook’s Hydrating Accelerator Toning Mist and have it in my bag all the time. It’s a lovely way to keep your skin glowing and fresh during the day. It really helps accelerate hydration, so I use it before applying my morning and evening skincare especially before applying a hydraulic serum.
Ollie e Osso tinted balms are perfect as they’re so multi-tasking. I alway have one in my bag and use them on my eyes, lips, and cheeks. They’re perfect for compact carrying, and you can’t go wrong as they’re easy to blend. My perfect shade is ‘Tea Rose’ – I add a touch to my eyelids and cheeks for a fresh, healthy daytime look.
I use the Innersense hydrating Hairbath, this really gentle shampoo is the perfect level of moisture for my hair, it can get oily at the roots so I find I don’t need conditioner when I use it.
Charlie: Evolve’s Blue Tansy Beauty Balm - such an amazing all-rounder for removing makeup, a deep moisturising face mask or just for dry elbows! KORA Organics Turmeric range, I use this cleanser every morning, a beautiful minty smell wakes me up and the moisturiser is one of the best i’ve used for my dry skin. The Magnetic Blush’s by Madara are also amazing, beautiful pigmented colour without the nasties.
How do you vet brands before featuring them on the website?
Zoe: We don’t compromise when it comes to screening so we always screen on a product level not a brand level. We check every ingredient that is in the product against our no-go list and if there is even one, we don't stock it. What we have found is that most of the problematic ingredients are either the filler, to make the product feel a certain way on your skin or hair, preservatives or fragrance (often listed as Parfam or fragrance). It is entirely possible to switch out these ingredients with safer alternatives, whilst maintaining the same active ingredients that actually does most of the work on your skin. There are some really progressive brands out there who work really hard to positively push the beauty industry forward by creating really clean, safe formulas and are incredibly transparent with their labelling. We are really proud to be able to champion them.
What clean beauty trends do you anticipate dominating in 2025?
Charlie: The trends seem to be coming from both ends of the spectrum. On the one hand the beauty industry is being driven towards a more AI-lead personalised skincare space, which can have great benefits, but for clean beauty specifically, there is a much bigger push towards increasing the health of the skin microbiome as well as building and supporting a healthy skin barrier, enabling the skin function at its optimal level. Now there is a greater understanding of some of these amazing active ingredients in products they can become much more targeted as well as multitasking.
On the other end of the spectrum there is also an increase in softer living. It may be a reflection of what is happening in the wider world, but there is definitely an ever growing trend towards slower and more conscious approach to beauty, with an emphasis on the benefits of rituals, slowing down and enjoying the moment, caring about communities and production methods & moving away from the big players and supporting smaller, local brands that care. We really hope that this is a trend that sticks around for our health, wellbeing and the environment.
What has been your proudest achievement to date?
Charlie: Without doubt, it's when we receive emails from our customers saying that they are really happy they have found us and love what we are doing. They generously take the time to tell us their story and the reasons why they look to use clean beauty. It’s so inspiring and it's why we started in the first place. We know how important personal wellness journey’s can be and so never take our part in that lightly.
What does a typical day look like to you?
Charlie: We are both working mums so the day usually starts pretty early with a cup of tea before the rest of the house is awake. I’ll try and get some exercise in before breakfast, ideally outside if it's light enough, but sometimes it's nice to have that quiet time to yourself before the day starts. Once the school drop offs are done we both head into the office which is close to our homes and so are able to arrive around the same time. We are both very driven so tend to jump straight into business as soon as we get there and have clear goals we want to achieve that day. Whilst we work really hard, working with your best friend, never really feels like work and we do try to make time to stop and enjoy the journey, we have a very similar sense of humour so there have definitely been a lot of giggles along the way. Once we leave the office, its switching back to mum mode and spending the evening with our the family.
What is it about the beauty industry that continues to inspire you?
Zoe: The beauty industry is constantly evolving. There has been a huge rise in independent brands coming onto the market in recent years, who are looking to solve a number of issues that have dogged the beauty industry that has been largely dominated by the five or so global beauty brands for so long. These independents have been a real force for change, whether it be formulating with safer ingredients or looking for ways to become more sustainable and accountable from end to end of the product cycle. There are some amazing and inspiring stories behind these brands and they deserve the recognition they are getting for moving the industry forward in a more positive way.
What does it take to be a female entrepreneur?
Charlie: I think there is another level of determination that female entrepreneurs possess as they generally tend to juggle so much more between work and home. Even with supportive families there is a requirement to be really organised and disciplined otherwise the wheels can tend to fall off. We love the collaborative nature of working with other female business owners. There is a great supportive community out there who are so willing to share experiences and skills which is so important and it's also important to pave the way for younger generations coming up, to show that women can and do hold a seat at the board room table.
What’s next for Found Clean Beauty and how would you like to see the business evolve?
Zoe: We have so many ideas on how we want to grow, at the moment we are focussing on growing our community and looking at ways in which we can increase our offering in certain areas, in particular fragrance which has a tendency to be less transparent with ingredients. In the future we would love to launch our own makeup range as we find this is one of the hardest areas to find truly clean products that look great and work beautifully.
