Indies' unconventional approach to body care

Here, Cosmetics Design looks at a selection of innovative indie body care brands with diverse approaches to the category.

Glamour ​

The body contouring brand Cheeky Physique, led by Lucy Splichal and Jesse Jimenez, “aims to banish cellulite, lackluster skin and thin lip all in time for a cocktail at happy hour,” ​according to press materials the brand recently shared with Cosmetics Design.

Cheeky Physique’s product portfolio comprises “targeted body care” ​products that are “all about plumping, firming, smoothing, tightening and treating skin with the same care and efficacy that facial skin care readily delivers,” ​as Cosmetics Design reported​ earlier this week.

Ritual ​

Yael Alkalay, launched her botanical beauty brand red flower in 1999. The red flower about page explains, “we’re founded on the principles of world traditions, sustainable sourcing, ritual, well-being and aesthetics. we offer a new approach to the concept of beauty and grooming. something that cannot be bottled, but is embraced. red flower is a calling. a ceremony to feel all of the senses. a moment taken to reconnect and restore.”​

red flower isn’t exclusively a body care brand; the product portfolio spans skin care, hair care, and fragrance as well. But the brand’s emphasis on slowing down and selfcare make products like ocean bath soak, italian blood orange purifying body wash, and wild cherry blossom rice buff stand out in the category.

Design ​

Meant is a body care brand that determined to make the category simple, stylish, and sensibly aligned with the realities of modern life. “I knew that Meant needed to stand out to do well,” ​brand founder Lindsay Knaak-Stuart told Cosmetics Design​ at IBE LA early this year, “I specifically briefed my design agency that we needed to look unlike anyone on the market and to take design cues from other industries like fashion instead.”​

“Where we landed is unique, differentiated and still speaks to both men and women” ​she says, “we’re not overly feminine and we’re not androgynous either.”​

In her recent Indie Beauty Profile​ Knaak-Stuart gives a sense of how much reach and awareness the brand has attained in its first year and a half: “In the US and Canada,” ​she says, “Meant is distributed through our own ecommerce site meantsimply.com and at select retailers, including Anthropologie, Botanica Bazaar, Neiman Marcus, and other boutiques.”​

Wellness ​

Health and wellness are increasingly important to beauty consumers. Brands like Tancream that make this connection well are winning awards and consumers. Tancream is a self-tanner that delivers both sun care and color.

In her Indie Beauty Profile​ brand co-founder Katy Foxcroft explains that “the product has been certified as Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 50 and UVA 5 star with anti-aging and moisturizing properties and therefore appealing to the health conscious market.”​

She goes on, “Alongside the sunscreen protection, the gradual daily self-tanning agents are blended using new technology to combine both systems. Manufactured in the UK, the cream will protect against burning and more serious longer term damage to the skin whilst the ultra-protection level of UVA 5 star protects against the deep penetrating UVA rays that damage dermal collagen and elastin causing premature skin aging.”​

Naturals ​

One of the most recent product launches from ayuna less is beauty “rethinks body care rituals and cleansing routines and promises spa-like benefits in the shower,” ​as Cosmetics Design reported​ following IBE NY this summer. The brand’s new Spirulite Multiactive Solid Mask is a body care treatment that’s applied in the shower and rinsed off after self-massage and a short leave-on period.

With headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, and co-founders well versed in cosmetic chemistry and spa services, ayuna is shaping up to be a go-to brand for exo-lux personal care consumers. (Read more about ayuna in this Indie Beauty Profile​.)

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.