Welcome to the next instalment of the #beautyinsider Q&As, where you can find out who is behind some of your favourite beauty brands, what they are working on and how they got there. This month’s guest is Laura Rudoe, Founder and CEO of Evolve Organic Beauty, a British natural skincare brand making small batches of apothecary style beauty products. I discovered the range in my local Planet Organic during one of my regular browsing trips to the beauty aisles. I’ve previously mentioned that I would never consider shopping for beauty in a supermarket but Planet Organic altogether feels like a different experience. When a shop assistant saw me scanning literally all the skincare on their shelves, he asked me if I was looking for anything in particular, then pointed me in the direction of Evolve as ‘one to watch’ with a selection of great products. I was intrigued. A shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion review later, I wanted to find out a more about Evolve and how it all started, so as my guest for this month’s beauty Q&A, Laura shares some of the brand’s star ingredients (natural of course) and what she gets up to outside of work.

1. Let’s start from the beginning: every beauty brand has a story, what is Evolve Beauty’s?

I am a passionate advocate of ethical and environmentally friendly businesses as well as natural and sustainable living, so just over 10 years ago in 2008 I set up Good Ventures as an ethical development company with the mission to create new organic personal care brands that make a difference. My first range was Evolve Beauty which was launched in 2009. My aim for Evolve was to make organic beauty desirable, affordable and accessible to a wider audience. Evolve is a modern apothecary-style brand for skin, body and hair, made with the purest and most effective organic oils and natural superfoods. Each product is vegan, cruelty free and handmade in small batches by our team of artisans in a studio in Hertfordshire.

2. I always find the inspiration behind a brand name intriguing – how did the name Evolve Organic Beauty come about?

The definition of Evolve is “to change or develop slowly, often into a better, more complex or more advanced state”. The idea is to help people take small steps towards being a little healthier and greener in their everyday lives.

3. Insider news please! What natural beauty trends would you say we should look out for?

In terms of exciting developments I see on the horizon, I do think that more water-free products will be increasingly in demand, as well as probiotics in skincare. Probiotics are the “good” live bacteria that help keep your gut healthy. They have been shown to support a healthy immune system and are good for your skin as they can target issues like acne, rosacea, eczema and premature ageing. In skincare, as probiotics break down on skin’s surface, they create wonderful new ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides and vitamins. This in turn leads to diminished signs of ageing, better hydration, and radiance.

The consumer is becoming more and more mindful about what they are buying and the repercussions of each purchase, so sustainability and the upcycling of ingredients will be more apparent. Consumers are looking for natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients such as Cacay Oil which is a natural alternative to retinol. This trend will definitely be seen a lot more.

4. Can you share with us some of the star ingredients in your products and their benefits?

We recently launched our Superfood 360 Serum and Multi-Peptide 360 Cream which contain some wonderful ingredients including:

• Sacha Inchi which is great for fine lines and wrinkles
• Cupuacu Butter which maintains the skins barrier to improve hydration
• Cacay Oil which contains natural bioretinol, helping to improve cellular regeneration

Our Hyaluronic Serum 200 remains our best seller as our customers love how it provides intense hydration and boosts collagen.

5. As founder of a natural beauty brand, what so far has been your proudest moment?

My proudest moments are when I hear than something I have created has helped someone. Whether this is one of our products helping to improve someone’s skin condition, or even putting a smile on someone’s face, that has to be my favourite moment.

6. Let’s get personal: what do you get up to when you’re not surrounded by beauty products?

I love my job, particularly product research and design, but when I’m not working I spend time with my 3 young children. I practise yoga, Pilates and spinning to keep active. I have also recently started a meditation practice once a day which I am finding helpful in minimising stress and avoiding insomnia.

7. And finally – What exciting projects do you have coming up in the next few months?

We are always working on new products and as we speak are about to launch an SPF and an updated version of one of our hero products, our Radiant Glow Mask which contains eco-friendly upcycled exfoliating blueberry particles. These are produced from the waste seeds obtained from the juicing industry. They are frozen at source to preserve their high level of nutrients after which the seeds are pressed to extract the oils. The remaining seeds are then freeze dried and crushed to create the exfoliating particles that delicately buff away dead skin cells leaving skin smooth, soft and brightened.

If you have any burning questions you’d like to ask Laura why not leave a comment below? Or you can get in touch with Evolve directly on Instagram.