Today the second interview of Power Women in Beauty, this time with Erica van den Broek from Abysk. Every week I interview Power women who have realized their own brand in the beauty industry, have you read the previous interview?
I have already written an articles about the vegan brand Abysk several times. I’m especially a fan of the Facial Cleanser, this cleanser is oil-based and can be applied to dry skin. My favorite way to remove my makeup. In the interview you read that this is also a personal favorite of Erica and where else you can use it for.
ABYSK
Frieda – What does a working day look like for you as the founder of Abysk?
Erica – Before my working day starts I get on the cross trainer. Sweat out all the waste of the night and then drink a large glass of water with lemon juice and squeezed ginger. Then the computer turns on and I get to work. It is never boring and a day ends in no time. It often happens that I continue working in the evenings or at the weekend. But that’s okay, on the contrary. It is also so much fun to develop ideas further and whether it is during the day, in the evening or on the weekend, I really don’t care. Because what a nice job I have!
Frieda – Can you share with us what you keep in mind when creating products.
Erica – My starting point is to use natural ingredients that are first and foremost safe for the skin, but also don’t cause damage to your body or the environment. I’m looking for active and active substances, each with a powerful function to give the skin what all skin types need; moisturize, nourish and protect. I develop products based on the principle that they are multifunctional. For example, our cleanser and oils have multiple functions. Saves packaging.
Frieda – Do you have a personal favorite among your own products?
Erica – Actually two products; 1st our Facial Cleanser, for 2 reasons;
- Facial cleansers often dry out the skin in such a way that your skin feels very tight. Our cleanser is oil-based, no water has been added, so a facial mist or lotion is not necessary to bring the skin back into balance. In fact, thanks to the hydrating and nourishing ingredients, your skin immediately feels very pleasant and hydrated and the Facial Cleanser removes all make-up or SPF from the skin without any effort.
- Facial Cleanser is multifunctional, you can also use the cleanser as a shaving gel. Remove all unwanted hair without drying the skin as is often the case with shaving gels. Cleaning and depilation with 1 product is ideal!
Second our Facial Oil, again for 2 reasons;
- This is such a fine facial oil because it contains Abyssinian oil very high doses and the addition of bilberry oil and some other fine oils makes the Facial Oil packed with natural antioxidants. The skin not only feels well hydrated but also looks well nourished with a silky soft glow.
- With Facial Oil, a separate eye make-up remover isn’t necessary. I also use this oil to take my eye makeup off. Moist cotton wool, 2 drops of facial oil and not only is the make-up off, but the delicate skin of the eyes is also immediately well cared for. No separate eye make-up remover needed, one more product less in the bathroom.
Frieda – What do you find most challenging as an entrepreneur?
Erica – I would like to go a step further. By continuing to learn and develop, I hope to enrich and grow as a person. It remains a challenge to create beautiful skincare without a “dusty” image. Natural and vegan skincare is often labeled “boring”. I didn’t want this for my products. I strive to develop beautiful products that are good and safe for the skin, but also look beautiful in the bathroom. With as few ingredients and products as possible, still give your skin what it needs without compromising the efficacy, quality and appearance of the product.
Frieda – I feel most beautiful when…
Erica – I had a mini facial. Especially in the evening, after a long (busy) working day my skin can look tired. My skin improves when I perform every action in my step-by-step plan with a facial massage. I use a warm compress cloth after cleaning, which already opens the pores well. I massage the facial oil into the skin with light upward pressure. This gives my skin a boost and because of the circulation it immediately looks rosy. If my skin really needs a boost, I put another balm over it. I also give myself a facial massage with the balm. When I look in the mirror again, my skin looks beautiful and fresh. This does not alter the fact that I also become very happy when I dress nicely and feel super feminine! But that is more of a mindset: when you feel beautiful, you also radiate it.
Frieda – Tell us a little more about Abysk’s main ingredient, Abyssinian oil.
Erica – Discovered by accident during a holiday. Because I did not know this oil yet, I bought it and tried it. I was immediately enthusiastic. This is such a fine oil because it is light and transparent and suitable for every skin type. It absorbs quickly into the skin and because it contains so many fatty acids, the lipid barrier is well protected so that the moisture is retained in the skin. Which is very nice because every skin type needs moisture. In addition, Abyssinian oil doesn’t clog pores. It has a comedogenic rating of 0, which means it doesn’t clog pores and helps balance the skin’s natural oil production. So it is also very suitable for people with oilier skin. And last but not least, this oil provides relief from skin irritations. Sensitive skin and people with rosacea or psoriasis experience a lot of relief when using Abyssinian oil. All this together means that the oil can be called a beauty oil, purely because of its skin-improving properties.
Frieda – What inspired you to bring Clean Beauty products to the market?
Erica – For years I have been allowed to work with beautiful skin care products and also used them myself. Nevertheless, I ran into problems in particular with clients. They neatly used the entire range, often had an eye serum, eye cream, day cream with serum, night cream with serum at home. How could it be that people returned to the salon after 6 or 8 weeks with skin problems? This had to be due to other factors, after all, they used whatever they “had to” use.
This was the reason for me to delve more into the combinations ingredients and cosmetics, and food and cosmetics. It quickly became clear to me that certain chemical, but also natural ingredients, can irritate the skin considerably. This can go well for a long time until there comes a time when the skin starts to react to certain, often irritating ingredients. You don’t see this, but the skin barrier (your jacket) breaks down little by little. This makes you susceptible to bacteria (pimples, rosacea), wind and cold (dehydration, eczema). That’s why I advise people to use skin products that do what they are supposed to do; moisturize, nourish and protect the skin without affecting the skin barrier.
I eventually started making products myself, purely for myself because I couldn’t find good products. When I had found natural products, it turned out that there were all kinds of fragrances or other unnecessary ingredients in them. To be fair, a perfume or natural fragrance oils ensure that your product smells good, but despite the fact that these are natural fragrances, it can cause a lot of damage to your skin. So many products contain substances that I would rather not have on my skin. I wrote a lot of lists, made all kinds of things and a lot failed until the product got better and better and I made the right product for myself. The funny thing is that my boys encouraged me to “do something with this”. Normally I always stimulated my sons to do what is their passion. I received this “lesson” back from them. Very exciting of course, but eventually took this step and the recipes were worked out professionally.
I wanted to make products that are good (moisturizing, nourishing, protecting) and safe (no harmful or irritating substances) for the skin. Why use chemical ingredients when nature has so much to offer us too? Why use animal ingredients when vegetable oils and extracts can provide the skin with moisture, fats and antioxidants?
We try to be as sustainable as possible. Oils are packaged in violet glass bottles. Because this glass doesn’t transmit light, the oil is best protected against oxidation in this way. Facial Cleanser and Balm are packaged airtight. A vacuum package where no more oxygen can reach and the last bit of product can be completely pumped out. Both packaging are recyclable.
Frieda – As an experienced beautician and former own beauty salon, what is your Beauty philosophy?
Erica – I believe that anyone can have healthy and beautiful skin, regardless of age or skin type. If you want to go for a healthy and radiant skin, try to take these 3 pillars into account as much as possible; 1. Good cosmetics 2. Healthy food 3. Healthy lifestyle.
Everyone wants to grow old beautifully. Unfortunately, it is not possible to stop the aging process, but luckily we can slow it down. It’s not a matter of just using the right skin products and you’re done. A healthy diet and lifestyle are also inextricably linked to radiant skin.
Perfection doesn’t exist, imperfections do. Everyone has them, some embrace them and others become very insecure about this and radiate it. We often set the bar high for ourselves and we often look at others. I know women and men with imperfections and they can be very attractive because they have a beautiful and radiant skin with a smile line or a pigmentation spot.
Also look further, think “out of the box” and not just what “has to”. When you experience skin problems such as acne, don’t scrub your skin unnecessarily to get it “clean”. By exfoliating you will unnecessarily destroy the skin, giving bacteria an even greater chance. Sensitive skins or people with rosacea would do well to avoid perfume or natural fragrance oils.
You really don’t have to have a handsome face to be beautiful. Personally, I think that the total picture makes someone a beautiful person. Well-groomed appearance, nicely dressed, open and strong character and all that with a healthy and radiant skin ensures that you radiate completely, regardless of your age!
Look for the products and more information about this beautiful natural brand at abysk.nl.
XO Frieda
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