We interviewed Laura Rudoe, founder and CEO of Evolve Organic Beauty

- We already know this, but surely many of our clients don't. Could you tell us about the day you finally decided to create Evolve and what led you to that decision?

- I decided to create Evolve Organic Beauty in 2007 and started working full-time on the project in 2008. I launched Evolve in 2009. I have always been passionate about offering greener, healthier and kinder options in beauty routines. I also wanted those routines to be engaging and affordable. I called it Evolve because I wanted to evolve, change slowly, and help our clients make small changes in their lives toward something better.

- Why did you create the S5 brand first and then the Evolve brand?

Evolve went first. It was launched in 2009 and S5 in 2011. S5
Now it has transformed back into another brand that we have called Adaptology. The reason why I have created two brands is because I have wanted to evolve. Helping people lead a healthier, greener and more ethical lifestyle. S5/Adaptology is a range focused on adaptogenic solutions, ingredients to solve specific skin problems.

- What did you intend to solve or introduce with Evolve?

- I have Romanian heritage and natural and organic living was a great
part of my family's lifestyle growing up. During my teens and into my 20s I had acne. I turned to medicine and natural food. Both choices helped me improve my skin and health. I have also always been interested in ethical business and how companies can do well financially, as well as do good for their community and the planet.

After leaving Harvard Business School in 2005, I became the employee of the founder of one of the first companies
of luxury cosmetic brands: NUDE. I discovered that I loved working
in natural skin care products and spent all my free time studying natural ingredients to become an expert.

At the time, organic and ethical beauty products - in addition to being few and far between - were either expensive and inaccessible to virtually everyone or ineffective and unattractive. This inspired me to create a highly effective skincare range at affordable prices that also helps people be a little greener in their everyday lives; and thus Evolve Beauty was born.

- What was your first product and why?

When we first created Evolve, we worked with a family lab and created a capsule collection of about 12 products. This was designed to provide everything you needed to lead a healthier, greener lifestyle and provide solutions for skin, body and hair.

In our existing product range, there are only 2 left
since that first launch range. One of them is Multi Peptide 360 ​​Moisture Anti-Ageing Cream and the other is Gentle Cleansing Me, both continue to be favorite products of our customers.

- Tell us, why or for whom did you create your latest product?

- One of the last products we launched was Pro+Ectoin Soothing Cream . In recent years we discovered that many people have very sensitive skin, so we decided to launch a natural and organic cream for skin types that are prone to react. Pro+Ectoin Soothing Cream contains high-performance natural ingredients: ingredients like Ectoin and Chaga Mushroom help soothe the skin and deeply hydrate.

- Which product do you feel most emotionally connected to? Because?

- When I need some “me time” to really relax and unwind, I love using the Radiant Glow 2-in-1 Scrub Mask . Its delicious chocolate aroma is a delight and I always feel much calmer after taking 10 minutes of my day to myself.

- What ingredient(s) are you really proud of?

- Whenever possible, we choose to use fair or fair trade ingredients to support low-income workers in developing countries. This helps achieve social justice and helps safeguard vulnerable environments through the practice of sustainable agroforestry.

In recent times, the Kalahari experienced the worst drought in 80 years leaving many farmers unable to grow produce and this led to high levels of unemployment.

The Kalahari Melon is a very resistant fruit, which not only resisted this drought, but also gave a lot of hope to its community and also has great benefits for skin care.

Using Kalahari Melon Seed Oil in our Kalahari Dream Cleansing Oil means we are able to have a direct positive social impact in a remote part of the world where the effects of climate change are really being felt.

We want to share the story of “the most sustainable cosmetic oil in the world.”
market” and thank our supplier, African Origins, the world's leading producers of certified organic Kalahari melon oil.

- What ingredient/or treatments are really difficult to find in other brands?

- At Evolve we always try to make organic and natural alternatives to
basic products to offer our customers a healthier and more ecological option for everything they need. We have created a certified organic gradual self-tanning lotion . And this is very difficult to find. We have also created a certified organic hair serum and an organic concentrated serum with retinol and oil-soluble vitamin C.

- What type of skin or problem do you think Evolve has the most experience in?

- We wanted to create a range of products that were sustainable and
Greener and healthier options for all skin types. Natural products are especially suitable for sensitive skin as they contain fewer ingredients and are therefore less likely to irritate the skin as synthetic products can be very irritating.

The ingredients we choose are also more biocompatible with the skin, meaning they are great at helping replenish the skin's protective layer. Finally, we always choose natural ingredients because they help the skin age much better because they do not contain harmful ingredients that can make the skin age faster.

- I have to ask you... what Evolve product can't you live without?

- I really love all of our products, but my favorite has always been the Gentlen Cleansing Melt, one of the products that's been around since the beginning, so it's definitely a staple in my routine.

I also love trying new products and formulas, so my daily routine is always changing and it's really exciting to find formulas that I and my skin love and that might help other people too.

- You travel a lot... to get a minimal toiletry bag... what product/s
do you select?

- When I travel, I always haveHyaluronic Serum 200 on hand, to make sure my skin stays hydrated. When I travel my skin can use a little TLC , that's where Hyaluronic Serum 200 comes in as it works deep into the skin to hydrate and plump from within!

I also can't travel without our travel-sized Daily Defense Moisture Mist , as it protects against pollution and is great for quickly refreshing skin.

- Tell me, is there a product that you love and use that is not from Evolve?

- I am very lucky to be able to create all the products I need. I use products that I create myself from Adaptolog.

I love mixing and using essential oils on my body and often make
body oils using avocado oil and with drops essential oils that I create myself based on my mood and how I feel.

- Do you remember any special cosmetic products from your childhood?

- When I was a child, my Romanian grandmother and I used to make facial scrubs from oatmeal porridge, as well as masks from egg whites and honey.

-How do you see the explosion of new independent beauty brands?

- We still consider ourselves an indie brand because we are founded and financed by a woman”

In recent years there has been an explosion of new brands in the natural beauty sector. It has grown and many of the big beauty brands have entered this market as well.

I think competition is great because it offers so many options.
to customers, but it can also be confusing, especially when it comes to the provenance and ethics of products. We focus on backing up all our promises and independent third-party certifications, so customers can rest assured that when they shop at Evolve they have chosen the greenest, healthiest product on the market.

- Where do you see Evolve in the next 5 years?

- We will have developed a product for each skin type and need and it will be sold in more countries around the world (we are currently in 45 countries). We also develop evolutionary beauty spa treatments to support
clients on their beauty and wellness journey