Saya Skincare founder Saya McDermott was creating botanical formulations long before it became ‘trendy’ to do so.
It all started 22 years ago when a teenaged Saya started experimenting in her parents’ Noosa kitchen, trying to find a way to remedy her own ‘problem’ skin.
Suffering from breakouts and eczema, Saya started crafting her own botanical treatments after shelf-bought products failed to work.
“For a few years I was hand-making skincare and creating formulations in my parents’ kitchen. This allowed me to test my market and keep control of production, which was key for our organic growth. I started selling my products at our local market where I met the owner of my first wholesale account,” Sara told told Gritty Pretty in 2022.
“I tried so many products to help my skin but nothing worked,” she went on about the reason behind her new project. “I felt like I was getting nowhere and my confidence was taking a massive blow. My bad skin would be the first thing I would think about when I woke up in the morning. As I wasn’t getting results, it made me question the ingredients within the products I was using. That’s what really got me more interested in the benefits of natural ingredients.”
Fast forward two decades and Saya Skincare is spearheading the natural skincare movement, catering to an increasing demand for plant-derived products made from native Australian botanicals.
Some of Saya Skincare’s best-selling products include ingredients good enough to eat – from an Argan Body Oil made with Macadamia and Kakadu Plum to a Brightening Peel whose key ingredient is Liquorice Root, and a Super Serum infused with Emu Apple.
Proudly Australian-made, Saya Skincare has prided itself on its ACO-certified, cruelty-free approach to skincare.
Products are carefully and sustainably sourced, with the company eschewing a trend-led approach in favour of simple, high quality everyday skincare.
And it seems the brand’s fans are seeing the results in their own beauty routines.
“I’ve tried different cleansers from other brands and this is the first one I’ve used that doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped,” one fan said of the Saya Cleansing Balm.
“The smell is amazing and it seems to have made my skin instantly dewier!”
“Amazing – every product in the Saya range is exceptional,” said another.
“Decided to switch onto natural hair care after experiencing alopecia areata,” another customer wrote, referring to the condition that causes hair loss.
“Loving this brand so far and finding the shampoo and conditioner combo works really well for my hair type. Still a beautiful clean finish without needing all the chemicals.”
Speaking to Sunshine Coast News in 2021, Saya said the first step towards creating her successful skincare company began with a “little course with a homeopath” who showed her how to mix products and taught her the properties of various ingredients.
“I created this gel cream and it completely changed my life,” she said. “My skin cleared up. It was quite amazing.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
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