It's the beauty and wellness brand that has risen to Instagram fame. Local Byron Bay treasure, IMBIBE, has become synonymous for its 'pink drink' that helps to target gut health, microbiome balance and skin luminosity.
But now it's expanding, and after two years, IMBIBE has released its much-anticipated skincare line.
We spoke to IMBIBE founder, Felicity Evans, on why she thinks the brand has resonated with its cult following, the process of delving into the skincare category, and her best wellness secret.
For those that aren't familiar with IMBIBE, can you tell us a bit about the brand and how the company started?
I started IMBIBE in my tiny kitchen with one daughter strapped to my chest and another at my heels. In those early days (and still now) I have been obsessed with creating the highest quality products that are uncompromising with their efficiency, effectiveness and performance.
I started because I had a major health crisis and needed to fix my gut health - which as most of us now know, is the cornerstone for both phenomenal skin as well as overall health, vitality and wellness. To my amazement in creating my own product range, I had significantly improved the state of my gut and transformed my hair, skin and nails.
We have invested into the highest quality, effective products that work rather than on marketing dollars, and the result has been that word has very quickly spread and this grassroots word of mouth has spread like wildfire which I’m incredibly grateful for. I call it W2W: Woman to Woman.
Congratulations on the new IMBIBE launch, Skin Science Skincare, can you take us through the new range?
When we surveyed thousands of women in our community asking what their biggest troubles with their skin are, we were surprised with the feedback. A huge 65 per cent said you are extremely unhappy with the quality of your skin, even though you spend $100 or more per month on skincare.
What you really, really want is vibrant, energised skin with no chemicals, that is certified organic with clinical results to show performance. 70 per cent said that quality is the biggest consideration when adding a new skincare system to your routine with clinical results coming in a close second.
The women we surveyed we most concerned about: Premature ageing, lack of hydration, adult acne and pigmentation.
It's taken us over 97 formulations with six certified organic, high-performance cosmetic chemists, but we've heard the pain and created an uncompromising, high performance skincare range that will truly deliver results.
It’s a five part skincare range formulated to deliver luxurious, clinically proven results by drenching skin cells in meticulously sourced, all-natural, sustainable ingredients. Golden sea kelp, precious petal oils and Australian native super-berries are paired with rich botanicals to truly revolutionise clean beauty, high-performance skincare.
The new products have been two years in the making, what has been the most time consuming part of the process?
Figuring out the mechanics of the skin and formulating a range that was uncompromising on the quality and performance but also all natural and certified organic. And then of course, getting the feedback on the performance of the range from hundreds of women and modifying the formulations based on the feedback.
What are some of the ingredients used in the formulations and why were they important for you to include?
Our hero is Australian sustainable marine actives from golden kelp. We also use Australian native super berries and super botanicals and all natural precious plant and flower oils. It’s important for me to support and celebrate Australian Native growers and ingredients whilst balancing that with high-performance.
Who are the products designed for and what skin types would benefit?
I’ve been very intent on creating a range what works for all skin types, at all ages. Whether its acenaic skin, pigmented skin, ageing skin or damaged skin with loss of skin elasticity, the range will work for you.
IMBIBE has grown quite the cult following for its Miracle Collagen Powder and Beauty Renewal Liquid, what made the brand want to dive into the physical skincare space?
I really really take my time to develop new products because they need to pass through multiple rounds of testing, both from a consumer point of view as well as from a performance point of view.
As a consumer, I have not been able to find a skincare range that will really work for me in terms of being high-performance but also 100 per cent clean and certified organic. When I surveyed thousands of women in our community, turns out my view was widely shared. That was the real inspiration for bringing the range to life.
Have you been surprised at all by the success of the wellness products and what do you think it is that's resonated so well with your loyal following?
I've been delighted more than surprised. I knew the range worked so well for me and the results were quite visible, so to see thousands of women around the world share the same views has been wonderful.
High quality products that truly work is what I am most interested in sharing with my following. Especially as it has my name on it - the product range has to work - that is why it resonates so well.
What is your best wellness secret you can share with us?
Smile. Be happy. Have an open heart. Be open to new adventures. See the funny side of life. Give more than you get. Help others. Have gratitude for the small things - one day they become the big things. Appreciate the people in your life. Cheer others on and be happy for their success. Support each other.
All this lowers your stress, puts you in a place of gentle grace and from this space, wellness can flow right on into your life.
