Juice Beauty: Skin Care in the Raw

"I never realized whatI was putting all over my body untilI had my two babiesin my early 40s, I started reading the ingredient labels on products that I was putting on my skin," she explains. "From my experience already in the health and wellness industry, I knew that our skin absorbs 60 per cent of what is placed on it, and I was astounded to learn that there were very few healthy personal care products that worked well and were truly 'organic'." Behnke admits the revelationturned into a bit of an obsession.

"I became obsessed with the idea of creating organic and natural formulations that perform as well as conventional beauty products," she explains. "Most people mistakenly believe that the personal care industry is highly-regulated but it's not." But rather than simply voice concerns about productcontents, Behnke decided to actually do something about it.

Armed with the experience gleaned during herlengthy career in the health and wellness sector (she previously owned aerobics exercise and corporate wellness companies, as well asbeing a board member of 24 Hour Fitness)and a fervent desire to clean up her beauty cabinet, she set out to create a collection of products that were as safe as they were effective.

The result was Juice Beauty.

"My goal and passion was - and still is- helping people enjoy healthier lifestyles," Behnke says."My passion for health and wellness has led the path to starting Juice Beauty, and it's actually helped me 'think outside of the box' coming from outside the beauty industry." Fast forward 12 years, and Behnke's brand is now one of the most popular organic beauty brands on the market, offering a comprehensive collection of products ranging from anti-aging skin care to colour cosmetics. Launched in Canada in Holt Renfrew last year, Juice Beauty products are expected to land on shelvesacross the country throughthe beauty chain Sephora this year.

So, what makes Juice Beauty different from other "healthy" beauty brands?According to Behnke, the answer is all in the ingredients.

"Juice Beauty's formulations started with a basic premise, which is formulate with an antioxidant and vitamin-rich botanical base taken from organic green apples, grapes, aloe and jojoba, rather than petroleum derivatives," she explains of the food-grade ingredients contained in all itsproducts.

Behnke worked with chemists, physicians and microbiologists to merge the edible ingredients with "powerful but healthy skin care ingredients" to create products that boast potent efficacy - that arealsonatural.

"Juice Beauty now has over 100 skin care products, all made with certified organic ingredients, yet is formulated to compete with high-efficacy conventional chemical brands," she says.

In addition to using certified organic ingredients, many sourced from the western United States, the California-based company's products are also touted as being cruelty-free and energy-conscious, with many of itsproducts created usingsolar power. The commitment to safe ingredients has presented some unique challenges however - especially where colour is concerned.

"With conventional chemical makeup, it's easy to use artificial dyes to get the colours," she says. "But you can imagine how hard it is to use plant-based colours from crushed roses and aubergine for our Phyto-Pigments makeup with organic ingredients." But Behnke says the hurdles areworth it, especially as she's watched her company grow - in size and popularity - throughout the years, mimicking the increased awareness of shoppers tothe potential health hazards lurking in their beauty cabinets.

"Consumers have become more discerning and engaged about the products they choose to buy, and this includes skin care and makeup," she explains."They simply want to enjoy high-performance makeup and skin care that is clinically validated, andtrust in the company to formulate with non-toxic ingredients and do the right thing." She says that while the "clean beauty movement" was initially linked to trends in "clean eating," it has since evolved to includeall types of customers.

And that fan base includes more than a few Hollywood celebrities - including Gwyneth Paltrow, who is the creative director of makeup at Juice Beauty.

"Gwyneth worked alongside me, our scientists and our product development team for several months, choosing all the packaging, the shade ranges, the final textures and she also named all the products," Behnke explains of the A-list partnership. "Gwyneth walks the walk - she is authentically invested in the sustainable mission." Behnke says Paltrow has helped increase the brand's visibility in the green beauty space, while also givingadditional influence to the natural beauty movement as a whole.

"Our partnership with Gwyneth has helped enormously on account of her worldwide fame, how she is instantly recognized and most importantly, the way Gwyneth is an authentic proponent of my lifelong mission to make wonderful clean beauty formulations available to the world," Behnke says."Awareness of Gwyneth Paltrow will continue to bring greater awareness to Juice Beauty and I hope also in general, to all healthy beauty products made with organic ingredients." Because, if it's good enough for Gwyneth, well, it's probably good enough for the rest of us too.