Iremia Skincare Founder Elaine Li
After having the pleasure of trying and enjoying Iremia Skincare Soothing Lotion and Restorative Facial Oil (see full review here), I was delighted to have the opportunity to interview Iremia Skincare Founder Elaine Li about her journey and mission. Ms. Li struggled with sensitive skin for years and was unable to find anything on the market that gently, effectively healed her skin, so she set out to create the ultimate skin-soothing line in Iremia Skincare. Learn more about her process and inspiration below!
Can you briefly describe your own skin difficulties and the frustrations you encountered trying to find sufficiently high-quality and soothing products in other lines?
Elaine Li (EL): I have suffered from skin problems for as long as I can remember. Looking back, it really was because of diet and stress but I didn’t connect the dots. Eczema, hypersensitivities, and redness are my main culprits. Every time I feel anxiety or stress or if I eat certain foods, my face turns hot and red. My eczema flairs up and itches like crazy. I remember trying different creams that were catered “for sensitive skin”, but as I put them on they would burn my skin and I had to quickly wash them off. Some other high-end creams that I have tried made me feel like it was doing something, but it really wasn’t. I would break out, or the product just wouldn’t be effective after a while. It was really frustrating not being able to find something that would help manage my skin.
Another frustration that came about was around transparency. Just two years ago, a natural, steroid-free cream came out just for eczema. It was a dream come true for myself and my son based on all of the before and after photos I saw of people using it on their babies. I naturally purchased it and it did work wonders. However, it turns out that it really wasn’t steroid-free! I felt betrayed. I’m all for transparency and integrity when it comes to what goes in and on your body. I never want this to happy to anyone, ever. So now I use my own Protective Cream and Facial Oil on my son and newborn!
How do you think your own history of skin challenges have influenced you as a formulator and enhanced your formulations?
EL: I want to create products with intent. If I don’t have a clear vision as to what it needs to do or how it can help someone, I won’t make it. There needs to be some sort of multi-purpose element to it as I’m a believer in simplifying your routine so that there is less clutter. Less clutter = less stress and less waste! My skin challenges are ongoing. Elements of your life (Diet, home life, work) are always changing so it was important to create something that can be used according to your situation. The products can be layered however you want. On some days, I use the Facial Oil on my face and hair. On others, I layer all three of them for extra hydration. I wanted my formulas to also be safe for my babies, and my husband! It was frustrating finding something that the whole family could use. My children use the Protective Cream and Facial Oil and my husband uses the Soothing Lotion.
Iremia Skincare Soothing Lotion
What care and effort have you put into ingredient sourcing?
EL: All ingredients were thoroughly researched and need to obviously be completely natural. I look for purity as well if it can directly help calm the skin. My second priority (besides hydration of course) is to look for other benefits, such as anti-aging properties. For example, I decided to include a natural anti-aging active ingredient in the Soothing Lotion for it to truly be multipurpose (i.e., African Mahogany Tree Bark Extract). It’s something I use every day on my skin and I have seen huge improvements in redness, pore and wrinkle reduction.
Can you describe some of the time, study, effort, and experimentation that went into creating your beautiful Soothing Lotion and Restorative Facial Oil?
EL: I have been struggling with my skin since my early 20’s, so it’s taken me a long, long time to get to this point. Years of trying different products, writing down what I like, what I don’t like, what worked, what didn’t really helped me decide what ingredients to put into the formula. A lot of reading was done around active ingredients as well as digging into research papers and clinical studies. I decided to formulate starting in late 2016. It took a few months, but finally, I created the recipe that worked in the Spring/Summer of 2017.
You describe a less-is-more philosophy to skincare regimens. Can you elaborate on the importance and value of quality over quantity and explain how you embrace this philosophy with Soothing Lotion and Restorative Facial Oil?
EL: This philosophy resonates with me in so many ways. It really started at home and with being more conscious about what and how we buy everyday items. I don’t want to purchase something that is inexpensive but will fall apart in 2 years. You end up buying more, which has a bigger impact on the environment. Buying and using products consciously is important to me. Same with time. I have a 6-year-old son and a 4-month-old daughter, plus 2 dogs! So I don’t have a lot of time to fuss around in the mornings and evenings. Creating products that would help me without using 7+ items was as important as the environmental impact. The Soothing Lotion has everything I need in it – it calms, soothes, hydrates and decreases fine lines and wrinkles. The Restorative Facial Oil also has all of the superhero oils I wanted in one bottle. The best part is that it can also be used in your hair. I also use it on my baby and keep it on me all the time.
Which 3-4 active ingredients in each product do you consider highlights and/or particularly vital and beneficial when it comes to Soothing Lotion and Restorative Facial Oil, and why?
EL: The Soothing Lotion has a blend of Shea Butter, Aloe, Calendula, Lavender and Manuka Honey. It’s so hard to choose, as they are all vital and beneficial for the skin. Each one has soothing, anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties, which is why I wanted them all in the Soothing Lotion. The best part is the African Mahogany Tree Bark extract, which is clinically proven to strengthen the skin and reduce wrinkles after 56 days of use.
With the Restorative Facial Oil, Palmarosa Oil, Rosehip Oil, Argan Oil and Seabuckthorn Oil are all vital within the blend. There are 11 oils in total to make up this multivitamin, all of which provide the skin strength. It soothes and balances while increasing elasticity and helps diminish scarring.
Iremia Skincare Restorative Facial Oil
What experience do you hope people will have with Soothing Lotion? With Restorative Facial Oil?
EL: The Soothing Lotion was made to calm the skin whenever there is redness or flare-ups or inflammation and heat on the face. It can also be used on eczema patches as well. Even if you don’t have flare-ups, it glides on as a beautiful daily moisturizer. With a powerful blend of luxurious ingredients, the Restorative Facial Oil will leave your skin feeling soft, plump and hydrated. With no added fragrance, you are experiencing the natural properties of the ingredients. Since the whole line is around calmness, I truly hope people will find that in my products.
What current trends or pressures in the beauty industry frustrate you and which ones excite you, and why?
EL: I do feel that there is pressure for people to have “perfect”, flawless skin. I believe that we have been conditioned to think that skin is supposed to look a certain way. Everyone is so different, with variety when it comes to lifestyle, diet, stress inducers. No one is perfect as we are only human! Things change, especially with age. I believe in healthy skin, and that starts from within. Treat your body with love, and you can embrace your skin as is at whatever moment you are in. Another frustration is the pressure to have immediate results with products. I also had very high expectations of the different creams I have tried in the past and expected my skin to take to it and to be amazing right away. We again have developed a sense of immediate gratification (I blame this on technology!). I don’t believe there is a “miracle” product. Products take time to work, and your body takes time to adjust. There are just too many factors at play.
What is exciting is that there has been a shift in mindset to embrace what you were born with. For myself, it has taken years to get here. To really love me for the way I am. It’s also exciting that people are open to smaller brands and more Indie brands are moving into the spotlight. They come from a place of passion, and I find it really refreshing!
What do you see as the greatest success of your line so far and what are your hopes for the future?
EL: As a small Indie brand, I thrive and focus on small successes. However, I’m proud of the product and what it has done for the people who have tried it. I take each review seriously and every purchase with such a grateful heart. There are plans for the future with expanding the product line, with intention of course, as well as looking into different distribution channels. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. For now, I’m just so grateful for my supporters.