Despite the massive influx of hemp skincare products entering the market, Hempme Skincare is one we have always stayed loyal to. They have been redefining the beauty industry standards by working with active ingredients which are gentle to our skin, and our environment. We sat down with Alec, Co-Founder of Hempme Skincare, to find out how their values align with their products standards.

The Hempme brand was one of the first hemp-centric skincare pioneers in Australia, how did your story begin?

We knew we wanted to start a hemp related business but were initially unsure on what niche (there are so many with hemp!) we wanted to focus on. After some research we saw a gap in the market for a modern take on hemp-based skin care. Hemp skin care is not new and there were some Australian companies already producing hemp-based skin care products, but we saw the need for a fresh/modern spin, particularly focusing on the ever informed and sustainability driven younger generation.

Your brand is committed to designing with sustainability in mind. Was this one of the reasons as to why you decided to work with hemp?

Absolutely! As you well know hemp is the most versatile and sustainable plant on the planet. Hemp is an under-utilised and misunderstood plant that is only beginning to really enter the consumers consciousness on a global scale. Discovering the history and many uses of the hemp plant is the definition of a rabbit hole, it almost defies belief how amazingly beneficial and versatile this plant is.

How does Hempme intend on staying at the top of their game as the hemp beauty industry becomes more competitive?

The beauty industry is an extremely competitive space and we are well aware of this. When we began the Hempme journey we had zero experience in the beauty industry so it has been a big learning curve for us. From day one we knew we had to create a core set of values and principles to help guide us and ensure we built a solid brand. These core values include making sure our products use high-quality and proven skin loving ingredients, contain 100% natural ingredients, are certified-organic by the highest standard body, and are both vegan and cruelty-free. On top of this we never want to shy away from the fact that the hemp and cannabis plants are completely intertwined and we will continue to help educate and spread the word about the most amazing plant on the planet. Lastly, we want to be a fun brand! We will never take ourselves too seriously and will continue to illustrate this via our branding and marketing.

Earlier this year you launched a new product in your collection – a organic face cleanser! What were some of the must-have ingredients in your new formula and why?

Yes we were super stoked to release our second product this year! Some of the key ingredients in our organic face cleanser include pink clay, pomegranate extract, calendula extract and of course hemp seed oil. We wanted to create a gentle face cleanser that helps remove impurities without stripping the skin, well upholding our strong product values as described above. Pink clay is one of the most gentle clays that is rich in minerals and can help reduce inflammation and irritation, pomegranate extract is full of antioxidants, calendula extract helps promote skin healing and regeneration, and hemp seed oil helps hydrate the skin with its perfect ratio of essential fatty acids while also being antibacterial and antifungal.

Hempme has a large community of devoted brand ambassadors. What is the best skin comeback story you have experienced?

We are super lucky to have an amazing group of brand ambassadors who believe in our products and brand. Early on we discovered that traditional print media is far less effective than it once was (and not to mention expensive!). As a startup with limited marketing budget it was important for us to utilise the power of influencer marketing. Consumers want honest and reliable feedback from people they trust and admire.

We have had some amazing skin comeback stories which we love hearing about! One particularly nice story that comes to mind was a middle aged lady who said she has spent so much money on expensive skin care that never fully helped her with her excessively dry skin…. until she discovered our face cream! She cited how much her confidence had grown since using it, stories like this make all the hard work worth it.

Where do you see Hempme in 12 months time? The brand has already gone international, what is next?!

Over the course of 2019 we intend to extend our product range, stock in more stores across Australia, and increase our presence in the US market. We are often asked when we are going to be introducing new products and we are super excited about doing so. Although we can’t provide any specific details yet, we can say that the next product(s) will be complementary to our existing range, while not focusing solely on the face area 😉

Finish this sentence: Hemp to me is…

The most versatile plant on the planet that has so much to give. After years of learning about the history and many uses of the hemp plant, it never ceases to surprise me. I truly believe that the hemp and cannabis plants are going to play a pivotal role in the future of many industries including health and medicine, sustainable construction, textiles, plastics and more. Unfortunately due to decades of fear mongering and misinformation we need to help weed out deeply held misconceptions and educate the public with current and honest information. Luckily this process is underway and the hemp industry is going from strength to strength, we at Hempme are super excited to be part of this movement!

Learn more about Hempme here!