GCG Spotlight: Q & A with Gabrielle Frances, founder of Fifty7Kind artisan skincare
We speak about novel ingredients like Gromwell root & Sapote fruit, delve into product names & differences between facial and scalp skin care.
As Gabrielle and I have known each other for a while, we affectionately call each “G” when we message, so in effect this is a “G to G conversation” and I am very happy to give you an opportunity to get to know this shy and unassuming, but remarkably fascinating woman, who is unapologetic and uncompromising on her brand’s ethos when it comes to sustainability, quality, research and efficacy. Dear G, welcome to Galina’s Curiosity Gap spotlight!
Galina: please tell me about the name, ZUCI and the microemulsion tech innovation.
Gabrielle: ZUCI is derived from Sanskrit and translates as “pure and clear”.
UNBIND - Fermented Enzymes gently exfoliate, breaking down product build-up on the skin, scalp or hair
BALANCING - Provides excellent microbiome balancing and nourishing properties for skin, scalp & hair
PURITY - Impurities (pollution / dirt / oxidising excess sebum) are removed from the skin, scalp & hair surface - lessening outbreaks
CLEANSE - The most important step of a skin or hair care ritual
Microemulsion - this new ingredient allows for the water-based cleansing amino acids to be suspended, creating a micro emulsion of water in oil, with the amino acids only released on contact with water. This ingredient is what turns ZUCI from oil to milk. Super gentle & non-stripping, while offering moisturising properties.
Galina: what made you decided to combine skin and scalp benefits in one product? Do you think it is the emerging 'trend'?
Gabrielle: ZUCI has been a balm, a gel and an emulsifying oil cleanser, with and without essential oils prior to the final version of ZUCI. I have been formulating this on and off for years, but found that all of the emulsifiers I tested to be to stripping for my skin and leaving it feeling dry. A cleansing treatment needs to remove 'product / pollution / dirt / excess sebum'. but not strip the protective skin’s barrier lipids. Quite a challenge for those of us with delicate and reactive skin!
I wanted to create a facial cleanser and a scalp treatment. As a challenge I decided to try and make one product that does both, as this is important for the sustainability aspect of F7K, trying to “do more with less”. A great deal of ingredient research that could offer benefits for both skin and hair (including the scalp of course) and then development, creating and testing over and over and over again…..
I have not seen a multi-purpose cleansing treatment for skin and hair, but that said I don’t seek out what brands are creating other than the ones I may know personally. I don't have the time nor the brain space - again a rabbit hole and easy to slip into the comparison trap.
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