The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
One of the greatest challenges has been explaining that skincare can be simple in a world that celebrates complexity – not only in endless ingredient lists, but in the marketing message that you need 10 products to achieve healthy skin.
The skincare industry thrives on newness, excess, opacity, weasel words and unpronounceable ingredients. Creating one pure, unrefined product goes against everything it’s built on.
Producing cold-pressed oil from unfermented grapeseeds is slow. Infusing the extract takes time. We settle by gravity. Our yield is only 6% per batch, meaning each kilogram of seed produces two bottles of Vitis V. But it’s the only way to preserve nutrient integrity and what we refer to as the quality of time. Our minimal processing is why we can legally claim naturally occurring, and why Vitis V Face TonIQ has a 6-month best before date. That short shelf life is the customer’s guarantee of purity.
We have turned down distribution deals because we refuse to compromise for extended shelf life. Integrity, in Vitis V Face TonIQ and in business behaviour is non-negotiable.
Another challenge is the constant greenwashing. Products claim to be “natural” while containing synthetic chemicals that do not exist in nature. There is no legal framework for the use of the word natural. By some interpretations, even crude oil can be labelled that way. Consumers’ understanding of natural is vastly different from that of a multinational chemical company’s marketing team.
This is why we built The Lab, to help undo decades of skincare misinformation. It is deeply concerning how much trust is placed in commercial skincare companies that invented the word moisturiser and use fragrance/parfum and essential oils, knowing that these small compounds initiate inflammation in the skin – the last thing you want if you are trying to support your skin function.
For Better or Worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The best part is creating something honest, uncompromised and grounded in science rather than marketing. Skincare that is good for skin and the planet.
The challenge is being a minnow in a sea of sharks – one tiny voice against decades of misinformation and green washing. But seeing how a simple ritual, nutrient-dense blend can transform skin health is immensely rewarding. Gaining confidence in your skin and body’s health is priceless.
It is disheartening when people trust a celebrity who is genetically blessed and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars over the actual science, especially when those products rely on synthetic chemicals with unknown long-term effects on human health and the planet. But every message from someone whose skin has rebalanced, regenerated, restructured and restored and they are now loving their skin and have gained confidence to step into the world as their authentic self – well that is everything! The fact that we are removing damaging chemicals from the planet one Vitis V Face TonIQ at a time that is even better.
Hopes and Dreams: What next? What are your website links?
To continue proving that simplicity works. I want to expand The Lab, our educational resource, to help more people understand how skin functions and to empower them to make informed, better-for -hem choices.
The future is not about creating more products. It is about creating more understanding.
My hope is that Vitis V continues to stand for something rare in skincare, integrity, scientific truth and the beauty of less.
Visit the Vitis V website to find out more about them and their products. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
