Fashion

Photography: Left, courtesy Horia Varlan/Flickr; Right: by Carlo Mendoza

By Janine Falcon

See 8 all-natural beauty products to try now »

Nature’s whimsy can be utterly charming—like sunshine when it rains. Whimsy is less than charming, however, when it comes to crafting high-quality, high-performance skincare and cosmetics from natural ingredients. Synthetics win in terms of stability and reliability over plant-based products that lack quality controls. But despite the complexities involved in formulating with naturals, more and more cosmetic chemists are enjoying the creative challenge. Our payoff is more—and better—eco-friendly beauty products we want to use.

The Custom Manufacturer
Mark Rival developed one of Canada’s better-known natural skincare brands—though its name can’t be revealed as the custom-formulation industry is highly competitive and secretive. The president and chief formulator for Leslie Cosmetics, an Ontario custom manufacturer of prestige personal-care products, Rival’s work with that brand and the success he’s watched it achieve have profoundly affected how he formulates overall. Consider him the stealth game-changer, steering skincare in a more natural direction one client at a time. “It’s convinced me to look into alternative raw materials, natural and certified organic alternatives for all new products,” he says. Read more »