What inspired the creation of your company, and when did it start?

As a Certified Aesthetician, it quickly became clear to me that skin care was truly lacking, mostly in two different ways: there were either products full of harmful chemicals (which may or may not work well), or products claiming to be natural which had little to no efficacy on the skin at all. Then, in December, 2012 I met an awesome guy, Craig Romero (Co-Founder & CEO), and together we decided to start a skin care line that would be exactly what we knew that skin care should be like in the 21st century–natural AND effective! We knew that we could do better, and that has been our mission since we founded OZNaturals in March, 2013.

What is your brand’s mission, and what causes drive you and your team?

Our mission is (and always will be) to produce a line of skin care products to be as clean and natural as possible, with high levels of efficacy, thus yielding real results for the skin. OZNaturals is dedicated to being environmentally responsible and transparent to the consumer, so he or she can make an informed decision. It is also our mission to remain affordable, while being dedicated to remaining a small company with big ideas and goals, leading the way in the field of skin care as the gold star standard.

How is your brand socially responsible?

OZNaturals remains socially responsible by choosing to partner with labs who are also socially responsible–using recyclable materials, absolutely no animal testing, sustainable practices, and also by giving back to our community through programs such as the New Hope Foundation in Pahoke, Fl, Big Brothers Big Sisters of SC (Upstate), and various battered women’s shelters in our West Palm Beach community. We are also supporters of animal groups such as the Gentle Barn, and I personally am a monthly sponsor for the ASPCA as well. There are also many other programs that we have supported in the past when called upon, such as sending out products to raise money for school programs and other worthy causes all across the country…from Florida to California. We have rarely had to turn anyone down that has asked us to donate products in support of a great cause.

What does your brand do to lower its ecological impact and/or promote environmental health and well-being?

OZN promotes environmental health by partnering with labs who use sustainable practices, and also share our same philosophies on being accountable to the environment, and also do not use animal testing. We also use recyclable materials for our packaging, and have plans to use recycled packaging in the near future.

Does your company perform animal testing and/or use animal-based ingredients in your products? Why or why not?

OZNaturals absolutely does not use animal testing. All of our products are tested in-house, and on human skin after production–never on animals. The owners of the company are huge animal lovers and work to promote the rights of animals, never to put them in harm’s way! OZN is also an active member of Leaping Bunny and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. OZN is currently working on receiving Vegan certification as well.

Where does your company make/manufacture your products, and why?

OZN is partners with a lab based in the US and one other in Canada. We have chosen these manufacturers because they are aligned with our business philosophies and ethics, because we are able to receive the best quality ingredients, and because of our solid business relationships with these companies which enables us to save the customer money as well.

Describe your design philosophy – how do you balance quality and affordability?

OZN strives to develop extremely effective, yet affordable skin care, and we’re able to do this by selling direct to the consumer as a digital skin care brand. This allows us to scale while keeping our costs down, which enables us to pass big savings on to our customers. We are large enough to make a big difference and to produce the best in quality, yet small enough to keep a hands-on approach, in order to keep our mission on track.

Tell us a little about the ingredients/materials you use. Generally, why did you pick them over other options?

Again, we take a more natural approach, therefore, we use more of what’s found in nature vs. what is being cooked up unnaturally in a lab. In our products you will find such ingredients as Vitamins C, E, and A (to name a few), fruit extracts such as blueberry, elderberry, cranberry, goji berry, and acai berry (just to name a few), plus effective, natural actives such as Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol, Vitamin C, Glycolic Acid, Peptides, Astaxanthin, and Amino Acids (just to name a few!) We are choosing the best ingredients known in skin care today–some of which are new discoveries, and many of which have been used in skin care for centuries.

What are the next steps for your company?

Currently we are actively working towards taking OZN international and also having discussions with TV shopping networks, which are highly interested in our brand. We are not ruling out a possible infomercial, as long as we are staying direct to the consumer, and not going the traditional bricks and mortar route at this time. We will also stay connected to the latest in skin care ingredients and technology, so that we know we are always bringing the safest, best and latest to the OZ consumer.

How do you view the future of conscious consumption?

With technology today the consumer is much more educated than before. Consumers know what they want before they even set out to find the brand to purchase from, and we want to be the brand that’s as transparent as possible in order to gain the consumer’s trust, and thereby gaining a loyal following. We want to always do right by our customers, so they know they can count on us–not only for safety but for efficacy as well. The future of the conscious consumer is taking responsibility for what they choose to use. They want to be healthier and they want to support a more socially responsible company as well. Corporate greed, where only the bottom line matters, is becoming a thing of the past. People want truth and they want to know what they are purchasing…and who the company is behind that product. We know we are the skin care brand of the future, and the future begins right now!

As a parting sentiment, if you could only use one word to describe your brand ethos – what would it be?

Truth