Free your skincare routine from plastic. Foile’s signature refillable bottles are designed to be kept forever
Sydney-based skincare brand Foile is cleaning up the beauty industry with a simple idea: refillable skincare products.
Co-founded and launched by friends Alexandra Grima and Su Tuttle in 2020, Foile’s clean, vegan range is modest (currently there are only seven skincare products on offer), however it’s their custom-designed refillable bottle that will have you racing to clear out the plastic packaging clogging your drawers.
For the already environmentally-inclined, any kind of refillable option that replaces single-use plastic is easy to embrace. But Grima and Tuttle wanted to take this concept further and create something truly exceptional. “Before we launched, a lot of the work was actually around the bottle; how our products were going to be housed, how a refillable method would work and how it would look,” Grima says.
“We really wanted a custom bottle for our Foile products because we felt it contributed to having a sense of permanence in your beauty cabinet. A beautiful bottle that you can refill creates a higher sense of value so you are less likely to throw it out.”
Foile
Foile’s first refillable vessel was a generic clear glass bottle. Though this would satisfy the tastes of many shoppers, they felt something tailor-made would up the aesthetic ante and make refillable options appealing for even more individuals. To fulfil their vision they enlisted the help of Sydney-based industrial designers, Vert Design.
Vert have lent their creative expertise to a range of eco-projects, including Huskee Cup, Good Citizen’s recycled PET eyewear and Zero Co’s reusable bottles and refillable pouches. They worked closely with Grima and Tuttle to take their concept (which was frequently conveyed by shaping playdough during design meetings) and turn it into a customised blue curved glass bottle – a striking piece you’ll want to keep on display.
While it’s hard to believe, Grima and Tuttle were actually novices to the beauty industry before Foile. But perhaps their naivety has helped the brand stay grounded in their simplified approach to skincare. All Foile products are non-binary and their ‘Classics’ range is comprised of only four single ingredient oils. Whether you’re choosing hemp oil for hydration or jojoba oil to restore balance to your skin, they offer an uncomplicated antidote to an industry that typically tells individuals they need more. The same can be said of Foile’s recently released ‘Formulas’: three, clean everyday products with carefully selected active ingredients.
“I think what’s often overlooked are those pure, natural botanicals or oils, things that have been used over time,” Tuttle says. “There’s nothing wrong with them. They’re so abundant and rich, and they provide quality skincare.”
Foile
Transforming refillable skincare products into desirable design gems is already a big beauty brag. But Grima and Tuttle say their goal is to go further, eventually bringing low-impact alternatives to every bathroom: “Our commitment is to be progressive and our value system is heavily steeped in not only reducing the impact of what we’re doing, but trying to help the whole industry shift together so we can all become more progressive.” Will refillable beauty products become the new normal? If they’re as attractive as Foile’s, we think they will.
How to choose the right oil for your skin, courtesy of Foile
Best body oil:
Foile’s unscented Coconut Body Oil. It’s super-lightweight and will absorb straight into skin leaving it hydrated and not too oily.
Best face oil for skin prone to redness, dermatitis or extra dryness:
Hemp oil. Hemp seed oil has high levels of omega -3, -6 and -9 fatty acids, vitamin E and amino acids. These soothing ingredients help the natural repair of the skin’s barrier, improving its ability to retain moisture. Hemp oil is also an emollient, meaning your skin will stay beautifully hydrated and plump.
Best face oil for skin on the oily side or prone to breakouts:
Jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is a wax ester produced from the Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) plant which shares the same molecular structure as our own skin’s sebum making this a great oil for nourishing and restoring balance to the skin. It’s also packed full of vitamins A, E and D, as well as antioxidants and essential fatty acids, and is naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, helping to calm the skin.
Best face oil for skin that really needs extra hydration and protection:
Marula oil. Loaded with antioxidants including vitamin C and E, the fatty acids in marula oil act as an emollient, which helps to hydrate skin and leave it feeling smooth.