5 Things You Should Know About Canadian Indie Skincare Brand Graydon
Updated: Jul. 16, 2019
If you are what you eat, are you not what you put on your skin? Graydon Moffat, of natural beauty company Graydon Skincare, chats about how she makes her products and what drives her.
What you need to know about Graydon Skincare
First of all (and this one doesn’t count), Graydon Skincare is Canadian. Started and run by Graydon Moffat, this brand is based in Toronto but has its roots (literally) in plant-based formulas with many of the ingredients coming from Canadian suppliers. I’ve tried a few of the products, and I really enjoy how easy they are on the skin. Sensitive skin gals will know what I mean. The packaging is minimalist but very Instagram friendly. And here are five things you should know about this natural beauty brand.
1. Healthy skin, healthy life
Being a company that is health-minded might not cure health issues, but it does align with women wanting to take better care of themselves.
“A healthy skincare regime should absolutely be an important part of a healthy lifestyle,” shares Moffat, who practices a healthy lifestyle herself. “Think about it. Why would you bother eating well, getting good sleep and exercising only to slather less than optimal products on your face and body? Luckily, there are so many amazing green beauty brands out there that are luxurious, effective and affordable that switching over to a green beauty routine has never been easier.”
Moffat herself has a health focus for herself with yoga. “It’s probably no surprise that I have a lot of my mind, juggling so many things as a single parent mompreneur. Seriously, the number of all the different proverbial ‘hats’ I wear in one day is staggering so I don’t always sleep as well as I’d like. I’m also prone to anxiety and my ‘active mind’ likes to wake me up in the middle of the night so that’s when I have a great opportunity to connect with my breath. This usually lulls me back to sleep. To calm my mind, I often practice alternate nostril breathing and a short inhalation coupled with a long exhalation.”
2. Beauty trends rival food trends
Why have the organic, local and other food trends (think: matcha) seeping into the Graydon Skincare products?
“It’s a well-known fact that the skin absorbs everything you put on it so it’s a good thing that many people are having that aha-moment, realizing eating that kale salad and smoothie isn’t going to positively impact you much if you’re not ‘feeding’ your skin with good products, too,” says Moffat, adding that her favourite food/plant-based ingredients include actives and oils derived from raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, apples, lavender, peppermint, broccoli, carrots, hemp and kale.
“I think a reason that beauty has hopped on the food trend wagon is particularly a result of the upsurge in popularity of D.I.Y. skincare recipes you can make using ingredients right from your very own kitchen,” she says. “Ingredient suppliers are also coming out with some amazing, bio-available, plant powered actives and even certain farmers – in Canada and beyond – are offering superfoods extracts that are extremely nutrient dense and suitable in topical applications. I don’t see this as a [fad-type of] trend. People are quickly learning to make better choices for themselves and their families.”
3. Stable products are the goal
Making a product that is bio-available to the skin but lasts on the shelf is a tough one to juggle.
“When I originally started making micro batches of products in my kitchen for my yoga clients I didn’t worry so much about stability and shelf life,” Moffat admits. “When we eventually transitioned to producing in a lab we needed to reach out get the professional help of dedicated formulators, chemists and specialized suppliers so that we can offer our customers a legitimate ‘plant powered’ product that is also stable with a good shelf life.”
What are the preservatives in Graydon Skincare products? They are natural of course. Ingredients such as sodium lactate, rosemary leaf extract and vitamin E are used to keep products stable.
4. The growing green beauty industry
The natural beauty industry has become quite competitive. Does this excite Moffat or does she feel it’s oversaturated?
With a laugh, she says: “Ha-ha, the answer is both. I find the proliferation of competition super daunting but it’s also a positive sign that the industry is shifting and that small green beauty brands are raising the bar. Big brands are definitely taking note of this and I find that really exciting because it means that green beauty has power to make a difference and create positive healthy change, literally around the world.”
5. Small brands can get up close and personal
Sure big brands have pop-ups, but how often do you get to meet the women who create your products. That’s why Moffat is inviting women in Toronto to the Green Beauty Pop Up on September 28th, 12 p.m. to 7pm at Creeds Coffee Bar. “Attendees will have a chance to be exposed to Canada’s finest eco-beauty brands under one green community space participating in this unique event.”
