Lip balms are a staple in any skincare aficionado’s arsenal, but not all lip treatments are created equal. Pioneering the natural lip balm category with their manuka honey and extra virgin olive oil lip balms, SheSociety sits down with the founders of Clean & Pure, Mark and Melanie Chapman, to learn more about Australia’s fastest growing lip treatment.
Tell us about the inspiration behind the brand Clean & Pure?
In 2004 my wife and I were living in the Greek islands running a property company. While there our consumer experience vastly changed. Although with access to many international brands we chose to buy and use locally made foods and products, including many olive oil based skin care products.
Returning to Australia and getting back into our Aussie lifestyle, we found my wife’s eczema had returned. With no access to purchase the products we had become accustomed to in Greece, we started to formulate and produce our own.
By 2014 our little kitchen table formulations had grown and we were receiving 1,000s of orders at a time from various online clients.
Trying to live our lives using as few manmade chemicals as we can has become our vision, and as it turns out this is the same for many other people. We really get a buzz out of seeing how far we have grown. People who buy our products often say how they also have the same vision for their lives.
Clean & Pure lip balms contain 6 ingredients or less. Tell us more about the creative process and how these lip balms are produced?
Our life and our brand is Clean & Pure so we live by that philosophy by using uncomplicated, natural ingredients. As an Australian owned business, all our products are made here in Australia.
We developed a production procedure that micronises the manuka honey that keeps the honey suspended in our balms until they cool. No other manufacturer has this process, which is why our Manuka Honey Lip Balm is our best seller.
What makes manuka honey so special for human skin?
Manuka Honey is renowned for having unparalleled healing benefits. and services as a natural antiseptic to the skin. Studies throughout the US have shown that Manuka Honey can enhance wound healing with its antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
What inspired the flavour line-up?
Our inspiration to our flavours can be found in every-day life, from what we eat to the scents that bring happiness. All our scents have been inspired by nature.
Do you have a favourite flavour (and why)?
Whenever we have a new flavour it kind of becomes our favourite, eg. Our latest Hemp and Lemongrass is now my go to. I’ll probably stick with this for a few months and then go back to our biggest seller the Manuka Honey balm.
What kind of toxic ingredients should we be looking out for when it comes to lip balm use?
It depends on what you mean by toxic, eg. There are reports that say it’s safe to use petroleum jelly and there are many reports that say the reverse. For me – if you wouldn’t eat it, why put it on your skin?
What’s next for Clean & Pure? Any new product releases?
We have several new products coming into production in the coming months including our latest Hemp & Lemongrass Lip Balm, plus our Skin Nutrition, Manuka Face and Body Scrub and Pawpaw body moisturiser – so keep an eye out with your local retailer.
We’re now gearing up for entering the US market and we’re continuing to grow across Asia.
SheSociety is a site for the women of Australia to share our stories, our experiences, shared learnings and opportunities to connect.
Leave a Reply