#LOFFBeautyTalk with Ava Matthews of Ultra Violette on everything about sunscreen and VI
Our fellow SPF nerds, there's a new squad in town!
As if we need more reasons to heart our sunscreen, here's another: Ultra Violette has finally reached our shores with its Facial Skinscreens and Sheen Screen lip balms. In conjunction with its launch in Malaysia, we caught up with Ava Matthews, the co-founder of Ultra Violette as she spills their one of a kind approach to sunscreen.
Congrats on Ultra Violette's launch in Sephora Malaysia! Tell us more about the brand philosophy you want to introduce to your Malaysian customers.
Thank you so much! We are a 365 day a year Skinscreen brand! Ultra Violette has infused high level sunscreens with luxurious skincare ingredients – hence why we call our products skinscreens! Whttps://www.instagram.com/p/CbenxC-jeaK/e believe SPF is for every day and not just the beach or your summer holiday.
What made you realise that it's time for Ultra Violette to grow beyond Australia?
We were totally overwhelmed at the reception in Australia – literally could not believe it! Sephora Asia has been a fantastic partner for us in Australia and New Zealand that we knew we needed to do more with the partnership and go further into South East Asia. I think the messaging of daily SPF use is starting to sink in for a lot of people and are becoming more aware about the impacts of sun damage not just in terms of cancer but in regards to ageing and vanity.
And then we arrived in all our bright blue and neon glory and in packaging that stood out and was really different to other brands out there. We offer a wardrobe of options for different skin types – not just one – so I think our customer had struggled to find a sunscreen that perhaps suited their skin from the skincare brand they may have been using but they found something in our lineup that was suited to them whether it was hydration, mattifying, invisibility on skin etc etc.
What is it like to bring a formula to life at Ultra Violette?
It’s amazing! We have so much fun working on new product development. For us the main challenge is making it fit the Ultra Violette proposition i.e. make it feel luxurious and more like skin/body care than your traditional SPF. We have really rigorous standards also and spend soooo long on our formulations. The average period is 2-3 years but sometimes it’s longer! We have a fantastic chemist who develops them in line with our vision.
Where do you and your team find inspirations for the next formula?
Our customers!! And also the store teams who sell them – we get so much feedback from customers and sales teams and we really act on that. I read every review and DM and email! If we get feedback that something is missing from the range, we are working on that straight away. We are also inspired by skincare trends and how SPF plays a part in that. It’s such a great time to be in beauty.
As a veteran in Beauty who played multiple roles, and now owning your very own brand, what are the biggest changes you've witnessed in the industry?
I don’t know if anything has changed as a result of us, but I think more and more brands and also media are spreading the awareness about the need for daily use and more brands are creating sunscreens that people actually want to wear – no more greasy, white faces or stinging eyes or makeup that slides off our faces. I also think the consumer is waaaay more educated in general about the impacts of sun exposure on the skin and how UV really can do some serious damage in the way of collagen loss, pigmentation, wrinkles and of course melanoma.
Sustainability is another big one, I’d love some more options in terms of eco-friendly tubes that can house SPF actives. A lot of the current eco options aren’t really compatible with some of the filters in a sunscreen and can lead to leaking or broken packaging - and I think there’s some work to be done on the packaging side to ensure this category is more sustainable. Refillable SPF isn’t really an option yet either because of the TGA’s stringent rules around the manufacturing of sunscreens so we’re really hoping for some changes in that area.
As for product, you’ll see an active called Oxybenzone removed from many sunscreens of the future due to reef safety and potential hormonal concerns (both of which are yet to be proven) and I think more SPFs that are multi-purpose and can replace at least one other product in your arsenal. More invisible finish formulations that can be used on darker skin tones and, in terms of texture, the lighter the better. There are some really nice new advances in SPF filters that mean they can be used with water as a base rather than alcohol or oil.
What do we need to look for in a SPF product?
Formulations that feel nice to wear, look great on the skin, don’t make you look ghostly and interact well with the rest of your beauty routine. I prefer to wear SPF 50+ always but a good 30+ is fine too. Just don’t go lower than this and never rely on the SPF in your makeup or moisturizer.
Can you briefly run us through the difference between a chemical sunscreen and a mineral sunscreen? Which type of skin will love them?
There’s not a huge level of difference in how mineral and chemical actives work – they both absorb most of the sun rays but mineral filters reflect about 5%. However, if you have generally more fussy or any sort of inflammation in your skin, zinc (mineral) options are probably better for you. Mineral options tend to be thicker though and more whitening in general while chemical filters are more lightweight, invisible on the skin and can be more hydrating.
Do you have any tips to get in the habit of wearing and reapplying sunscreen?
My number one tip is find a sunscreen you love to wear as then you will be more inclined to apply and reapply! Also, do it every day. It takes time to develop a new habit and if you make an effort to do it consistently, it will be easy. After you brush your teeth in the morning, apply your sunscreen!
Complete the sentence: "In my SPF wardrobe..."
I cover all bases: face, lips, hands and body!
If you're visiting Malaysia, what are the three products you will pack with you?
Supreme Screen, my new Bottega Veneta sunglasses and a chic hat.
Ultra Violette is now available at Sephora Malaysia.
