The Australian launch of UpCircle, a ChemCorp-owned company, was hosted by Sylvia Lechowicz Brand Manager, for the beauty, health & wellness category at Chemcorp International.
Up up and clean away
An ecofriendly beauty range, UpCircle has a compelling back story, as delivered here by Sylvia. “William and Anna Brightman, London-based brother and sister duo, and the co-founders of UpCircle, literally found this ecofriendly beauty solution in the bottom of their coffee cup.
“In 2015, after receiving a coffee plunger for Christmas, William was making a coffee in the morning and had a thought: if he was throwing away so many coffee grounds every morning, how much was going to waste in coffee shops all over London? He reached out to several coffee shops and as it turns out over 500,000 tonnes (that’s about 5 billion kilos) was sent to landfill every year in the UK. So, the pair decided to do something about it. Creating a way to give those discarded coffee grounds a new lease on life
“William and Anna really wanted to grow the brand and share their story with the world. They presented their pitch in Dragons Den, the UK’s equivalent of Shark Tank. After some hard-hitting questions, William and Anna were presented three offers and received the funding they required, and UpCircle was born. Reused, repurposed and re-loved – UpCircle elevates leftover natural ingredients, bringing them back to life as beauty products”.
The ethos is: 100% natural, and 100% brilliant. Because customers shouldn’t have to choose between doing the right thing and getting the best results for their skin. With UpCircle, there’s the uplifting benefits of nature’s own skin rejuvenators, while doing the planet no harm.
The UpCircle range is 100% cruelty-free, organic, repurposed, vegan, sustainable, ocean friendly, palm-oil free, and handmade from all natural and unique ingredients. All the products are made in the UK and packed in 100% recyclable packaging.
The brand will never compromise its mission and recently was rewarded: UpCircle was named the UK’s Ethical Green Business of the year by the Federation of Small Businesses.
A body of work
The range consists of body scrubs, face scrubs, soap bars and a facial serum.
Body Scrubs
The Body Scrub range is made with repurposed coffee grounds to naturally buff away dry, dead skin cells leaving the skin feeling soft smooth and refreshed. It is blended with sea salt, shea butter and coconut oil to moisturise the skin post-scrub. “I find the addition of the shea butter and coconut oil also helps holds the scrub together, making it easier to apply and a lot less messy than loose body scrubs – nobody likes cleaning the shower after a messy coffee scrub”, says Sylvia.
There are three variants in the body scrub range, each infused with essential oils: Lemongrass & lime oils; Tangerine & grapefruit and Peppermint & eucalyptus. The UK has launched a fourth which is due in Australia soon…do we smell chocolate?
Face Scrubs
The face scrubs are made with coffee grounds for their soft, smooth and skin-glowy effect and Shea butter to nourish the skin. There are three coffee face scrubs in the range, each designed to target different skin types.
The Floral Blend is for sensitive skin, and contains chamomile, rosehip, geranium and patchouli essential oils. The Citrus Blend is designed for Dry and Dehydrated skin (ideal for winter or anyone that sits in an airconditioned office all day), and is infused with rosehip, sweet orange and lemon verbena essential oils. And the Herbal Blend, for those with Oily or combination skin and contains rosemary, thyme, petitgrain and tea tree essential oils.
Soap Bars
The soap bars have been made with residual chai spices, used to create Chai Syrup. The soap bars are made with a curated blend of nine spices including Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Vanilla, to provide natural scent and gentle exfoliation. They contain Shea butter for skin hydration and are perfect for daily use on the face or body. The soap bars are palm oil free and 100% natural, and there are two variants in the range:
Cinnamon & Ginger contains organic cinnamon & ginger oils to give skin a reviving boost and pink clay to reduce redness, irritation and spots. Fennel & Cardamom created with residual chai spices and green clay draws toxins from pores, helping combat acne and breakouts.
Face Serum
Hydrate and Firm Face Serum, is a certified organic hydrating face serum, made with coffee oil from repurposed coffee grounds and infused with a hydrating blend of jojoba, sea buckthorn and rosehip oils. The antioxidants in coffee grounds increase after it is brewed, increasing the antioxidant properties in the coffee oil, helping to fade dark spots and brighten the complexion.
The face serum is nourishing with powerful actives that boost collagen and keep skin firm. It is suitable for all skin types and can be used morning and night. It can also be used as a beard oil.