Women are not being treated fairly or responsibly by an industry which is more interested in profit over the health and wellbeing of women. Vanessa Gray Lyndon knew that this was the case for the skincare industry, and believed that there was something better available for women in terms of care and message, so she turned to nature to prove that.
With her demand for more inclusivity and transparency in the industry, and an aspiration to help women feel confident in their own skin without makeup, Vanessa created her organic skincare line Vanessa Megan Naturaceuticals™. With 20 years of experience, Vanessa is now an award-winning natural and organic skincare formulator, manufacturer and entrepreneur, whose endeavour to help women of all ages and skin types is far from finished.
Cracking the Code on Skin Care
Vanessa is a truth-teller, she honours and is guided by inclusivity, celebrating real women in their skin flaws, freckles, sunspots, enlarged pores and all. Vanessa’s products are scientifically developed, manufactured in an Australian lab by a predominantly female team, and tested via focus group for immediate feedback.
Vanessa trains her employees on how to use the latest skincare ingredients and manufacturing technologies and includes them in the formulation process. While her products are entirely gender-neutral and can be used by anyone, she creates them to deal with specific women’s issues that are overlooked and under-discussed.
Society and the skincare industry are in the throes of a revolution, and it has major beauty disruptors to thank for that. With influencers and small and independent brands now going head to head with major beauty brands, we are officially treading new ground. Never before has so much conversation been spurred about representation and transparency. More people than ever are wanting to know the truth behind what they’re buying, who they’re buying from and exactly what they’re putting on their skin.
The beauty business is quickly changing but one thing is for sure, Vanessa Gray Lyndon’s voice is louder than ever. Her position as a thought leader for change is gaining momentum in this once very controlled and contrived industry, pushing the boundaries to prove that the best results come from mother nature.
The Vanessa Megan Her-story
Vanessa has always been a driven woman who strived to share her voice and apply her values and passions to help others. In 2001, Vanessa was having a conversation with her best friend Mel, who had recently been diagnosed with Cancer, when Mel said a phrase that planted a seed that would grow into what is the core of Vanessa Megan Naturaceutical Skincare® today.
"You should never put anything on your skin that you couldn’t eat.”
This mantra, as well as Mel’s presence in Vanessa’s life, would continue to guide Vanessa over the next decade as she built her business.
Vanessa searched for natural skincare options and fragrances that worked and, finding few, started making her own products in her kitchen in Los Angeles where she was working as an actress. She made fragrances, cleansers and moisturisers for herself and her family and friends. The products were much loved and when she returned to Australia, she started making them on a larger scale.
As the brand has grown and evolved Vanessa has become a pioneer in proving that natural skincare can rival anything synthetic and that you don’t need toxic preservatives, chemical ingredients, palm oils or lab-made fragrances to create powerfully active results-driven skincare.
Education Nourishes Your Mind and Skin!
Vanessa is always self-educating, learning from experts and experimenting, but she is also passionate about sharing her knowledge with others, publishing educational content through social media, a book that is in the works, ingredient information and skin health guides. Her products embody her desire to choose local Australian ingredients, support sustainable workers and leave as little impact on the environment as possible.
She is a visionary entrepreneur and an activist in the safe skincare space, determined to put an end to unethical marketing that pushes unrealistic notions of beauty, as well as dangerous ingredients on women of all ages.
Vanessa enjoys getting her hands dirty and is most often found in her lab experimenting, formulating and physically making the products she sells. Not only does this keep her on top of quality control, but it also fills her with joy to be creating something from scratch.
Vanessa pushes the boundaries of nature and continues to experiment and ask difficult questions and then makes it her mission to find solutions. Vanessa loves the idea of “Getting Dirty with Clean Skincare™” – trying out natural ingredients to see what they can do for the skin, experimenting and bringing the science of nature into powerful skincare. Her knowledge of skincare ingredients is almost as great as her ability to keep it simple for her clients.
Although Vanessa loves helping women look beautiful, her driving force is making them feel beautiful from within. Vanessa believes that wellness should be discussed more, and strives to teach women that nature can heal you from the outside in, through organic ingredients on the skin. Vanessa is making moves to educate others about clean, powerful and results-driven beauty, as well as educating about the current waste within the industry.
Vanessa believes if people understand their skin and what they can do for it, everyone can have healthier, beautiful skin whilst choosing a more sustainable practice in beauty.
Vanessa's Purpose
Vanessa’s business has grown over the years to not only be a full range of spa-quality products but to encompass other businesses as well. She white labels for other natural and organic companies and runs the completely compostable line of body products Biode® and the natural injection alternatives line Liar.
Vanessa puts her energy into causes that empower women and help people feel amazing about themselves. Vanessa’s biggest motivator is hearing testimonials about how skin care has changed their life, making them confident in their own skin and not needing to hide behind makeup anymore. With looking like your true self and ageing gracefully becoming a more prominent trend, Vanessa cannot wait to be the mentor for women through every stage of their skincare journey and life.