Bounce Back

How Does A Once-cult Label Rediscover Its Footing In Today's Beauty Landscape? It Seems Skincare Brand Philosophy Has The Answers - A Focus On Legacy, Modern Formulations, And A Brand New Social Strategy Is What A Beauty Brand Revamp Looks Like

- AMANDA LEO

From its Oprah-approved Hope In A Jar moisturiser to its award-winning Purity Made Simple facial cleanser, Philosophy was once the hottest skincare label this side of the Atlantic. After laying low for a couple of years, the North American beauty brand is back with a focus on legacy and heritage, new formulas that get to the heart of the science, and of course, a revamped social media strategy — with a renewed focus in Southeast Asia.

But first, a quick refresher on the brand — founder Cristina Carlino created it in 1996, and their first product, the Purity facial cleanser, went on to consistently rank as one of the top cleansers at Sephora. Carlino was also the inventor of the “lunch-time peel”, which gave in-office results at home without irritation. In essence, it doesn’t have to hurt to work — and this is the philosophy (pardon the pun) that carries on in the brand.

It’s an ethos that still remains relevant today, especially since modern consumers are so much more knowledgeable about skincare ingredients and treatments than in the past. The thing is, Philosophy has always known what matters to the beauty consumer — pure, effective science. The original formula of the Hope In A Jar moisturiser had a blend of three AHAs and hyaluronic acid, which was pretty groundbreaking back then, where most moisturisers were just meant to, well, moisturise.