It's the first Philippine brand to be certified by Safe Cosmetics Australia, too!
What happens when three good friends get together? A meeting of minds unfolds as moms Alex Gentry, Karina dela Calzada, and Kim Reyes-Palanca agreed that they have yet to find a skincare brand that's good for our skin, our country, and our planet. All three of them have sensitive skin and are prone to allergies, which makes this an even harder feat. This means, all their products have to pass their own tests, making sure that it's safe for the most sensitive of skin, too!
While the research and development happened more than two years ago, with the last few days of 2020 being its inception, these three ladies were only confident enough to push through with the launch of their skincare line in 2022. "There's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears in between, and in the months leading to our birth, but that's how passion works," explains Alex.
Probiotics for the skin
At the press launch, the ladies shared that one of their goals is not to disrupt the skin's environment and natural processes, but their aim is to support the ecosystem. In the past few years, probiotics has been making waves, especially for our gut. Lately, it has also been proven that it can help keep our skin balanced as well. This had led the three ladies to go deeper into the healthy state of our skin's microbiome. Hence, the name Pure Culture in which its products work on keeping the culture of our good bacteria in its purest state possible. Healthy bacteria equals healthy skin!
"We need to recognize that our skin is an ecosystem, and that it is connected to our overall well-being, being so closely connected to the gut and brain. We also need to recognize that we are all part of a greater ecosystem. We are all connected, and every choice we make ripples within and outwards our body, community, and the planet," adds Karina.
Good for the ocean
And this is what led the ladies to be more than just a beauty product that delivers good results for your skin. They also wanted to do more by making sure that they source ingredients that are grown and harvested responsibly. This includes environmentally friendly production and processes, even packaging as well.
Alex shares that their hearts are close to the ocean, being that the Philippines is an archipelago that's surrounded by the sea. This brought about another mission—to use only ocean-friendly packaging. "This means using materials that are proven to break down in nature. We do not use bioplastic tubes, bottles and jars as these are not proven to break down outside of industrial settings."
As part of their commitment, Pure Culture is part of the 1% for the Planet and will continue to partner with carbon footprint-conscious couriers.
Natural, biocompatible, and proudly Pinoy-made
Pure Culture is proud to harness the power of Philippine sea grapes (Caulerpa Lentillifera) or what we refer to as "lato" or green caviar to the Safe Cosmetics Australia community, with the latter giving their certification to this homegrown brand. Yes, our very own seaweed extract that helps boost the skin's overall well-being. Other skin superfood that you can find in their products are New Zealand marine algae that is rich with antioxidants to lock in moisture and protect the skin, cica so sooth sensitive skin, probiotics to reinforce the skin's barrier and help the skin heal faster, microSilver BG that protects against harmful bacteria and skin aggressors, and vitamin C, niacinamiade, hyaluronic acid to hydrate.
"Mindfulness is ingrained to our core. We do our best to use natural actives that are certified to ensure environmentally friendly and ethical production, so there are a lot of ingredients that we do not use, such as Palm Oil (which is very readily available in the Philippines) for obvious sustainability issues," adds Kim.
Product lines
For their initial launch, Pure Culture introduces three categories.
Wild Algae that consists of three products (Super Skin Tonic, Glow Up Serum, and Quench Creme) made with a combination of red and green seaweed that works on calming, brightening, and hydrating acne-prone skin.
Bulgarian Rose which is their luxe line that rebalances, refines, and revives dry and mature skin. It also has 24k gold ingredient that adds just the right amount of glow for daily wear. It comes with Everything Elixir, Sublime Serum, and Glam Gold Satin Creme.
Biome bars that are handcrafted body soap bars that result to zero-waste. Made with virgin coconut oil, shea butter, and lactobacillus ferment that will surely leave your skin smooth and healthy. Choose from Dark Rose Everything Bar that moisturizes, Kombucha Kickass Bar that detoxifies, and Rice Milk & Oats Hello Glow Bar that brightens, Green Caviar Miracle Matter Bar that revives.
For more details, visit their site here.