Co-founders of Foile; Alex Grima and Su Tuttle
Who are Alex and Su and how did Foile come to be?
Old friends having previously worked together, we came together to create principal skincare in signature, refillable packaging. Su is a qualified Nutritionist and mother, living by the ocean in Bondi. I come from a background in public relations and design and live in the Northern Rivers.
What is it like starting your own brand?
An exciting, creative and challenging time. Every day still feels like the beginning as we approach new challenges and opportunities.
Were there any major learning curves for you?
Absolutely! Every day still feels like a learning curve. Knowing that good things take time has taught us a lot of patience and persistence.
You are doing some very cool things with Foile; what are the primary goals?
Our main goal is to create skincare that is beneficial for the skin. Progressive, impact-conscious business practices, from product to packaging - whilst advocating for the beauty industry to shift into a more expressive and inclusive space.
Ok, the bottles! Please fill us in, what’s the story behind them?
We wanted to design a signature bottle for our products so they were high-quality and had longevity. We worked collaboratively with a boutique design firm in Sydney. They have an organic shape with Foile embossed on the front and a chunky lid that is the shape of a drop of oil (that also features above the ‘i’ in our name/logo). There are two colourways, one is our ‘earth’ bottle and the other is ‘sky’. From conceptualising to manufacturing, the process took us 2 years but it was definitely worth it.
We love your focus on refillable and reusable products; how important is this concept to your brand?
Crucial. We made our products refillable in an effort to reduce the waste incurred by the beauty industry and part of the bigger picture of us doing business in a more progressive way.
What’s your ultimate Foile go-to and why?
The Daily Jelly Moisturiser. It is light-weight and fast-absorbing that gives me plumped, glowing skin in every season, everyday.
Product development; where does it all start?
We conceptualise the product efficacy - what we want the product to do to the skin. Then how it looks and feels. From there we research the rich botanicals and essential actives we want to build it with to create the outcomes we are looking for. Here is the part where we go to our chemist and develop & trial balance putting these together in a formula that is stable, safe and performs well. We then go into sampling and work back and forth tweaking the formula until it is ready to go - we are super fussy as we only want to deliver skincare to the highest standard.
Can you give us a quick rundown on the Formulas:
Everyday skincare with rich botanicals and essential actives. Formulated for visible results.
And the Classics:
Multi-use, super flexible face oils that can be used primarily on their own or layered into a skincare routine.
What’s on your shower shelf?
Our Coconut Body Oil! An easy way to take care of my skin every day before hopping out.
Do you remember your most cringy haircut?
I had a bowl-cut when I was little but I actually kind of love the shape.
What’s next for Foile – any new products in the works?
We have two beautiful new products that will launch next year.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
Being back home in New Zealand to spend time with family and friends near the ocean.
