Some start-ups often grow into their brand philosophy and stumble upon their mission after launching, but the opposite can be said about Pure Culture, a rising star in the local beauty scene.
Alex Gentry, one of three co-founders, shares how they had all their certifications before they had launched. “It’s not easy but we are on a mission to elevate the standards of clean beauty in the Philippines,” she said, adding that their true north star is “uncompromising natural beauty.” To achieve this, the brand successfully acquired a long list of labels that extends to: toxic-free, cruelty-free, and allergy-safe certified.
Ambitious is a word synonymous with Pure Culture’s seven pillars, as it not only aims to thrust Filipino ingredients into the spotlight, but is also on a mission to do this with lower carbon footprint, sustainable packaging, and a rigorous background check on its suppliers, among other weighty goals.
At the heart of this goodness, is also the exciting challenge of representing a budding F-beauty, or Filipino beauty, movement. “It’s amazing because we’re at the crux of time and history where we can define what F-beauty is,” says Gentry. Instead of competing with each other, the Pure Culture women thrive on the joy of knowing their local counterparts are on the same path, contributing to the F-beauty conversation.
Pure Culture has employed three pillars that remain at the core of its products: biocompatibility, highlighting and putting front and center a Philippine ingredient, and the inclusion of good bacteria.
To date, the brand has reaped accolades, such as being the first Philippine brand to be Safe Cosmetics Australia verified as Toxic-Free, Made Safe, Allergy Certified, Cruelty-Free and Vegan; a two-time Bronze Winner for Innovative Clean Beauty in the global Organic Skincare Awards 2022; and bagging the gold and silver awards at the Organic Beauty Awards 2022.
The Founders’ Journey
Clean beauty is not hard to come by these days, and that’s thanks in large part to brands like Pure Culture, a local skincare brand that formulates products that honor both nature and the skin’s microbiome. Three long-time friends, all mothers with a vision to create a sustainable business that gives back and all with some form of skin sensitivity, banded together to establish this minimalist and mindful beauty line. It was perfect timing: women were concerned about not just their aesthetics, but what’s in their products as well. This, along with a shared purpose among Pure Culture’s founders, contributed to what the brand has grown into today.
Alex Gentry
Chief initiator Alex brings her second start-up forward after discovering the joys of soap-making. Her background in technology and in publishing both contributed to her meticulous nature as Pure Culture’s co-founder. Although new to beauty, she instantly took to it and its underlying science, carefully studying high-performance molecules and its botanical sources.
Rina dela Calzada
An advertising maven by trade, Rina had been creating campaigns for brands for quite some time and decided it was finally time to call one her own. Her many allergies and sensitive skin propelled her into joining Pure Culture’s cause, alongside her passion for sustainability.
Kim Reyes-Palanca
A beauty journalist, Kim had been interested in the business of beauty and wellness, after being immersed into countless research and trends. While keeping her young family healthy, Kim was on the lookout for ways to give back to the country through social entrepreneurship, which made Pure Culture the perfect fit.
THE COLLECTIONS
Sea of Change
The Wild Algae line puts an often-overlooked and humble ingredient to the fore: the Philippine sea grape or lato is blended with red New Zealand seaweed. Sustainably sourced, harvested and processed, the star seaweed ingredients were Pure Culture’s entry to this beauty trend that celebrates the blessings of the sea. The founders were able to locate a lab in Bulgaria that was able to harvest the oils of the seaweed properly, and this resulted in the calming and soothing benefits of Pure Culture’s Wild Algae products, which are compatible on both Asian and Caucasian skin.
Rose and Shine
The Bulgarian Rose line harnesses the healing benefits of its namesake flower. The complete line consists of a serum, an elixir, and a serum that miraculously turns back the clock as it hydrates and boosts collagen production for radiant skin. Giving a new definition to rose gold, the Bulgarian Rose Glam Gold Satin Creme and its Bulgarian Rose Sublime Serum, 24k gold is an easy addition to one’s nightly routine. From the top skincare labs in the Philippines and across the globe to an accessible and chic jar by one’s boudoir, the magic of this line is also in its minimal carbon footprint.
PURE CULTURE’S INGREDIENT GLOSSARY
