Mala McAlpin Founder AWE Cosmeceuticals / Rebecca Powne / Glen Waverley
Resilience and patience
How I got here
I had a strong desire from early on to create my own product line. I had long been very passionate about India and during my seven years in London I discovered a degree programme in Ayurvedic Medicine. On returning to Australia in 2004, I completed my Dermal Therapies degree at Victoria University. I worked within the beauty industry for years with plastic surgeons and in salons to develop a first-hand insight into what people were looking for to take care of their skin. Finally, after spending a lot of time researching ingredients, skin physiology and the chemistry of formulating, AWE was born.
What inspires me
My passion was always about achieving long term results for my clients. There are so many fads in the beauty industry and there is no shortage of products claiming miracle results but not delivering any lasting impact. Instead I have spent many years researching and trialling ingredients that can repair cellular DNA damage which work synergistically with specific Ayurvedic extracts known for their adaptogenic properties. This has enabled me to create formulations that can remediate very targeted skin concerns with no irritation. I’m inspired by people who do good things from their heart and with love and compassion. People who treat others with respect and a sense of justice. People who right others’ wrongdoings. People who are humble and caring.
My favourites
I had some time away from AWE in 2014 as we went to live in South Africa for a year. Coming back from there and re-branding was a really pivotal point in how I saw AWE and what I really wanted to achieve.
I think it has been my favourite moment so far, because I came back with clarity and stopped listening to too many other people’s input and followed my own path. It meant a lot of changes and challenges, however it definitely paid off. Our wonderful indiraa Age Recharge Serum has to be my favourite AWE product. In it we have combined some amazing ingredients, including our own Pro Youth Complex™, coconut water, Indian frankincense and hyaluronic acid. We also use a natural Ayurvedic bio-availability enhancer, piperine. In the future we will also include our new Ayurvedic Complex blend, which combines traditional Ayurvedic ingredients focused on improving skin tone and texture. I love this product because it always feels so hydrating and comforting on application and is my anti-ageing go-to!
My advice
In this industry, you need to have a long term outlook and plenty of resilience and patience. There will be fails, however sometimes risk taking and experimentation is the only way you’ll know if something is to be a success. Focus on your own path and be very clear about what you want to achieve from it and what drives you. People are starting to realise that a healthy skin is only achievable through a holistic approach, which is a cornerstone of Ayurvedic medicine. Another force that is shaping our industry is one of deep understanding of skin physiology resulting in a trend towards less invasive treatments. I have seen too many women damage their skin in the pursuit of quick results. Lastly, our industry needs to take the lead in protecting our environment. We need to reduce our use of non-recyclable and excessive packaging. There is a large range of new packaging options available that are significantly less harmful to the environment than those used by mainstream brands today.
Treatments:
vimala Gentle Cleanser
saman Cooling Pitta Tonic
iddha 4X Vitamin C booster
amala Clearing Serum
nirvaata Calming Serum
codayati Renewal System
indiraa Age Recharge Moisturiser
shaanta Intensive Moisture
Contact:
AWE Cosmeceuticals
awecosmeceuticals.com.au
