A Letter From Our Founder - 2021 Edition

Dear Peau Peau fam,

I hope 2021 has been treating you well in these early, intentional weeks of the year!

Looking back at the tough year that was 2020, it is my sincere wish to express - with deep and utter gratitude - a huge THANK YOU to everyone. I am so grateful for all the support, kindness and patience from customers and the local beauty community who chose to shop with us and align with our values. You all inspire me to keep on pushing and improving.

When I launched Peau Peau in mid-2019, the ideas of “clean beauty”, “conscious beauty” and “safe skincare” were all but themes more familiar only within the skincare community. Today, I know now that the demand for conscious beauty is more relevant than ever amongst everyone, but the industry is even more crowded and noisy than before, with an overwhelming deluge of brands and information at an alarming and possibly unsustainable rate.

As someone with sensitive skin and a deep appreciation for intuitive storytelling, my goal has always been to find a way to make shopping for skincare easier, with a brand selection that’s been carefully considered to include only consciously formulated yet effective products, by brands that care for both your skin health and the environment. More transparency, less greenwashing bullshit with ambiguous claims and same-old “where have I seen this before” branding. 

I also wanted to make your retail experience more personable, fun and informative; to bring delight to your browsing and shopping. Beauty should be fun! Not overwhelming, confusing and frustrating.

Last year, we intentionally kept the same amount of brands as when we launched (at 5), and slowly grew our inventory to cater to more skin concerns. We have only ever wanted to introduce brands that offer unique products and brand stories, and I did not want to compromise that promise; instead taking time to search harder for brands that aim to make a difference.

We also dipped our toes into a few new projects and campaigns - some of you may have spotted our monthly Instagram stories like ‘Peau Peau Picks’; the occasional Instagram ads (a necessary evil unfortunately :P); wellness packages sent to our community friends during lockdown; revamped newsletters; and some blog posts on ‘The Peau-files’!

Optimizing product images for the website

Packing products for an impromptu charity initiative with Arly.co to front line medical workers!

We launched some really beautiful newsletters, which gave subscribers first access to deals and new arrivals.

Unfortunately, it was not all positivity. As a sole founder managing a very lean team, I have often found myself doubtful and overwhelmed, and there have been regrets and setbacks along the way.

I promised community engagement and education when I launched. Personally, these were not developed as I had imagined. I wish I had delivered them to you last year, and connected with you on a deeper and more responsive level. Having reflected and taken time off to reassess the business, I realise that I could have done so much more, and will aim to do better.

I return to you with renewed strength for the year ahead. We remain committed to being a wellness destination for sensitive skin and have new developments in store. 2021 holds new partner brands (finally!) that are doing exciting things for sensitive skin, fun collaborations with wellness brands, new product categories, more sustainable packaging, and perhaps... some NON skincare products (!!) which I promise will still be curated for your optimal well-being and delight.

I hope you will stay with us for our year of Growth and Nurture, in which we aim for change and impact. We start 2021 stronger because of your support - the Peau Peau Beauty team can’t wait for you to see these new plans and we’re looking forward to sharing more soon!

(P.S: Leaving you with an optimistic picture of our Peau Peau pouch up in the air, taken some time in early 2020. Let's all hope for some travel and down time to come our way soon!)