“I’m a total skincare snob and I’m not afraid to admit it,” says beauty and wellness publicist Emily Parr, who has launched brands like Juice Generation, Drunk Elephant, Briogeo and Anna Kaiser. Knowing the industry inside and out, she noticed that no brands were making cleansers the star of the show and she couldn’t find one she loved. She was impressed by the evolution of the serum, cream and mask categories, but felt cleansers were overlooked. “We all have cravings, and so does our skin,” says Parr. “Skin is a living organ. It gets cranky, it gets thirsty, it has different needs at different times. You must listen to your skin, because one-and-done simply doesn’t cut it when it comes to face wash.” Plus, she discovered that the majority of cleansers on the market are water and surfactants (cleansing agents) with a few key ingredients sprinkled in for marketing value. Cutting back on fillers like water leaves much more room for vitamins, antioxidants, skin-identical and cell-communicating ingredients.
So last year, Parr and her partner Majeed Hemmat launched skincare brand HoliFrog with four hero cleansers: Tashmoo Water Lily Nourishing Milky Wash, Shasta AHA Refining Acid Wash, Kissimmee Vitamin F Therapy Balmy Wash and Superior Omega Nutritive Gel Wash. “This idea of ‘situational cleansing’ has become the cornerstone of our brand,” Parr explains. “Skin has different needs at different times.”
Galilee Antioxidant Dewy Drop
The brand became a fast bestseller at Dermstore, SpaceNK and FaceGym and will launch this fall on HSN. After the brand’s debut, Parr wanted to expand its range beyond cleansers, but wasn’t sure which category to tackle next. “Based on customer feedback, it became quite clear that our customers wanted a skincare system to use post-wash,” she explains. So the brand is evolving from its motto of “situational cleansing” to skincare “for every skin situation.” Their first non-cleanser, launching this fall, is a hydration hybrid that drenches and repairs the skin—without any excess filler ingredients. Galilee Antioxidant Dewy Drop is a restoring serum that moonlights as a lotion emulsion. This serum-meets-lotion boasts antioxidants, vitamins, gentle exfoliants, non-fragrant plant oils and extracts and can be used on its own or in conjunction with your existing routine. “Nothing we do will ever be watered down…pun intended,” Parr says.
