May 29, 2025 • 25 mins
What if your menopause journey could be a celebration of your skin's resilience rather than a battle against it? Elizabeth Barbalich, founder and CEO of Antipodes Skincare, shares this refreshing perspective as she joins us to discuss how natural ingredients can address the unique challenges of menopausal skin.
From her kitchen table to a global brand sold in over 40 countries, Elizabeth's story embodies the power of female entrepreneurship guided by genuine purpose. She reveals how winning the Entrepreneur of the Year Product Award in New Zealand and Best Emerging Brand in Paris validated her vision, yet she finds the most meaningful moments come from women sharing how her products have genuinely improved their skin health.
The conversation delves into why Antipodes created their Jasmine Flower Menopause Facial Cream, a groundbreaking formulation specifically targeting menopausal skin concerns. Elizabeth explains the science behind key ingredients like avananthramides from oat extract that inhibit histamine release, chamomile extracts with neuropeptide properties, and plant-based hyaluronic acid that dramatically improves hydration in dehydrated menopausal skin.
What makes this discussion truly valuable is Elizabeth's holistic "inside out, outside in" approach to skincare. She emphasises that no cream alone can solve all skin challenges, advocating for nutritional awareness, reduced inflammatory foods, and increased protein intake alongside targeted skincare. Most refreshingly, she challenges the beauty industry's obsession with lineless skin, instead defining healthy skin as "radiant" regardless of age.
Don't forget to follow @SonyaLovell and @AntipodesSkincare on Instagram to enter our special skincare giveaway valued at over $250!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sonya (00:01):
Welcome to the Dear Menopause podcast.
I'm Sonia Lovell, your host Now.
I've been bringing youconversations with amazing
menopause experts for over twoyears now.
If you have missed any of thoseconversations, now's the time
to go back and listen, and youcan always share them with
anyone you think needs to hearthem.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations,
(00:25):
needs to hear them.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations.
This episode of Dare Menopauseis proudly sponsored by
Antipodes Skincare, the NewZealand-based science-led,
plant-powered skincare brandthat is as kind to your skin as
it is to the planet.
To celebrate, we're running apamper and pause skincare
giveaway on Instagram.
One lucky winner will receivean indulgent skincare prize pack
(00:46):
valued at over $250.
Listen through to the end ofthe episode to learn how you can
enter, and a huge thank you toAntipodes for supporting
conversations that matter.
Elizabeth, thank you so muchfor joining the Dear Menopause
(01:08):
podcast.
Elizabeth (01:10):
It's great to be here , excited to talk to you this
afternoon.
Sonya (01:15):
So let's talk about Antipodes.
This is an incredible skincarebrand that is really rooted in
science and nature.
I'm keen to know what is theorigin story behind that.
Elizabeth (01:27):
Yeah, well, thank you for the compliment first of all
.
So for me, antipodes was reallythe genesis, was a passion and
an interest from my side.
I've got a background inscience and I was always very
curious about incredible nativebotanicals in New Zealand and
the potential health-givingproperties I guess that you'd
(01:51):
find on your back doorstep.
And when I had three youngchildren, I was in a space where
I was highly stressed, found itdifficult to cope, couldn't
sleep.
So I really embraced a fullynatural and holistic lifestyle
and my oldest daughter isheading towards 30 now, so it
was some time ago and I foundthat I loved the way I felt by
(02:12):
good nutrition, making healthychoices, and I decided, as part
of that, I should really look atwhat I was putting on, my skin
being your largest organ, and Ifelt that there was not enough
choice for women, for anyone inthe market, for a highly
efficacious natural brand thatactually delivered some changes,
(02:33):
improvements to the skin.
And so, yeah, I set aboutformulating my own.
It sounds easy, but it wasn't.
I love that.
Sonya (02:40):
I love that you admit it was not easy.
Elizabeth (02:44):
There's nothing easy in the journey of being an
entrepreneur.
I think at every stage you gothrough there's a challenge.
It's incredibly hard being astartup organization.
It's hard to get your firstsale.
It's hard to get the repeatsales.
It's difficult to break intochannels.
You know you can pay forcertain kind of media and you
(03:05):
don't get the results you'reexpecting.
You know you have to build ateam around you, and it goes on
and on and on.
And the bigger you get, itdoesn't mean things get easier.
The challenges change.
Sonya (03:17):
Yeah, A little bit like having kids different ages,
different stages.
Elizabeth (03:22):
Exactly, exactly, and in some ways you've just got to
embrace it right.
It's like I was kind of, Iwould say, a hands-off mum A
hands-on but a hands-off mum.
So I was always with my kids.
You kind of find the solutions,you make your own lunchboxes,
but, as you say, things gothrough phases with children and
it's actually better if you cankind of lean into these changes
and accept them and not kind ofuse your energy to fight every
(03:46):
single challenge that comes yourway.
And that's kind of the approachI've taken, like I've had
everything thrown at me and Ithink now, if I have a week that
I don't have a substantialchallenge, I'm like what's going
on?
Sonya (03:58):
I love that.
No, this is too good.
This can't be true.
You're a phenomenal femalefounder and CEO in the beauty
space, hailing from the SouthernHemisphere.
What have been some of the mostpivotal moments that you've
experienced in your leadershipjourney?
Elizabeth (04:13):
I think one key pivotal moment for me was when I
won the Entrepreneur of theYear Product Award in New
Zealand, which was 2018.
And it was a very rigorous,highly contested competition
let's call it that and I had togo through kind of various
interviews and with differentpeople from different
(04:34):
backgrounds of society, so I wasnot expecting to win that and I
got second overall.
So it was quite a big deal andI think from a commercial
perspective that I liked, youknow, for me it was pivotal and
it deal.
And I think from a commercialperspective that I liked, you
know, for me it was pivotal andit showed some respect for what
I'd done, what I created, whereI was going with the business.
I think that's one thing.
Second thing would be the brandwon an award in Paris in the
(04:58):
early days, actually calledBeyond Beauty, and we won Best
Emerging Brand and for me thatwas a pivotal moment.
I thought, actually, I knowwhat I'm doing, I know I'm
creating something unique, I canget cut through and, most
importantly, I'm gettingrecognized by some industry
leaders.
And off the back of that award,I was invited to an area called
(05:22):
Cosmetics Valley, which is twohours out of Paris and it's the
home of Christian Dior andLolita Lempika, which is an
amazing fragrance house, andsome other essentially
competitors, but they networktogether and I was invited to
this incredible space and I wasasked to talk about my fledgling
(05:42):
brand from New Zealand and Ihad a very engaged audience.
So for me that was definitely awow, a pivotal moment.
And then, thirdly, I think youknow, to be honest, if I get
stopped by a woman in the streetor somewhere, I run into
someone and they say I boughtthis particular product.
It's really helped me.
(06:02):
For me, those are the mostpivotal moments because that's
why I've done this brand.
It's not for the accolades, theawards they're nice and it's
great to have those but at theend of the day, a woman who has
chosen to invest their $50, $100on my brand versus someone
else's and they're gettingimprovements in their skin to me
(06:24):
those are really aha moments.
I love them.
Sonya (06:29):
I love that.
It really shows how connectedyou are to not just your brand
but your audience, the womenthat are out there purchasing
your product, and I've beenlucky enough to have been using
some of your products recentlyand I have to say I am literally
obsessed.
I don't think I've ever usedproducts that smell so good.
(06:49):
Oh my God, literally thefragrances that come out of
every new pot that I opened justblow my mind, but beyond that,
the feeling of using them, how Iknow my skin feels and looks as
a result, is just phenomenal.
But I really love that you'reso connected with getting that
feedback and it really showsthat even though you are such a
global brand now I think you'resold in over 40 countries Is
(07:12):
that right, correct?
Yes, oh, that you have reallystayed so true to probably what
it was that prompted you tolaunch the company in the first
place.
Elizabeth (07:23):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think you know, living and
growing up in New Zealand, we'vegot so many incredible
botanical, natural ingredientson our doorstep that actually
can shift the dial in terms ofskin health, and so I wanted to
bottle that.
I wanted to take the best ofNew Zealand nature and create a
formulation around that and alsobring in highly innovative,
(07:46):
natural and pure compounds,which 20 years ago there weren't
many.
Now there are more and morecoming onto the market.
There's peptides and there'shydroxyproline and there's
probiotics, so there's somereally cool, super interesting
things that can be woven into areally highly structured
formulation.
(08:07):
Really, always go back to mycore, which is New Zealand
botanicals, natural, innovativecompounds, 100% natural.
Never deviate from that, nomatter how tempting it might be.
Yeah, just stick to your roots.
I think that's part of success,kind of showcasing New Zealand
nature, showcasing what we cando here and being proud and
(08:28):
being we can stand up with thebest in the world and yeah bring
it on.
Sonya (08:32):
Well, you've absolutely proven that, haven't you?
So all of this is leading meinto wanting to ask you about
one of your most recent productlaunches, and that has been a
product that's been formulatedspecifically for menopausal skin
.
So I'm keen to know whatinspired you to launch this
product and what makes thisparticular formulation so unique
(08:53):
to women in midlife.
Elizabeth (08:55):
Yeah, well, firstly, I was inspired by my own journey
like going through menopause,my friends as well, and I think
I was super curious and Icouldn't understand why the
market had not embracedmenopause head on.
It's a natural phase of yourlife.
It can be very positive andit's you know, it's a sign that
(09:17):
you're alive, right.
So it's actually, it can begreat.
So let's have this narrativeand talk about it.
And I was really interestedthat other brands, and
particularly large trade playerslike big brands, had not kind
of tackled the subject.
When you know, from acommercial perspective, many
women who are in menopause,there's more disposable income.
(09:38):
So really, from a purelyprofit-based kind of approach, I
would have expected those bigcompanies to be looking at this
open market so curious,disappointed, and I think women
deserve better.
Why can't you have good skin asyou age and talk about the
issues you're having with yourskin and what changes are
(10:00):
happening and build thatcommunity?
Sonya (10:03):
Yeah, it's really interesting when I personally
reflect on the skincare industry, the beauty industry.
It's still very much drivenfrom an anti-aging perspective,
isn't it?
You know, unfortunately, livingin Western cultures, we still
live in such an ageist cultureand I think, as a part of that,
the beauty industry, theskincare industry, still is
(10:24):
partly responsible for thatbecause they come from such an
anti-aging space, whereas, asyou say, if we can embrace the
fact that we do have changesthat are happening to our bodies
, hormonally driven, it's goingto impact our skin, the largest
organ in the body.
We know the impact that thedecline of estrogen has and the
decline of collagen and allsorts of different things.
(10:44):
Why not embrace that and makethe most of this incredible
market, like you say, thisaudience, that are out there
really thirsty for help andsupport as opposed to going no,
actually, we don't want you toage, we want you to start
looking like you did when youwere 20.
Elizabeth (11:01):
And isn't that just such an odd thing Like for me as
a brand owner?
I don't associate a good skinwith completely lineless skin.
I associate good skin withhealthy looking skin, radiant
skin.
So I'm not of the philosophythat you have to get rid of
every line and wrinkle andcrease on your skin.
It's more for me about helpingwomen achieve healthy skin.
(11:24):
So, yeah, I guess there'sdifferent philosophies out there
, right?
Sonya (11:28):
Yeah, there is, but I'm really hopeful that we have
women like you, global leaders,founders of amazing skincare
ranges, that are pushing thenarrative and are creating
products for this market thatare so highly evidence-based,
that are so ethically formulated, and it's not just a whole new
brand that's jumping on thebandwagon of going oh, there's
(11:50):
all these menopause of women andthey want to spend money here.
Take mine.
It's one of the things that Ilove about yours.
Let's jump back for a moment toyour new product, which is
specific to the menopausal women.
Tell me a little bit about theformulation for that.
So how does it differ to otherproducts?
Elizabeth (12:07):
Yeah, so it's called Jasmine Flower Menopause Facial
Cream.
It's a formulation that isdesigned to help address the
symptoms, skin symptoms ofmenopause, which might be things
like redness, inflammation,irritation, hormonal blemishes
in many cases, signs that womenmay not have experienced before
(12:29):
in their life.
And so, yeah, I really kind oflooked at what are the key above
and beyond lines and wrinkles,right, what are the key kind of
issues that women are facing, asyou know?
As you say, as estrogen levelsdecrease, as you know, heat in
your body surges, as you can getthe sudden rush of redness to
your skin.
What are the kind of the majorfactors?
(12:52):
So that was kind of thestarting point.
Obviously, dehydration is afundamental issue that women are
facing.
Through menopause, their skingets a lot more sensitive, more
irritated.
With red flushes and hotflushes, the skin can become
quite red, irritated, and I'mnot talking about broken
(13:13):
capillaries, because that's adifferent skin issue, just more
from that surge in heat.
So I started looking at how canwe get natural compounds that
actually help to address thosesymptoms in the skin.
And, yeah, and so it was superinteresting seeing what
compounds were out there.
One of them is an ingredientcalled avananthramides and I had
(13:34):
to practice that word for quitesome time.
It's from oat extract, whichdoesn't sound super exciting but
it's a histamine inhibitor, soit inhibits the release of
histamine in the mast cellswhich sit in the dermal layer of
the skin.
So it helps to reduce thatonset of redness to the
epidermal layer of the skin.
(13:55):
That was one of the keyingredients.
And then we have anotheringredient called it's a
chamomile extract ingredientthat helps.
It's essentially a neuropeptide, so it helps to relax the
muscles in the skin and justgive the skin, I guess, a more
youthful kind of appearance.
We've also got our plant-basedhyaluronic acid.
(14:15):
So this has the same molecularstructure as an animal-derived
hyaluronic acid.
And hyaluronic is an amazingingredient.
It basically chelates waterinto your skin cells, so it
really helps keep your skin moreplumped.
It's a compound that isnaturally produced in your own
skin, so it's a matter ofreplenishing that loss of water
(14:35):
and that helps with a more, astronger skin barrier, a more
healthier microbiome.
So everything kind of works insynergy.
And that was really theapproach.
I didn't want to just look atlines, wrinkles.
I wanted to look at the morewhat I would say more severe
changes to the skin.
Sonya (14:52):
I love that that has been your focus.
Like we touched on earlier, itis much more about addressing
those skin changes that we allknow we experience and the
dehydration thing.
I think dehydration in womengoing through this transition is
not talked about enough andvery underplayed, because when
we're having hot flushes ornight sweats, we're losing
(15:13):
moisture and that is going tohave a really profound impact on
your skin.
We talk so much now which isgreat about vaginal dryness and
keeping the vulva nice andhealthy, but I don't think
there's enough conversationabout extrapolating that out
into our actual everydayskincare as well, on our face
and the rest of our body too.
Elizabeth (15:32):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think the more dialogue women
can have with each other andbuild a community around it, the
better.
Right, Because everyone's goingto go through menopause.
You can't avoid it and for somethere's an early onset for
various reasons.
So learn about it, lean into itand be grateful.
I think for me it's a reallyreflective time that you think
(15:54):
well, I'm glad I've got two armsand two legs, I'm in one place,
I've got to be happy, right?
So I will deal with what I haveto deal with and be happy that
my kids have left home.
Sonya (16:06):
Although I'm seeing a lot of women, particularly in the
perimenopausal stage, whoactually are juggling kids at
home and sometimes even youngerkids as well.
I've got friends in their 40sthat have got primary school age
kids.
Now I know there's someincredible research being done
actually around the women thatdo have those later children in
(16:27):
life, the impacts of themactually going straight from
almost a postnatal state intoperimenopausal state.
Um, there's women like you andI had had a chunk of time
between we had when we had ourkids and when we did go into
that perimenopausal andmenopausal stage.
Elizabeth (16:42):
I think that's a really good point because I
think women don't oftenunderstand that menopause is
essentially one day right andthat perimenopause can be 10 to
15 years in that stage whereestrogen levels are declining.
So the sooner you get ontounderstanding your hormones,
your hormone levels and how youcan kind of support those levels
(17:04):
, better.
I think many of my friendsthought oh, it just happens when
I'm 55 or 50, whatever, andit's going to just happen then
and it's like no, no, no, you'vegot to start thinking about it
when you're around 39.
You've got to start looking atall your hormone, your
progesterone, estrogen,testosterone, dhea, cortisol,
all those things and really lookat how you can support your
(17:25):
body through this phase.
But get onto it early.
Like I tell the girls in theoffice here, even once we're in
their you know, in their 20s, Isaid, don't wait until you're 50
, it's actually too late.
You've got to start thinkingabout it early on.
I'm a big believer you can helpmanage yourself through
different changes, menopausebeing a big one, and I guess we
can incorporate skincare intothat.
Sonya (17:47):
So it's a menopause cream .
The earlier that women startusing it, so in their late 30s,
into their 40s and preparing theskin for those menopausal
changes, I would assume thebetter.
Elizabeth (17:58):
Yeah, absolutely Anyone who's suffering from
hormonal blemishes, so anythingalong those lines.
This cream will definitely helpbalance and help with reducing
bacteria in the skin and so on.
But yes, I think it's anamazing formulation and not only
it's highly targeted forefficacy, but it kind of cocoons
the skin.
(18:18):
So it's got this beautifulmolecule from menthol that helps
kind of instantly soothe theskin.
So me personally, I get reallyirritated skin and it's really
unpleasant just to have thatinstant kind of soothing aspect.
Is is great and you get that atany age, right, or if you've
got rosacea or contactdermatitis or whatever.
Sonya (18:38):
Um, this would be a great formula to try fantastic and it
weaves in with the rest of yourproduct lines as well.
I'm using at the moment, at abeautiful, pear and avocado
night cream.
Yes, yes.
Elizabeth (18:49):
It's our best seller.
Sonya (18:50):
It's our number one, I know why.
And then there's a serum thatgoes alongside that, which is
just a couple of drops of thisdivine oil that I pop onto my
skin and, honestly, my skin inthe evening has never felt so
good at using your products.
And, on that note, we are goingto be running a promotion
alongside the release of thispodcast episode, so stay tuned
(19:13):
to the end of the episode tohear how you can go into the
running to win some of theamazing Antipodes skincare range
.
Thanks, sonia.
Elizabeth (19:24):
Eve Virational.
That's the serum.
So it's a KK oil, vitamin A, soit really helps to gently kind
of freshen the skin.
It's not photosensitive so youcan, you know, use it at
nighttime under your avocado penlight cream.
So you're on it.
You know all the bits.
Sonya (19:42):
Elizabeth, if there was one piece of skincare advice
that you wish every woman inmidlife could hear, what would
it be?
Elizabeth (19:50):
I would say, outside in, inside out.
So don't think that applying acream or any cream to your skin
is going to solve all of theissues you might be facing and
challenges you might be facingon your skin.
So really look at your skinfrom a nutritional perspective.
Eat more protein, drop theinflammatory foods, try and drop
(20:14):
your sugar less caffeine,unfortunately.
So really look at what foodgroups work for you.
Potentially go through anelimination process, but I think
the nutrition piece isabsolutely fundamental at this
kind of 40 onwards part of life.
And I'm not one for diets.
I don't believe in that dietstuff.
(20:34):
It's like, oh, whatever youknow you've got to enjoy eating.
But just really kind of look atyour foods for nutrition and
for energy and for sustenanceand for health, as opposed to
looking to fill yourself up.
So that's the key I'd say.
Sonya (20:51):
Yeah, I love that approach, and, you know, one of
the things that we talk about somuch women that are looking for
information on how to supportthemselves through the menopause
transition or through anysymptoms that they might be
struggling with is that thereare all of these pillars that we
need to look after and thatthey all work together, that no
one thing is a silver bullet.
So if you choose to take HRT,that's fantastic, but that's not
(21:12):
going to be your silver bullet,you know.
If you go to the gym, that'snot going to fix all your
problems either.
It's got to be nutrition, it'sgot to be exercise, it's got to
be lifestyle, it's got to belooking at how much alcohol and
caffeine your intake is, as yousaid, and skincare is a big part
of that as well.
I love the inside out, outsidein.
I think that's a really coollittle way to remember that all
(21:33):
of these things work in synergy.
Elizabeth (21:35):
Yeah absolutely, and mental fitness, I think, is a
big one as well.
Like, make sure you train yourbrain, don't let your brain kind
of fizzle, right, just makesure you're exercising your
brain through Wordle or whatever, right.
Sonya (21:51):
Yep, doing my Wordle every day.
Elizabeth (21:53):
That's keeping my brain.
Yeah, it's a really challenge.
You know, at school we used todo those big mathematical kind
of formulations on theblackboard.
That would be 10-minute jobs.
Not that I could do those now,but just exercise your brain to
keep it healthy, I think wouldbe key.
Another thing I would suggestis get a cat.
They're the most amazing kindof calming mental wellness thing
(22:14):
I think you can get.
With a cat that kind of cuddlesinto you and purrs and, you
know, doesn't ask for anythingback.
Yeah, and just try and bepresent.
Sonya (22:23):
I like that.
I'm not a cat person but I'vegot a dog.
I get the same.
That's those same kind ofendorphins, I guess, from when
he, you know, snuggles up.
I love that analogy of havingsomething that does bring you
some downtime, some connectionwith something outside of being
human.
And they do.
They love you regardless,doesn't matter if you're in a
heap crying because you'vealmost been on a roller coaster
ride all day.
They do.
They love you regardless.
Doesn't matter if you're in aheap crying because your
(22:45):
hormones have been on a rollercoaster ride all day.
They'll still love you theywill.
Elizabeth (22:49):
Yeah, as long as they're fed, I think I think the
nice thing about where I'm at57 or mid 50s onwards if your
kids have left home as well oh,my god, I've got all this time,
I can spend some time on myself,I can, you know, just enjoy
life.
I can be more present.
I'm not just thinking about alist of things to do every
(23:10):
single day.
That gets ticked off andthere's another one, another one
, so it's, in some ways, it'skind of the best time of your
life.
So, yeah, it's nothing to bescared of, it's fantastic.
Sonya (23:22):
And look, getting through the transition for some women
is bumpier than it is for others, but anybody that's listened to
me talk knows that.
You know I am eight yearspost-menopause and I firmly
believe that I am absolutely inthe prime of my life right now.
I'm hitting all my strides.
I even had someone say to methe other day like you realize,
you're in your most creativewindow of your life right now,
(23:43):
like you need to absolutely makesure that you make the most of
that, and I was like, yeah,absolutely.
Elizabeth (23:49):
And, like you say, it's a period of time within
your life that will finish and,as you mentioned, for some women
it's incredibly tough.
There's a lot of undesirableside effects right that you're
kind of not prepared for.
Sonya (24:01):
But it does end and that's the great thing yep, and
there's this whole beautifulside on the other side of it.
Elizabeth, thank you so muchfor your time today.
I have loved chatting with youso much.
Are you welcome?
it's been amazing to talk withyou before you go, don't forget
to enter our pamper and Pauseskincare giveaway on Instagram.
(24:24):
Thanks to our friends atAntipodes Skincare To be in the
running to win a Lush skincareprize back valued at over $250.
Here's what you need to doFollow at Sonja Lovell and at
Antipodes Skincare on Instagram.
You must be following bothaccounts.
Like and comment on thegiveaway post that you'll find
in our feed and, while you'rethere, why not tag a friend who
(24:45):
deserves a pamper too?
The winner must be based inAustralia and will be drawn and
announced on Friday, the 6th ofJune, on Instagram.
Good luck and thanks for tuningin to another episode of Dear
Menopause.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Dear Menopause podcast.
I'm Sonia Lovell, your host Now.
I've been bringing youconversations with amazing
menopause experts for over twoyears now.
If you have missed any of thoseconversations, now's the time
to go back and listen, and youcan always share them with
anyone you think needs to hearthem.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations,
(00:25):
needs to hear them.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations.
This episode of Dare Menopauseis proudly sponsored by
Antipodes Skincare, the NewZealand-based science-led,
plant-powered skincare brandthat is as kind to your skin as
it is to the planet.
To celebrate, we're running apamper and pause skincare
giveaway on Instagram.
One lucky winner will receivean indulgent skincare prize pack
(00:46):
valued at over $250.
Listen through to the end ofthe episode to learn how you can
enter, and a huge thank you toAntipodes for supporting
conversations that matter.
Elizabeth, thank you so muchfor joining the Dear Menopause
(01:08):
podcast.
Elizabeth (01:10):
It's great to be here , excited to talk to you this
afternoon.
Sonya (01:15):
So let's talk about Antipodes.
This is an incredible skincarebrand that is really rooted in
science and nature.
I'm keen to know what is theorigin story behind that.
Elizabeth (01:27):
Yeah, well, thank you for the compliment first of all
.
So for me, antipodes was reallythe genesis, was a passion and
an interest from my side.
I've got a background inscience and I was always very
curious about incredible nativebotanicals in New Zealand and
the potential health-givingproperties I guess that you'd
(01:51):
find on your back doorstep.
And when I had three youngchildren, I was in a space where
I was highly stressed, found itdifficult to cope, couldn't
sleep.
So I really embraced a fullynatural and holistic lifestyle
and my oldest daughter isheading towards 30 now, so it
was some time ago and I foundthat I loved the way I felt by
(02:12):
good nutrition, making healthychoices, and I decided, as part
of that, I should really look atwhat I was putting on, my skin
being your largest organ, and Ifelt that there was not enough
choice for women, for anyone inthe market, for a highly
efficacious natural brand thatactually delivered some changes,
(02:33):
improvements to the skin.
And so, yeah, I set aboutformulating my own.
It sounds easy, but it wasn't.
I love that.
Sonya (02:40):
I love that you admit it was not easy.
Elizabeth (02:44):
There's nothing easy in the journey of being an
entrepreneur.
I think at every stage you gothrough there's a challenge.
It's incredibly hard being astartup organization.
It's hard to get your firstsale.
It's hard to get the repeatsales.
It's difficult to break intochannels.
You know you can pay forcertain kind of media and you
(03:05):
don't get the results you'reexpecting.
You know you have to build ateam around you, and it goes on
and on and on.
And the bigger you get, itdoesn't mean things get easier.
The challenges change.
Sonya (03:17):
Yeah, A little bit like having kids different ages,
different stages.
Elizabeth (03:22):
Exactly, exactly, and in some ways you've just got to
embrace it right.
It's like I was kind of, Iwould say, a hands-off mum A
hands-on but a hands-off mum.
So I was always with my kids.
You kind of find the solutions,you make your own lunchboxes,
but, as you say, things gothrough phases with children and
it's actually better if you cankind of lean into these changes
and accept them and not kind ofuse your energy to fight every
(03:46):
single challenge that comes yourway.
And that's kind of the approachI've taken, like I've had
everything thrown at me and Ithink now, if I have a week that
I don't have a substantialchallenge, I'm like what's going
on?
Sonya (03:58):
I love that.
No, this is too good.
This can't be true.
You're a phenomenal femalefounder and CEO in the beauty
space, hailing from the SouthernHemisphere.
What have been some of the mostpivotal moments that you've
experienced in your leadershipjourney?
Elizabeth (04:13):
I think one key pivotal moment for me was when I
won the Entrepreneur of theYear Product Award in New
Zealand, which was 2018.
And it was a very rigorous,highly contested competition
let's call it that and I had togo through kind of various
interviews and with differentpeople from different
(04:34):
backgrounds of society, so I wasnot expecting to win that and I
got second overall.
So it was quite a big deal andI think from a commercial
perspective that I liked, youknow, for me it was pivotal and
it deal.
And I think from a commercialperspective that I liked, you
know, for me it was pivotal andit showed some respect for what
I'd done, what I created, whereI was going with the business.
I think that's one thing.
Second thing would be the brandwon an award in Paris in the
(04:58):
early days, actually calledBeyond Beauty, and we won Best
Emerging Brand and for me thatwas a pivotal moment.
I thought, actually, I knowwhat I'm doing, I know I'm
creating something unique, I canget cut through and, most
importantly, I'm gettingrecognized by some industry
leaders.
And off the back of that award,I was invited to an area called
(05:22):
Cosmetics Valley, which is twohours out of Paris and it's the
home of Christian Dior andLolita Lempika, which is an
amazing fragrance house, andsome other essentially
competitors, but they networktogether and I was invited to
this incredible space and I wasasked to talk about my fledgling
(05:42):
brand from New Zealand and Ihad a very engaged audience.
So for me that was definitely awow, a pivotal moment.
And then, thirdly, I think youknow, to be honest, if I get
stopped by a woman in the streetor somewhere, I run into
someone and they say I boughtthis particular product.
It's really helped me.
(06:02):
For me, those are the mostpivotal moments because that's
why I've done this brand.
It's not for the accolades, theawards they're nice and it's
great to have those but at theend of the day, a woman who has
chosen to invest their $50, $100on my brand versus someone
else's and they're gettingimprovements in their skin to me
(06:24):
those are really aha moments.
I love them.
Sonya (06:29):
I love that.
It really shows how connectedyou are to not just your brand
but your audience, the womenthat are out there purchasing
your product, and I've beenlucky enough to have been using
some of your products recentlyand I have to say I am literally
obsessed.
I don't think I've ever usedproducts that smell so good.
(06:49):
Oh my God, literally thefragrances that come out of
every new pot that I opened justblow my mind, but beyond that,
the feeling of using them, how Iknow my skin feels and looks as
a result, is just phenomenal.
But I really love that you'reso connected with getting that
feedback and it really showsthat even though you are such a
global brand now I think you'resold in over 40 countries Is
(07:12):
that right, correct?
Yes, oh, that you have reallystayed so true to probably what
it was that prompted you tolaunch the company in the first
place.
Elizabeth (07:23):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think you know, living and
growing up in New Zealand, we'vegot so many incredible
botanical, natural ingredientson our doorstep that actually
can shift the dial in terms ofskin health, and so I wanted to
bottle that.
I wanted to take the best ofNew Zealand nature and create a
formulation around that and alsobring in highly innovative,
(07:46):
natural and pure compounds,which 20 years ago there weren't
many.
Now there are more and morecoming onto the market.
There's peptides and there'shydroxyproline and there's
probiotics, so there's somereally cool, super interesting
things that can be woven into areally highly structured
formulation.
(08:07):
Really, always go back to mycore, which is New Zealand
botanicals, natural, innovativecompounds, 100% natural.
Never deviate from that, nomatter how tempting it might be.
Yeah, just stick to your roots.
I think that's part of success,kind of showcasing New Zealand
nature, showcasing what we cando here and being proud and
(08:28):
being we can stand up with thebest in the world and yeah bring
it on.
Sonya (08:32):
Well, you've absolutely proven that, haven't you?
So all of this is leading meinto wanting to ask you about
one of your most recent productlaunches, and that has been a
product that's been formulatedspecifically for menopausal skin
.
So I'm keen to know whatinspired you to launch this
product and what makes thisparticular formulation so unique
(08:53):
to women in midlife.
Elizabeth (08:55):
Yeah, well, firstly, I was inspired by my own journey
like going through menopause,my friends as well, and I think
I was super curious and Icouldn't understand why the
market had not embracedmenopause head on.
It's a natural phase of yourlife.
It can be very positive andit's you know, it's a sign that
(09:17):
you're alive, right.
So it's actually, it can begreat.
So let's have this narrativeand talk about it.
And I was really interestedthat other brands, and
particularly large trade playerslike big brands, had not kind
of tackled the subject.
When you know, from acommercial perspective, many
women who are in menopause,there's more disposable income.
(09:38):
So really, from a purelyprofit-based kind of approach, I
would have expected those bigcompanies to be looking at this
open market so curious,disappointed, and I think women
deserve better.
Why can't you have good skin asyou age and talk about the
issues you're having with yourskin and what changes are
(10:00):
happening and build thatcommunity?
Sonya (10:03):
Yeah, it's really interesting when I personally
reflect on the skincare industry, the beauty industry.
It's still very much drivenfrom an anti-aging perspective,
isn't it?
You know, unfortunately, livingin Western cultures, we still
live in such an ageist cultureand I think, as a part of that,
the beauty industry, theskincare industry, still is
(10:24):
partly responsible for thatbecause they come from such an
anti-aging space, whereas, asyou say, if we can embrace the
fact that we do have changesthat are happening to our bodies
, hormonally driven, it's goingto impact our skin, the largest
organ in the body.
We know the impact that thedecline of estrogen has and the
decline of collagen and allsorts of different things.
(10:44):
Why not embrace that and makethe most of this incredible
market, like you say, thisaudience, that are out there
really thirsty for help andsupport as opposed to going no,
actually, we don't want you toage, we want you to start
looking like you did when youwere 20.
Elizabeth (11:01):
And isn't that just such an odd thing Like for me as
a brand owner?
I don't associate a good skinwith completely lineless skin.
I associate good skin withhealthy looking skin, radiant
skin.
So I'm not of the philosophythat you have to get rid of
every line and wrinkle andcrease on your skin.
It's more for me about helpingwomen achieve healthy skin.
(11:24):
So, yeah, I guess there'sdifferent philosophies out there
, right?
Sonya (11:28):
Yeah, there is, but I'm really hopeful that we have
women like you, global leaders,founders of amazing skincare
ranges, that are pushing thenarrative and are creating
products for this market thatare so highly evidence-based,
that are so ethically formulated, and it's not just a whole new
brand that's jumping on thebandwagon of going oh, there's
(11:50):
all these menopause of women andthey want to spend money here.
Take mine.
It's one of the things that Ilove about yours.
Let's jump back for a moment toyour new product, which is
specific to the menopausal women.
Tell me a little bit about theformulation for that.
So how does it differ to otherproducts?
Elizabeth (12:07):
Yeah, so it's called Jasmine Flower Menopause Facial
Cream.
It's a formulation that isdesigned to help address the
symptoms, skin symptoms ofmenopause, which might be things
like redness, inflammation,irritation, hormonal blemishes
in many cases, signs that womenmay not have experienced before
(12:29):
in their life.
And so, yeah, I really kind oflooked at what are the key above
and beyond lines and wrinkles,right, what are the key kind of
issues that women are facing, asyou know?
As you say, as estrogen levelsdecrease, as you know, heat in
your body surges, as you can getthe sudden rush of redness to
your skin.
What are the kind of the majorfactors?
(12:52):
So that was kind of thestarting point.
Obviously, dehydration is afundamental issue that women are
facing.
Through menopause, their skingets a lot more sensitive, more
irritated.
With red flushes and hotflushes, the skin can become
quite red, irritated, and I'mnot talking about broken
(13:13):
capillaries, because that's adifferent skin issue, just more
from that surge in heat.
So I started looking at how canwe get natural compounds that
actually help to address thosesymptoms in the skin.
And, yeah, and so it was superinteresting seeing what
compounds were out there.
One of them is an ingredientcalled avananthramides and I had
(13:34):
to practice that word for quitesome time.
It's from oat extract, whichdoesn't sound super exciting but
it's a histamine inhibitor, soit inhibits the release of
histamine in the mast cellswhich sit in the dermal layer of
the skin.
So it helps to reduce thatonset of redness to the
epidermal layer of the skin.
(13:55):
That was one of the keyingredients.
And then we have anotheringredient called it's a
chamomile extract ingredientthat helps.
It's essentially a neuropeptide, so it helps to relax the
muscles in the skin and justgive the skin, I guess, a more
youthful kind of appearance.
We've also got our plant-basedhyaluronic acid.
(14:15):
So this has the same molecularstructure as an animal-derived
hyaluronic acid.
And hyaluronic is an amazingingredient.
It basically chelates waterinto your skin cells, so it
really helps keep your skin moreplumped.
It's a compound that isnaturally produced in your own
skin, so it's a matter ofreplenishing that loss of water
(14:35):
and that helps with a more, astronger skin barrier, a more
healthier microbiome.
So everything kind of works insynergy.
And that was really theapproach.
I didn't want to just look atlines, wrinkles.
I wanted to look at the morewhat I would say more severe
changes to the skin.
Sonya (14:52):
I love that that has been your focus.
Like we touched on earlier, itis much more about addressing
those skin changes that we allknow we experience and the
dehydration thing.
I think dehydration in womengoing through this transition is
not talked about enough andvery underplayed, because when
we're having hot flushes ornight sweats, we're losing
(15:13):
moisture and that is going tohave a really profound impact on
your skin.
We talk so much now which isgreat about vaginal dryness and
keeping the vulva nice andhealthy, but I don't think
there's enough conversationabout extrapolating that out
into our actual everydayskincare as well, on our face
and the rest of our body too.
Elizabeth (15:32):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think the more dialogue women
can have with each other andbuild a community around it, the
better.
Right, Because everyone's goingto go through menopause.
You can't avoid it and for somethere's an early onset for
various reasons.
So learn about it, lean into itand be grateful.
I think for me it's a reallyreflective time that you think
(15:54):
well, I'm glad I've got two armsand two legs, I'm in one place,
I've got to be happy, right?
So I will deal with what I haveto deal with and be happy that
my kids have left home.
Sonya (16:06):
Although I'm seeing a lot of women, particularly in the
perimenopausal stage, whoactually are juggling kids at
home and sometimes even youngerkids as well.
I've got friends in their 40sthat have got primary school age
kids.
Now I know there's someincredible research being done
actually around the women thatdo have those later children in
(16:27):
life, the impacts of themactually going straight from
almost a postnatal state intoperimenopausal state.
Um, there's women like you andI had had a chunk of time
between we had when we had ourkids and when we did go into
that perimenopausal andmenopausal stage.
Elizabeth (16:42):
I think that's a really good point because I
think women don't oftenunderstand that menopause is
essentially one day right andthat perimenopause can be 10 to
15 years in that stage whereestrogen levels are declining.
So the sooner you get ontounderstanding your hormones,
your hormone levels and how youcan kind of support those levels
(17:04):
, better.
I think many of my friendsthought oh, it just happens when
I'm 55 or 50, whatever, andit's going to just happen then
and it's like no, no, no, you'vegot to start thinking about it
when you're around 39.
You've got to start looking atall your hormone, your
progesterone, estrogen,testosterone, dhea, cortisol,
all those things and really lookat how you can support your
(17:25):
body through this phase.
But get onto it early.
Like I tell the girls in theoffice here, even once we're in
their you know, in their 20s, Isaid, don't wait until you're 50
, it's actually too late.
You've got to start thinkingabout it early on.
I'm a big believer you can helpmanage yourself through
different changes, menopausebeing a big one, and I guess we
can incorporate skincare intothat.
Sonya (17:47):
So it's a menopause cream .
The earlier that women startusing it, so in their late 30s,
into their 40s and preparing theskin for those menopausal
changes, I would assume thebetter.
Elizabeth (17:58):
Yeah, absolutely Anyone who's suffering from
hormonal blemishes, so anythingalong those lines.
This cream will definitely helpbalance and help with reducing
bacteria in the skin and so on.
But yes, I think it's anamazing formulation and not only
it's highly targeted forefficacy, but it kind of cocoons
the skin.
(18:18):
So it's got this beautifulmolecule from menthol that helps
kind of instantly soothe theskin.
So me personally, I get reallyirritated skin and it's really
unpleasant just to have thatinstant kind of soothing aspect.
Is is great and you get that atany age, right, or if you've
got rosacea or contactdermatitis or whatever.
Sonya (18:38):
Um, this would be a great formula to try fantastic and it
weaves in with the rest of yourproduct lines as well.
I'm using at the moment, at abeautiful, pear and avocado
night cream.
Yes, yes.
Elizabeth (18:49):
It's our best seller.
Sonya (18:50):
It's our number one, I know why.
And then there's a serum thatgoes alongside that, which is
just a couple of drops of thisdivine oil that I pop onto my
skin and, honestly, my skin inthe evening has never felt so
good at using your products.
And, on that note, we are goingto be running a promotion
alongside the release of thispodcast episode, so stay tuned
(19:13):
to the end of the episode tohear how you can go into the
running to win some of theamazing Antipodes skincare range
.
Thanks, sonia.
Elizabeth (19:24):
Eve Virational.
That's the serum.
So it's a KK oil, vitamin A, soit really helps to gently kind
of freshen the skin.
It's not photosensitive so youcan, you know, use it at
nighttime under your avocado penlight cream.
So you're on it.
You know all the bits.
Sonya (19:42):
Elizabeth, if there was one piece of skincare advice
that you wish every woman inmidlife could hear, what would
it be?
Elizabeth (19:50):
I would say, outside in, inside out.
So don't think that applying acream or any cream to your skin
is going to solve all of theissues you might be facing and
challenges you might be facingon your skin.
So really look at your skinfrom a nutritional perspective.
Eat more protein, drop theinflammatory foods, try and drop
(20:14):
your sugar less caffeine,unfortunately.
So really look at what foodgroups work for you.
Potentially go through anelimination process, but I think
the nutrition piece isabsolutely fundamental at this
kind of 40 onwards part of life.
And I'm not one for diets.
I don't believe in that dietstuff.
(20:34):
It's like, oh, whatever youknow you've got to enjoy eating.
But just really kind of look atyour foods for nutrition and
for energy and for sustenanceand for health, as opposed to
looking to fill yourself up.
So that's the key I'd say.
Sonya (20:51):
Yeah, I love that approach, and, you know, one of
the things that we talk about somuch women that are looking for
information on how to supportthemselves through the menopause
transition or through anysymptoms that they might be
struggling with is that thereare all of these pillars that we
need to look after and thatthey all work together, that no
one thing is a silver bullet.
So if you choose to take HRT,that's fantastic, but that's not
(21:12):
going to be your silver bullet,you know.
If you go to the gym, that'snot going to fix all your
problems either.
It's got to be nutrition, it'sgot to be exercise, it's got to
be lifestyle, it's got to belooking at how much alcohol and
caffeine your intake is, as yousaid, and skincare is a big part
of that as well.
I love the inside out, outsidein.
I think that's a really coollittle way to remember that all
(21:33):
of these things work in synergy.
Elizabeth (21:35):
Yeah absolutely, and mental fitness, I think, is a
big one as well.
Like, make sure you train yourbrain, don't let your brain kind
of fizzle, right, just makesure you're exercising your
brain through Wordle or whatever, right.
Sonya (21:51):
Yep, doing my Wordle every day.
Elizabeth (21:53):
That's keeping my brain.
Yeah, it's a really challenge.
You know, at school we used todo those big mathematical kind
of formulations on theblackboard.
That would be 10-minute jobs.
Not that I could do those now,but just exercise your brain to
keep it healthy, I think wouldbe key.
Another thing I would suggestis get a cat.
They're the most amazing kindof calming mental wellness thing
(22:14):
I think you can get.
With a cat that kind of cuddlesinto you and purrs and, you
know, doesn't ask for anythingback.
Yeah, and just try and bepresent.
Sonya (22:23):
I like that.
I'm not a cat person but I'vegot a dog.
I get the same.
That's those same kind ofendorphins, I guess, from when
he, you know, snuggles up.
I love that analogy of havingsomething that does bring you
some downtime, some connectionwith something outside of being
human.
And they do.
They love you regardless,doesn't matter if you're in a
heap crying because you'vealmost been on a roller coaster
ride all day.
They do.
They love you regardless.
Doesn't matter if you're in aheap crying because your
(22:45):
hormones have been on a rollercoaster ride all day.
They'll still love you theywill.
Elizabeth (22:49):
Yeah, as long as they're fed, I think I think the
nice thing about where I'm at57 or mid 50s onwards if your
kids have left home as well oh,my god, I've got all this time,
I can spend some time on myself,I can, you know, just enjoy
life.
I can be more present.
I'm not just thinking about alist of things to do every
(23:10):
single day.
That gets ticked off andthere's another one, another one
, so it's, in some ways, it'skind of the best time of your
life.
So, yeah, it's nothing to bescared of, it's fantastic.
Sonya (23:22):
And look, getting through the transition for some women
is bumpier than it is for others, but anybody that's listened to
me talk knows that.
You know I am eight yearspost-menopause and I firmly
believe that I am absolutely inthe prime of my life right now.
I'm hitting all my strides.
I even had someone say to methe other day like you realize,
you're in your most creativewindow of your life right now,
(23:43):
like you need to absolutely makesure that you make the most of
that, and I was like, yeah,absolutely.
Elizabeth (23:49):
And, like you say, it's a period of time within
your life that will finish and,as you mentioned, for some women
it's incredibly tough.
There's a lot of undesirableside effects right that you're
kind of not prepared for.
Sonya (24:01):
But it does end and that's the great thing yep, and
there's this whole beautifulside on the other side of it.
Elizabeth, thank you so muchfor your time today.
I have loved chatting with youso much.
Are you welcome?
it's been amazing to talk withyou before you go, don't forget
to enter our pamper and Pauseskincare giveaway on Instagram.
(24:24):
Thanks to our friends atAntipodes Skincare To be in the
running to win a Lush skincareprize back valued at over $250.
Here's what you need to doFollow at Sonja Lovell and at
Antipodes Skincare on Instagram.
You must be following bothaccounts.
Like and comment on thegiveaway post that you'll find
in our feed and, while you'rethere, why not tag a friend who
(24:45):
deserves a pamper too?
The winner must be based inAustralia and will be drawn and
announced on Friday, the 6th ofJune, on Instagram.
Good luck and thanks for tuningin to another episode of Dear
Menopause.
Thank you.
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