Holly Curtis and Katie Found chat to founder of Lanolips, Kirsten Carriol, about turning the natural product used on her grandparents’ sheep farm in the Maclaren Vale into a booming business.
Congratulations on your huge success with Lanolips, Kirsten. For those who may not know, what inspired you to start Lanolips, and why are you so passionate about the use of lanolin in cosmetics?
I spent my childhood holidays on my grandparents’ sheep farm in Maclaren Vale (SA), this is where I was first introduced to lanolin. My father (a Professor of Genetics) is passionate about natural products that offer great results so whenever I, or my brother and sister, had dry skin, sore red noses or cracked lips dad would use lanolin on them to hydrate and soothe them. It always worked. As I got older I was quickly swayed by the gorgeous lip glosses and lipsticks available and soon forgot all about lanolin – that remained the case until I was about to board a long-haul flight home from my honeymoon. I was dreading the flight back (and that awful air-conditioning) and it dawned on me – of all the products that I’ve used none of them have managed to nourish and hydrate my skin in the same way lanolin did. I couldn’t work out why no one had really pioneered a lanolin product, so I decided I would be the one to do it. On that flight that Lanolips™ was born.
You faced a tough challenge changing people’s perceptions of lanolin, what other setbacks did you face in starting your brand?
I think the first hurdle for Lanolips™ was to create the most pure form of lanolin, one that’s been completely cleansed of all scent and colour and really pure. It was a long process to create the Ultra-pure Medical Grade lanolin that I use in Lanolips™; we are the only product to use lanolin of this quality and the main reason for this is because the process is very expensive. I then had to find a way to use this amazing ingredient and get it to customers without it costing the world. The next hurdle, as you mentioned, was getting people to want to use lanolin again. Thankfully this hurdle wasn’t nearly as big as I expected. So many people have used lanolin at some point in time and now I’m offering them an even better form of it and they love it.
You ran your own PR agency for 10 years previous to starting Lanolips, do you think this gave you an insider’s advantage when launching your own brand?
I’ve been very fortunate to have worked in the beauty industry for many years now – a lifetime of market research – so yes, it is an advantage. But you would think that after 10 years in PR I would really want to focus on creating a brand with lots of hype, but it was actually the opposite. I had seen too much hype without substance and empty promises in beauty, I wanted to create an anti-hype product that was simple and just all about actually working. Kind of not cool at all.
What has been the most rewarding thing about your change of career direction?
The feedback from the customers. For people to take the time out of their day to email or write to me to say that they love my product, or how it has helped soothe their skin irritations (while nothing else can) has absolutely been the most rewarding thing since launching Lanolips™.
Lanolips is now sold internationally, and we at Onya love to see Aussie brands on the shelves of international stores. How important is it to you that Lanolips stays an Australian made and owned company?
Our history is steeped in Australia. Every product, the ingredients and fragrances, even the brand image all have a link to my childhood and my grandparents’ farm. I am very proud to be able to take an Australian product out to the rest of the world and say, “look at what we can do!”
What advice do you have for anyone else hoping to break into the cosmetics industry?
Ask questions and seek advice. I’m learning something new every time I speak with my product developers, packaging creators, international teams. I’ve never assumed I have all the answers and I never will.
Also, remain true to yourself and your brand. Don’t let yourself get steamrolled into something you don’t feel is right for you or the brand.
You’ve had so much experience within the beauty industry, what is the one secret beauty tip that’s stuck with you all these years?
Keep it simple. You don’t need hundreds of beauty products in your cupboard all promising to make you look younger/brighter/firmer. I cleanse, I moisturise and I apply my 101 Ointment to my lips every night. That’s my routine and it works.
