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THE FRUIT COMPOTE

The Good and The Forbidden

A 10-minute read on Brandon Truaxe

September 1, 2016 Comments : 6

In the continuation of DECIEM‘s office visit in Toronto, I was also able to do an interview with none other than Brandon Truaxe, the company’s founder. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see him in person as he is very busy (obviously!). So no selfies here 🙁 But, email is the next best thing.

Let me be honest. Compiling the questions were easy. Sure. I had a lot to ask. Editing and sorting them out however, is a whole other story. After reading different interviews and articles, including his informative replies on Caroline Hirons‘ blog post, I knew the man is a genius. He is very different (hence, the “abnormal” reference) and that is a breath of fresh air in the beauty industry that can get a little too dictating, confining and repetitive at times. At least that’s how I feel more than a few times lately.

I just want to know his opinions and insights on almost everything! But, I can’t ask him to spend the entire day answering my questions, right? Hopefully, the ones I picked will feed your curiosity too, at least some.

Let’s get to it!

Brandon Truaxe – photo is kindly provided from the company.

I read that you have a background in computer science. What sparked your interest in beauty or has it been your true passion all along?

I had a co-op term as a student software developer in the labs of a well-established beauty brand umbrella and became very angry at the lack of integrity in communication and costs in this business. In the computer world, everything is black or white (0 or 1, literally), but the world of functional beauty is just a giant myriad of promises. My passion developed from an initial anger over a decade ago and it now has become a full-time form of love.

I am not going to say that you’re crazy doing 10 things at once because it’s commendable and absolutely inspiring! Because here you are, three years later and 10 brands under DECIEM. Where do you want to take DECIEM in the next future years?

There are more brands on the way this year including STEMM, focused on clinical hair health support, LOOPHA, a very cozy and hip lifestyle brand and MESH, a colour range focused on complexion. On the distribution front, we are opening our own retail shops in Canada (3 open now), Korea (under construction), Australia (2 under construction) with UK and US coming soon. We will continue to innovate and expand our footprint with no clear end-goal in mind. The future is ultimately the sum of all of the nows and we’re working hard at every now.

What do you think needs to change in the beauty world? What do YOU want to change?

The categories of colour and lifestyle are quite innovative and generally have a good level of integrity. The category of functional beauty, which is our focus, is extremely behind and lacks integrity in communication and pricing. We just want this category to act like a technology company in terms of innovation speed and we want to bring integrity and responsibility to the category.

Read this in an article that you said “If the beauty industry didn’t exist, everyone’s skin would look better”. What does it mean?

Beauty products today use so many acids, surfactants and other ingredients to “exfoliate” and clean the skin constantly. The western world is simply in a constant state of inflammation caused by this exaggerated approach to “renewing” or cleaning our skins. And this inflammation leads to longer-term ageing which is not worth the immediate “glow” people see. In third-world countries where people can’t afford this constant use of products, people have dense, healthy, happy skin without inflammation. I don’t think the beauty business today has done good for our world.

I know there are some things that you don’t believe in, such as eye creams (or creams in general), cleansers, toners.. These are basically fundamental products in skincare routine that most people use (including myself) and you’re saying no to them. Yet, you have products in DECIEM such as NIOD LVCE, SS, SDSM and others that sound familiar. How do they differ from “mainstream” products out there?

I don’t believe in a moisturizer (“cream”) designed just for the eyes as any hydrator can target any area of the face or body. And, in general, we are over-hydrating our faces which, around the eyes, can make water-retention worse. Serums to target specific eye issues are very different and I absolutely believe in eye treatments. I believe in cleaners but I don’t believe in over-cleaning, which is what I always complain about. I also don’t believe in the concept of a “toner” which in most cases is just a mist that feels good (or an acid or alcohol which can cause inflammation). SDSM is not a toner. It’s a large-size treatment with a light texture. It does not “tone” the skin in anyway and its function is not peeling, exfoliating, feeling good or pH adjustment. It’s not any less concentrated than a 30ml serum under NIOD. It’s simply a different format due to the way it’s used. Toners, on the other hand, are far far less concentrated than serums as a “step” in between cleaning and treatments.

Why do you dislike the use of acid? I personally use it myself (OTC products, not professionally done) and see great results. That being said, I do use it with great caution. I’m very intrigued to know your insights about this.

Nearly all forms of direct exfoliation (like acids) cause inflammation. Inflammation is generally a root cause of every disease and ageing in general. When we peel our skin, we look great right away but the inflammation builds up.

What do you think about facials or procedures such as lasers done in dermatologists/aestheticians/beauty clinics?

Lasers cause inflammation. I am generally against them. If one insists on lasers, I would suggest a very aggressive one with long recovery times, because those treatments will deliver far better results than many “lighter” sessions and yet the body has to recover from one big inflammation versus being in a constant state of new inflammation every week. It’s better to go to a big war once than to have a small war every single day.

I see that you don’t have any sun protection product in the lineup. Will you be making one soon? What’s your ideal idea of sun protection formulation?

We are launching many things in this category very soon. The ideal sun protection formula must target UV, visible light, oxy-radicals, carbonyl-radicals, AGE (Advanced Glycation End-products) and pollution at a minimum, because sun protection is just a bad classification––we should have “protection formulas”.

I read about NIOD CAIS that focuses on skin’s health and how it addresses the root of the problems. What’s your idea of a healthy skin itself?

Healthy skin is skin that can fight the very small things that are always going wrong well. Our cells lose their ability to fight things and this loss leads to signs of ageing (and other things). CAIS supports this fighting ability.

Can you share some of your own true-and-tested beauty secrets that is outside of DECIEM offerings?

I don’t believe in beauty secrets really. I clean my face with SS and use CAIS every single day. Everything else comes and goes depending on season, my skin changes and on whether I am traveling. When you feel the skin has achieved a good level of health, less becomes more and that itself is probably a secret these days.

Now, what are your personal favorites from DECIEM products and why? Feel free to elaborate. I’d love to be enabled! I think we all do 🙂

Sanskrit Saponins because it is extremely effective and extremely gentle. It’s also extremely basic and I believe that less is more. Having said this, if I had to choose to travel with only one product, it would be CAIS because my skin has changed so much since this product.

With all of these breakthroughs, innovations and different approaches, what’s your limit? Is there anything you won’t try or challenge?

You really never know your limit until you reach it. We are working very hard and once day I am sure we will discover what our limit may be. 🙂

———

Very well said.

As an additional note, acid-fans will be happy that DECIEM just launched a new brand, adding another rĂ©sumĂ© into the portfolio, called The Ordinary, which features two Lactic Acid-based products in the lineup. Now, before you go wondering why Brandon does this despite his aversion to acid, I’d suggest to read the idea behind the brand first. I love the name and I quickly made the connection right away. Clever.

Well there you go. A little insight spilled from the mastermind of the amazing Brandon. While these don’t answer all of my curiosities, DECIEM‘s work reflects his perspectives and we can definitely learn something from it. I know I can and I will put that into practice. And I have more than enough confidence that he will keep making surprises that challenge the current stream, be it ripples or waves.

Excitement doesn’t even cut it. I’m rooting for it.

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BASIC SKINCARE ROUTINE

Cleanse – Hydrate – Moisturize – Protect (SPF)

Double Cleanse at night, a must!
Sunscreen at daytime, always – after moisturizer.

Exfoliate regularly, as necessary, and don’t overdo it.
Don’t forget to use a Hydrating Toner after Exfoliating Acid Toner to prevent dryness and irritation.

Opt for calming and soothing products more than anything else. Pick gentle cleansers. Aim for hydration and moisture. Maintain the skin barrier.

Proper hydration and balanced moisturization are key to achieving a healthy skin, even if your skin is oily.

Always be gentle on your skin.

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#TFCBeautyTalk: Things To Acknowledge When Starting A Skincare Journey (Part 2)

How I Maintain A (Relatively) Acne-free Skin

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@kaepratiwi

If @patykaparis Huile Absolue (reviewed back in 20 If @patykaparis Huile Absolue (reviewed back in 2017-2018) falls into the everyday face oil, then the Repair Night Serum is the nighttime’s big sister! This one focuses on stimulating the nocturnal process of skin renewal and boosts skin regeneration, especially in mature and devitalized skin, in order to bring back its vitality and ultimately, radiance ✹

The Repair Night Serum is a plant oil-based, through and through. The main oil is Rosehip Oil (an amazing oil for its regenerative purposes), Sesame Oil and Wheatgerm Oil with a complex made out of 16 different organic essential oils. Rosehip Oil itself is high in Vitamin A (among many other vitamins), although not to be compared to Retinol straight away, but it becomes an alternative for people who couldn’t quite tolerate Retinol or wanting for a more “natural” route. It’s also high in fatty acids, beneficial in skin moisturization and skin fortifying.

I’ve used this a couple times before in the past. What I can say is that the results vary. I find that this gives the most noticeable improvement when my skin is at a low condition, in a sense. So the idea of a booster and repair seem to fit. I have received feedbacks from different people (or their parents in 50+) using this product (esp. drier and mature skin) that it had helped their skin to gained more moisture, luminosity while also soften the fine lines and wrinkles.

There’s a suggestion of use, which is to use this as a 21-day intensive treatment - this sort of gives an image as if this product exfoliates. I don’t see it that way. I think it’s more on that we can use it when we truly need it the most. Plus, the bottle is only 15 ml so it’s bound to deplete fast. I use it as a stand-alone serum or a face oil on top of a serum, before sealing it with a moisturizer or a sleeping mask. The consistency is pretty runny, not a thick oil. It’s light, sinks into the skin quite easily. No greasy afterfeel.

The price is on the high side for a small size. But PATYKA is a luxury organic brand (ECOCERT) with high quality ingredients and meticulous formula. Available exclusively in @cnfstoreofficial.

#PatykaID #TFCSkincareSalad #TheFruitCompote
Yang ijo-ijo. Setaun lalu. The only trip I did, ba Yang ijo-ijo. Setaun lalu. The only trip I did, bareng @trilogy_id ke Bali untuk launching Vitamin C Booster Treatment.

It feels like a long time ago, so far away đŸ„ș

cc: @reginawidjaja09 @amandhabrahmana @helloririe

Photographed by @deszell - maaf ya baru inget, asli early 2020 was a blur 😂
The common thread (but not the only thread) in the The common thread (but not the only thread) in these eye creams is they have Vitamin A derivatives. I will say that they don’t perform the way they do because of these ingredients solely. Yes, Vitamin A derivates are usually powerhouses in terms of line-reducing and skin smoothing. But there are OTHER supporting ingredients and technology involved, and they deserved to be included. It’s called a formula, not a single-ingredient product. As I like to always say, every product has its own merits â˜ș

@peterthomasroth_id Retinol Fusion PM Eye Cream (Retinol & Retinyl Palmitate) - at first, I had anticipated that it might dry out the delicate skin around the eye area due to the 1% Retinol concentration. Apparently, the Microencapsulated Retinol Complex is said to be gentler with a sustained release system. My worry was unfounded. It can ball/pill up a little bit, depending on what I use before or after. So, I use this alone and I try not to apply a moisturiser on top of it. Apply, blend and leave it be.

@shiseido Vital Perfection Eye Cream (Retinyl Acetate) - recently started to use it and secretly wondering if this could be a more affordable option compared to its sister brand Cle de Peau Beaute - the jury is still out on this one though. I’m actually rather inclined on using this on the entire face 😆 It’s moisturizing but it’s quite lightweight still. It gives some play time for me to do an eye massage with.

@cledepeaubeaute Eye Contour Cream Supreme (Retinyl Acetate & Retinyl Palmitate) - reviewed on 2019 (find it somewhere here #TFCxCPB) and it still sits on my top favorites. This offers a significant difference in terms of reducing fine lines and increased firmness - yep, the one that landed me the you-do-not-have-lines-on-your-eyes compliment. Texture-wise, it’s also the most rich and shall I say, the most luscious out of the three.

None of these are drying on my eye areas! I don’t need to schedule the usage, taking it slow and such. I tend to opt for PTR and CPB on nighttime while the Shiseido one either for day (or night). I always apply SPF on the eye areas in the morning anyway.

Have any of you tried these yet?

#TFCSkincareSalad #TheFruitCompote
Having a pretty long history with @menard.indonesi Having a pretty long history with @menard.indonesia made me familiar with many of the products, including this one, Fairlucent Day Cream White SPF 45 PA+++. It’s been quite a few years since the last time I use it, getting reacquainted is surely interesting!

My skin today has changed but I’m glad that I still enjoy this product. Is it a day cream or a sunscreen? It’s both. Many of Japanese day moisturisers have SPF added to them. This one also has Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a water soluble Vitamin C derivative to brighten the skin and control melanin production in the long run. It’s been known that combining Vitamin C and broad-spectrum sunscreen gives stronger protection against UV damage and fighting free radicals - it’s a win-win solution, really!

Apart from that, there are also supporting plant extracts such as Shirakami Yeast, Alaria Seaweed, Coltsfoot, and Horse Chestnut - all are there to help to prevent pigmentation on the skin. 

Texture-wise, it is on the thicker side, more like a cream instead of a lotion. If I were to guess by the INCI list, this is a hybrid formula but it’s heavy on the physical filters. Initially it may give a bit of a white cast, but it blends to my skin after a few minutes. There’s a slight powdery feel, due to the Pore Cover UV Powder which also offers UV protection. It goes into the pores to further prevent pigmentation. The formula is also waterproof (80 minutes of water resistance test - based on European COLIPA standard). Hence, a proper double cleanse is a must! - double cleanse is a must for me anyway, regardless of what sunscreen I use 😉

Yes, the price is premium. But I do believe in the technology and research that go into the product and ultimately, the formula makes a difference. The brand’s usage suggestion is one red bean size, but personally I don’t find it enough to cover my skin. While the general guide nowadays is to use a two-finger method for application, I don’t do that with this either - too much. On average, I use one finger both for the face and neck. However in my experience using it, I have never once experienced any sunburn with just 1 finger amount or even less back then. Again, formula matters.

#TFCSkincareSalad

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