There was a time when natural and organic beauty products could only be found by raiding your kitchen cupboard and brought to life with a little DIY.
These days you can find a myriad of natural makeup and skincare brands available online but, unless you know what you’re buying, you run the risk of receiving the wrong colour foundation for your skin or a cleanser you just don’t like. I often lament I wished there was a Mecca or Sephora for natural products because the green beauty pickings are slim in both of those stores.
Then I discovered Organic Index.
Nestled amongst the whitewashed Queenslander cottages, set in the trendy streets of Paddington, you’ll find Organic Index, a literal Mecca for natural, organic and eco-friendly skincare, haircare, makeup and body products.
Organic Index is the business baby of sisters, Emma, Melissa and Rebecca, three women who are extremely passionate about helping people incorporate beautiful, natural products into their lives.
The store looks like a luxury showroom with hundreds of products displayed neatly on timber shelves, but still has a warm and homely feel about it. It’s a place where you could lose several hours trying all the lovely natural products while the sisters impart their wealth of knowledge.
These ladies really know their stuff and they’re not about pushing products, they want you to walk away with products that will work for your skin type and lifestyle.
What struck me about the Organic Index is that it’s not a just a physical and online store selling beauty products. It’s so much more.
They host makeup and beauty workshops in store to showcase wonderful brands. They run classes for natural beauty brands to help them improve and grow their businesses. They make videos where they show you how to properly apply products, chat about the benefits and share them on their Facebook page. They spend time with every single person who walks through the doors of their shop so they leave feeling empowered and good about themselves.
In essence, the sisters have created an education platform and community. A space where people can connect with incredible Australian and New Zealand natural beauty brands and most importantly, learn about what they’re putting on their skin so they can make informed purchasing choices.
Below, Rebecca shares the Organic Index journey, what it’s like working with family, their favourite products and what’s in store for the future. (World domination I hope!)
Photagraphy by David Simpson
"We believe that products and brands with integrity and quality should have a platform to shine. "
The Beginning
Organic Index really was inspired by each of our excitement to share natural and organic products with each other… growing up together reinforced shared beliefs about what we put in and on our bodies – and of course when we all became mothers, this only increased awareness for us and our little families – so when I tabled the idea of Organic Index to both my sisters and after being mentored by a start-up incubator company in Sydney – we all knew Organic Index could be something really special… A carefully curated range of natural, organic and crafted products – sourced only from Australia and New Zealand.
We used to call the process of locating all these products our pilgrimage, and knew the products we loved had so much genuine integrity, that they actually worked better than mainstream products and that part of the enjoyment of discovering these products was the physical experience of touching, smelling and trying them. So the three of us focused on creating a calm, sophisticated space to showcase these products in a way that did justice to their brands and what they stand for, both online and in-store.
A head for business
Emma, Melissa and myself have been raised in a family business environment, and we have all worked with each other in the past.
With all three of us so united about the possibility of creating a business like Organic Index it felt like a natural progression for us to all work together on a project that aligned so closely with our personal values. Each of us has strengths in such different areas and we value each other’s input, talents, honesty and independence. It is not always easy but that’s totally okay because we are all so passionate about our business and I think you can really see that in Organic Index.
Challenges
There have been a lot of challenges in starting this business from scratch.
We are passionate and driven, we want to execute well, creating a beautiful, approachable and welcoming space to showcase some of the incredible brands Australia and New Zealand have to offer.
It took us a long time to find the right space to launch our first shop and in hindsight we are glad we waited and ended up in such a character-filled Queenslander Cottage in leafy Paddington rather than rushing the process of taking anything vacant. We have also had quite a few tech-issues that have been very, very challenging – though I know we are not alone there, so like all small business – we keep evolving, adapting and making do at times.
Working together
We each have skill-sets that match our personalities so it works well.
Emma is our in-house creative and keeps across social media, trends and possible product lines, Melissa is our people person and loves connecting with customers and staff through her make-up artistry or staff training. Rebecca is the go-to for all things admin and office related, so highly organised and always available to keep the wheels turning in the background.
"We love local and we love supporting people who work day-in and day-out to make a difference in our communities, businesses and markets."
Philosophy
We truly believe that beauty and wellness should be inseparable and we really understand people are well educated, thoughtful and looking for the opportunity to support local, ethical brands. We believe that products and brands with integrity and quality should have a platform to shine.
We love local and we love supporting people who work day-in and day-out to make a difference in our communities, businesses and markets. We want to support real connection, good conversations and participate in the real change and awareness we see happening in the beauty industry globally.
Most Rewarding
Our community – meeting and growing with an incredible and passionate group of suppliers and customers. We really understand that every persons journey is individual and unique and we find so much joy and satisfaction in being able to help, support and grow with others.
And also, developing an amazing team, working together and supporting our individual talents and aspirations – the Organic Index itself. This is an incredible business, we have accomplished so much in our first year, as this business grows and develops so do we.
The Future
We hope to see Organic Index showrooms open in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane within 5 years and a go-to online platform that offers exceptional customer service, quality and integrity.
Organic Index has given us so many beautiful surprises so far. We are so proud to have built our showroom, online space and community in such a short time.. and essentially we would love to see that continue to grow. We love hosting events for our suppliers and like minded businesses, and it would be great to see us grow to offer these spaces in Sydney and Melbourne to.
We are really guided by our ethos, and with that includes offering calm, sophisticated spaces both in person and online – we will continue to strive for an exceptional customer experience that is made up of service, quality and integrity.
Favourite products right now
Rebecca – Mukti Vanilla Lip Balm in Winter is so, so, so good! Though is is a tie with Simple As That moisturiser!
Emma – Can I say Micellar Water from Inika.
Melissa – This is a really tough question for me – it really depends of how my skin is feeling, what the weather is like and what I am wanting to achieve… Hmmm so – given that it’s winter, I tell you I cannot live without my hydration spray by Theseeke. Once you start misting, it can really become addictive – if I feel tired, or my skin is feeling dry or tight I spray this bad boy on and it gives me an instant lift, and even better – the enzymes within this spray work to renew my skin at the same time. It also helps to set my makeup in the morning. Then the second thing I am just loving in this weather is the Winter Skin by Miskin Organics.. it is just delicious. It is a rich, hydrating, protective balm that smells like honey and chocolate – I massage this all over my face, neck & décolletage every night to really give my skin a nutrient rich treatment.. a couple of drops of the Blackcurrent CO2 Skin Shot mixed in and my skin always feels smoother, plumper and less puffy in the morning.
