Customisable skincare with Surf Coast spirit

Jan Juc couple Andrea and Damion Chappell were thinking about retiring when they returned to the Surf Coast after more than a decade abroad.

Their plans changed when they couldn’t find skincare products that worked for their own family’s skin.

Instead, the couple launched Surf Coast Scent Co. – a boutique family-owned and operated Torquay business that sells additive-free skincare with the vision of keeping skincare natural, wholesome, and luxurious.

“We really started the company out of a real need for Andrea,” Damion said.

“When we came back [to Australia] all the skin products that she used, she would just break out in a rash.

“Then we started creating our own formulas and they seemed to be really agreeable to her skin, and then we thought ‘You know, we’re supposed to be retired, but let’s give it a try’.”

The couple spared no expense and took no shortcuts, with two years of testing their products at home before they launched their Torquay-based business just under a year ago.

“And now here we are, with a really successful line of beauty products.”

Andrea said she is personally grateful to have Surf Coast Scent Co., particularly because her skin has never been better.

“I’d tried everything and nothing really worked, so we thought ‘Why not try our own and see if that works?’ and it’s been fantastic,” Andrea said.

“I don’t wear makeup… and I want to show people that you can be beautiful naturally, and that your skin can be beautiful, and you don’t need to use makeup to be beautiful.

“I’ve had sensitive skin all my life and struggled to find products, so I can back it up and say that it works.

“We’d basically gone through the trials before we launched to make sure it does what it says it does.

“And we wanted something completely customisable.”

The customisable Surf Coast Scent Co. experience begins with choosing the skin care product you need – with everything from body lotion and moisturising cleansers to hydration crème.

Next, customers can choose their preferred essential-oil based scent.

“We offer something different; they have the option to customise their skin care with they can choose your scent.

“You basically go online, and you choose your skincare, and you choose the essential oil you would like to have in your skin care.

“We have 38 essential oils that you can choose from.”

Andrea said Surf Coast Scent Co. sourced their oils and ingredients from across Australia, making sure everything is organic, eco-friendly and 100 per cent pure.

The company also sends unique essential oil blends for your personal use.

“We’re focused on the customer, and we’re focused on our product, to make sure it’s good for your skin and its good for the environment.”

Andrea said everything the company sources is naturally derived, and plant based.

“We use all natural ingredients; we don’t use any harsh chemicals.”

“So, they’re all suitable for sensitive skin like mine, and we use pure essential oils to scent the skincare so they work for all skin types.”

Andrea said they have been sending skincare interstate, but they love selling locally at markets and stocking stores, building personal customer connections with locals and are hoping to begin to stock more and more of their products locally.

“We actually started doing markets to let people experience our products… you have to try it for yourself.”

 

Surf Coast Scent Co. is presently stocked in Jakk & Co, Torquay Pharmacy, From Around Here Torquay and Aireys Inlet, The Forest Collection in Breakwater and more.

Andrea said meeting local buyers through markets instigated a connection, which also provided a platform for valuable feedback.

“We’re a small family business and we do care about our customers and everything we do its focused on the customers and being locals, we’d love local support.

“We want to focus on the customers, what people want and need and what’s really good for the environment – focusing on reducing packaging and having minimum waste.

“And we’d love to grow.

“Everything takes time, it’s all about people trusting you and trusting your product and trusting what you do.

“It’s just trying to get out there and let people know who we are.”

Damion said the process in building their brand, connecting with like-minded locals and refining their products had been a worthwhile challenge, with the couple hoping to expand internationally in the near future.

“Literally every product that leaves out our door has been inspected, and looked at and touched, and customised by us, with our own eyes and hands; we’ve poured our hearts and soul into every product.

“Probably the most exciting bit about this is because we’re branded the Surf Coast Sent Co., we like to think we’re sharing the spirit and soul of Torquay and the Surf Coast to everybody across Australia, and soon the world.

“It’s been an amazing experience.”

To find out more about Surf Coast Scent Company, head to surfcoastscent.com.au.