By Caity Cameron, Founder of Dear Lucy Skincare
Legacies are made up of hundreds of rituals, small, consistent actions that equal lasting impact. Two years ago when I began developing my skincare line, Dear Lucy, I had no professional experience in the cosmetics, beauty or wellness industry. I was a big fan of all of it but an expert in nothing. One of my favourite aspects of luxury skincare is the routine, the daily opportunity to touch my face, look at myself in the mirror and check in with my body and my spirit. No matter how chaotic life can get, I’m dedicated to washing my face and applying my serum. I don’t always have the time to do it lovingly and thoughtfully but I always do it.
At the height of uncertainty, daily habits ground us.
My skin has always been a focus for me, since the early days of young adult acne and experimenting with heavy foundations. I have stubborn hyperpigmentation and sensitive skin, and have always had a hard time balancing the combination and tuning into my skin’s needs. After years of trial and error, I had found a multiple-product routine that worked well. But I was unhappy with the cost, time consumption, mental load and environmental impact of such a complex routine.
Many products, like Loba, have been created through unmet needs, gaps in a consumer-focused market. I knew if I was going to put my time, effort and resources into creating something it had to result in a legacy for my daughters. I knew I wanted to design something women could trust, a product that simplified their lives while encouraging the daily ritual of self care. I wanted to offer joy without inflicting harm. Sustainability is essential, not only in the sense of protecting our environment but in creating habits that are simple to maintain, that ease mental load and that encourage satisfaction.
As a consumer, I’m often left wanting more from the brands I engage with. I want more transparency, greater sustainability efforts and validation, better clinical results, and proven humanity. And as the mother of daughters, I’m also left wanting less: less misinformation, less fear mongering, and less judgement. Inspired by this, I created Dear Lucy. I am so confident in our quality and efficacy that we have no need to vilify ingredients or exaggerate claims.
I am committed to making the best decisions for human skin and for the environment, now and for generations to come.
Dear Lucy was created not only as a legacy but as a love letter to my daughters, Chloe and Lucy - to show them we can achieve meaningful change through our own small actions.
It’s impossible to think about a legacy without considering environmental impact. The more I learned about manufacturing and production, the more I struggled to believe a truly sustainable consumer packaged goods product exists. I then shifted my goal to being more sustainable, the most sustainable I could be. This involves asking questions and making decisions that are least harmful. These decisions are not always the most economical or efficient in the moment but as we look to the future, they will save us in the long run. Every effort considers where we can have the most meaningful impact. Every decision in the development and production of Dear Lucy Marine Antioxidant Serum supports our goal to make the most sustainable luxury skincare product possible. My team is realistic, ambitious and optimistic.
As a skincare enthusiast but far from a professional, I hired leading experts to work on formulation, testing, regulatory compliance, and manufacturing. Together, we made the safest, most effective, and sustainable product we could. We use the highest quality ingredients with significant efficacy substantiation, at concentrations that are clinically proven. Through testing and clinical trials, I learned, “clinical grade,” “medical grade,”, “clean” and “professional grade” are unregulated marketing terms. I will not use them.
When we offer quality products and support customers to practise skincare rituals, instant results look and feel like hydrated, smooth skin. After time, visible signs of photodamage are reduced and the skin's moisture barrier is replenished. And then in years to come, our “forever” post-consumer recycled glass bottles are still in use, not in landfill. Success is a process; it requires patience.
I value simplicity. If anything is going to be done daily, it can’t be difficult. If anything is going to be transparent, it can’t be complicated.
To build a legacy, these small, consistent decisions and actions accumulate over time. In the meantime, my hope is that each person taking the time to apply serum daily is touching their face, appreciating and loving their skin, in whatever form it's in. At the end of the day, I want my daughters to be proud of the values of Dear Lucy and the legacy I’m creating for them.
Follow Dear Lucy on Instagram or visit their website to learn more.
