Ariana Whittingham Interviews Capre Cleary, founder of ASGFR for Ecocious Mag.
After ditching makeup wipes along with a long list of other unnecessary disposable products a few years back, I have been on the hunt for the perfect reusable face washer. I'm thrilled to announce I have finally found it! Not only is it sustainably made, ethically made, soft, fluffy and luxurious its also suitable for even the most sensitive skin types.
Like many of us, Capre struggled with acne which lead her to being prescribed roaccutane, but whilst on this medication she discovered a skincare problem that she later created a solution to. Roac users would know, you are not allowed to put anything to your face except a gentle cleanser and water - this can be a big shock for acne sufferers, coming off the back of trying and testing every acne product on the market to then being limited to water and a basic cleanser.
Capre innovated a product that was specifically designed to be a gentle yet effective cleanser to cater for the most sensitive skin types & fellow roaccutane users!
Once I tried the ASGFR guide me washcloth, I knew we had to stock it on Ecocious. I can vouch that the guide me washcloth is definitely the most LUXE makeup/ face washer on the market, but most importantly I feel like it cleanses my face better than all of the other sustainable face cloths I've tried (FaceHalo, reusable organic cotton rounds etc..) it is also a lot easier to wash and keep clean and is significantly bigger than standard reusable organic cotton/microfibre rounds.
Ariana: Good Morning Capre! I'm so excited to interview you after our conversation the other day, your story and journey with A Skin Guide For Rookies really resonated with me on a personal level and I know it will with many of our Ecocious readers!
Let's start off with the basics for those who haven't heard of you, or “A Skin Guide For Rookies”' also known as, ASGFR, please share your story and how ASGFR was born.
Thank you, it was so lovely speaking with you and I absolutely adore what you are doing with Ecocious. I think it is a much needed platform and I cannot wait to see it grow and be a part of it.
A Skin Guide for Rookies was established in July 2020, nearly a year after I had tried to conquer the perfect skin routine after battling with some major acne. In August 2019 I decided to stop the contraceptive pill for no reason other than to give my body a break and with that came some major skin lows.
After not struggling with many breakouts for quite sometime you forget what it feels like to constantly be battling with pimples appearing up on your face every day and not knowing how to control it.
It took months of researching, continuous facials, attempted remedies and new products before finally seeking professional help from a dermatologist. After assessing my skin, my dermatologist prescribed me Roaccutane,I know for some this is quite a controversial drug, but I had done my research and at that point I was ready to try anything to help my skin.
Throughout my time on Roaccutane google was my life. I would look up everything to do with acne, read skin blogs, watch YouTube videos and research hours on end, but I never found that they would completely resonate with me.
After coming to terms that a lot of the information shared on the internet was not helping me personally it inspired me to create a Facebook community which allowed skin lovers to come together and openly talk about all things skincare and beauty.
I had a vision to create a space where individuals feel comfortable expressing their skin concerns, share product reviews and recommendations, personal skincare routines, offer and request advice and most importantly have the support of many individuals who have all been in a similar skin situation at one point.
Whilst I was in the process of creating my Facebook community I always knew I wanted to bring out a product that suited each and every one of them. When I was on my skin journey I struggled to find a product that didn’t aggravate the skin and that drove me to create a non invasive product with multiple benefits. That is when “The Guide Me Wash Cloth” came to life.
Ariana: What does sustainability mean to you and why do you think being Eco-Conscious is an important value for businesses to implement from day 1?
Sustainability is such an important factor that everyone should be incorporating into their everyday life. It ultimately impacts our future and if we want to continue living a life of beauty and privilege then it all comes down to us as individuals today and the choices we make that affect the years to come whether that be in our everyday life or business choices.
By adding only one Guide Me Wash Cloth into your daily routine, you are replacing over 240 makeup wipes over a period of 4 months, eliminating huge amounts of landfill.
In my trial stage one wash cloth could last up to 6 months which is amazing, but that is dependant on the usage and care. Each wash cloth is paired with a biodegradable, 100% cotton drawstring bag to keep your product dry and clean ensuring you are getting the most usage out of it.
Ariana: Tell us more about your product! Specifically… when you were in the creative phase of the Guide Me Wash Cloth, what were your goals and how long did it take you to craft the end product?
Creating the Guide Me Wash Cloth has been one of the most rewarding and challenging journeys I have experienced so far. From my initial idea I knew exactly what I wanted to bring to the table. I drafted sketches, mood boards, got in touch with multiple suppliers and discussed the product feel, shape, colour and sizing until I found the right fit for my brand.
I hand picked a selected group of friends with all different skin concerns and asked them to trial the product with me so I could take on their feedback and continue to master the perfect wash cloth.
Within the testing phase I had trialed the wash cloth for numerous months before finalizing my changes.
All you ever want when creating a product is for it to help someone and know it can deliver results. In our case that would be in the removal of makeup, reducing breakouts, simplifying their skincare routine or purely helping them by producing an affordable product.
I truly believe with the Guide Me Wash Cloth we have introduced all these factors into one environmentally friendly option.
Our wash cloth is made up of tiny microfibres which work to get deep into your pores to lift and remove any makeup, sunscreen build up and impurities whilst cleansing the skin in the most gentle of ways and all you need to do is add water.
The simplicity, minimisation and effectiveness the product has on the skin is truly amazing.
What thoughts and feelings did you experience personally that compelled you to create such a beautiful product, and how has the creation of this product been received by the ASGFR Facebook community?
From the start of creating ASGFR our main goal was to help people, whether that be physically or mentally through our product or Facebook community.
The feeling of knowing individuals benefit from my product and continue to let me know how much they love it is a surreal feeling and I have to pinch myself sometimes and think did I create this, but it is a feeling I never want to loose and it drives me to want to bring them more.
Ariana: What did having breakout skin teach you on your journey to clear skin?
Dealing with problematic skin can truly be one of the most frustrating and challenging things someone can go through. I remember on my journey having to wear makeup which in my mind always made it look worse.
I would wear hats, sunglasses, look in the opposite direction and when the time came for me to talk to someone all I could think was they are staring at my skin. All these things play in a person’s mind when experiencing self doubt and not feeling 100% confident.
The main thing I learnt once tackling my acne was everything is 100 times worse in your own mind, embrace your skin lows because I can guarantee you 90% of people have not registered that you have a pimple and they could even be tackling the same issues as you or they have already done the hard yards and can totally relate like myself.
I made A Skin Guide for Rookies for these reasons, for people to join and feel comfortable sharing their stories so people know they aren’t alone in what can feel like a never ending journey.
My best advice to you is: it will get easier.
Even if that time is not now and I know when I used to read skin blogs I would roll my eyes and say “whatever” but, truly, it does.
Stick to your basic skincare routine, drink plenty of water, sunscreen and moisturizer are a must, do not over exfoliate and damage your skin barrier, we have recently bought out “The Guide Me Exfoliant” which is a great alternative for a gentle, non invasive exfoliant. Take the time to research and ask people, if it gets to a point where you can’t control it anymore go and seek professional help.
I have a world of knowledge that I have picked up throughout my years of asking questions and speaking with professionals and I would love to share everything with you, but we would be here for another 2 days reading on which I won’t put you through.
Join our FB group, use the search bar, ask questions and see who else may be in a similar situation, they may have answers which come at no cost.
Ariana: When you visualize ASGFR 5 years from now, what does it look like? (If you share your goals with us, collectively we can help you on your journey to achieving them!)
I see ASGFR growing in the coming years of people from all around the world in our FB community sharing their stories and knowledge, people connecting and engaging with one another.
Our products growing in avenues that are beneficial, sustainable and simple. I want to continue to introduce things that make a difference and most importantly showcasing having problematic skin is something you should be proud and comfortable with no matter what skin journey you are on.
Capre x