When SCOUT Cosmetics founder Sylvie Hutchings wanted to find effective, natural, and organic cosmetics that also delivered on performance she found very little that lived up to her high standards. Sylvie is not someone inclined to give up, so she set out to create the types of products she would like to use herself!
"I wanted to be able offer products that not only enhanced your natural beauty, but also looked after your skin. I wanted to be able to offer an exciting alternative to ‘mainstream’ brands without the potential harmful and toxic ingredients, but which were still high in quality and performance."
The development of SCOUT nail polish came about during a difficult time in Sylvie’s life as in 2012, 10 days before Christmas, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
“It was a big twist in the journey… it really reset everything for me…I had to think about what was important to me and I realised more than ever the importance of doing things you love… It was also important for me to set an example for my boys and show that despite life being full of surprises… you meet your challenges head on and keep going…”
Sylvie’s search for a nail polish with fewer toxic chemicals came during her cancer treatment, while experiencing the damaging effects of chemotherapy on her nails. She was advised by the nurses in her chemo suite to paint her nails to help strengthen them but she was unable to find a formulation with ingredients she was comfortable with. After some research, Sylvie discovered she could create a choice of formulations that did not contain the ingredients she was keen to avoid, such as Formaldehyde, DBP, Toulene, Formaldehyde Resin and Camphor, and from there the idea for her toxin free nail polish range was born. During her 5-hour chemotherapy treatments, Sylvie would work on the range, and finally launched the collection straight after treatment was complete.
Importantly, the benefits of these products aren't limited to what they don't contain - there are many ingredients that are good for nails in the formulation, such as essential nourishing oils and added vitamins. And the wide range of colours available means that there really is no reason for anyone to be painting a cocktail of chemicals on their nails.
Creating natural and clean cosmetics that made Sylvie feel naturally beautiful, particularly while undergoing treatment, was vital to her brand philosophy. These core values transcend throughout SCOUT as she continuously aims to create an organic, active beauty range that empowers her customers to feel beautiful, special and self-empowered, knowing that they can wear SCOUT products with absolute confidence.
At Commonsense we stand by the quality of SCOUT's range of innovative Breathable Superfood Infused Nail Polish which is currently the only nail polish range to pass our rigorous buying policies and earn a place on our shelves.