Reti Skin Calls for BS-Free Skincare. Mary Tapsell needed real results without the harsh chemicals and we all know what a woman does when she can't find what she's looking for…
Mary Tapsell has endured her fair share of breakouts, skin changes and a whole lot of empty promises from the skincare industry. When she couldn't find the solution she needed, she created it herself. As a Mum of four, she didn't just stop with her own skin, a second brand - Little Barrier Co - was born from her daughter's struggle with eczema.
Mary is a big advocate for keeping skincare honest, but her passion goes beyond that - building confidence and encouraging everyone to embrace their own power and potential to live a delicious life. There is a certain joy about Mary that leaves you feeling a little brighter after being around her. I was really intrigued to find out more and squeeze a little bit of her sunshine onto the page.
Read on as we talk to the multi-passionate Mary Tapsell about the magic that happens when science and nature meet and why you need to read your labels VERY carefully. Come with us to demystify skincare...
No doubt Reti Skin was long in the making before you shared it with the world - take us back to the beginning...
Technically the beginning goes much further back than the idea of Reti Skin. The beginning started when I was STILL dealing with texture, breakouts and dullness in my twenties and just couldn’t find a routine I loved. Then I started having my babies and became hyper aware of the ingredients in absolutely everything, including in my skincare. It’s actually pretty shocking the impact of what harmful chemicals like fragrance and unnecessary filler ingredients can do to not only our skin barrier, but also our hormones and internal wellbeing.
I found that the “clean” brands weren’t that effective for my problematic, sensitive skin and the products I knew would work had too many ingredients in them that I didn’t want to expose myself or my children to. That planted the seed of feeling compelled to create products that would address my skin issues on a deep, scientific level but wouldn’t harm my hormones or internal wellbeing in the process.
What’s something many people don’t understand about a good skincare routine, and what would you want them to know?
Skincare routines should be boring and consistency wins every time. In a world of trends and celebrity brands and influencers, it’s easy to get swept into the ‘ideal’ routine of 20+ products and the latest product brought out by your favourite influencer. Skincare isn’t about following trends and what everyone else is doing. It’s deeply personal, our skin is unique to us so products won’t work for everyone, including mine.
Understand your own skin, what it can tolerate, what it’s sensitive to and also what fits into your daily routine. As a mum of 4, I certainly don’t have time to do a complex and long routine every morning. I need a routine I can stick to, that doesn’t take long and gets results.
What's one underrated ingredient in skincare?
Acids. They are the powerhouse behind removing dead, unwanted cells, unclogging your pores and giving a clear complexion. I love them! You can also choose the acid best for your skin tolerance and concerns, salicylic is great for breakouts as it’s the acid that gets into the pores to clear them, whereas as lactic is the most gentle so it’s great for sensitive skin.
As a mother of four, you've noted how difficult it was to find skincare products that were safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Now that you've created your own, what indicates that a brand is genuinely clean & non-toxic?
Transparency. If a brand can’t explain each ingredient, its percentage and why it’s in there, ask questions. Understanding ingredient lists is key, as well as how to tell if ingredients are included at a beneficial level or a surface ‘good marketing’ level. Also how a product smells tells a lot, if it has a really nice smell, almost like perfume it’s almost certainly got fragrance in it which can contain up to 3000 chemicals that disrupt hormones. Skincare shouldn’t smell or if it does, the smell should come from an essential oil at a very mild, skin tolerant dose.
You've also talked recently about ingredient lists on skincare products within the industry. Can you explain this a little more? I think it's something we all struggle to understand - how to read labels properly and know what we're actually putting on our skin.
The most important thing to know is that ingredient lists always start with the ingredient at the highest percentage going down to the ingredient with the lowest. So if the products actives and ‘hero’ ingredients are all at the bottom of the list after a load of hard to pronounce filler ingredients, they are in at exceptionally low percentages that may not actually make a difference on your skin.
Also knowing what to look out for, the non-negotiable chemicals to absolutely stay away from but also knowing that it doesn’t mean to avoid all science-sounding ingredients. A lot of them are incredible for the skin and absolutely safe, they just sound like they aren’t. There are loads of apps out that you can scan products and it decodes the ingredients list for you. You could also take a photo and put it into Ai or Google, it’s great for decoding ingredients that don’t make sense to the majority of us!
Reti Skin products boast 'no hormone disrupters' - I'm sure a lot of people would love to know more about this...
Some ingredients/chemicals can mimic your hormones and cause a biological reaction internally, causing your hormones to become imbalanced and effecting your hormones regulatory processes.
When our hormones are imbalanced it can affect everything, our mood, our health, our skin. Learning how to balance our hormones is a long, slow and sometimes tricky process, so avoiding the products that can disrupt them in the first place, makes a huge impact.
What’s your 'can’t-live-without-it' skincare practice?
The biggest thing for me would actually be drinking enough water and limiting inflammatory substances like sugar and alcohol.
I’m a firm believer that a healthy skin barrier and complexion starts with what you put IN your body, not just on it. How healthy and healed your gut is, is reflected in your skin.
Talk to us a little more about your Renew Chemical Peel Pads. I think a lot of people are intimidated by at-home chemical peels (and rightly so, if you're using the wrong products, I'm sure!) Can you demystify them for us?
Understanding your skins tolerance is important here and an education on how to use them correctly. Chemical peels are going to have a slight tingle or mild sting. It’s the removal of the bonds holding the dead skin cells together, causing a micro injury and encouraging the skins shedding and renewal process. Knowing to tell the difference between a good tingle and a burning sensation is important.
Start slow, using just once a week and gradually building up to two or three times. Also knowing to not use any other actives or strong ingredients on the night you do a peel. A simple moisturiser afterwards is all you need and definitely no salicylic acid cleanser beforehand.
Peels can also make the skin ‘purge’ meaning breakouts temporarily appear. This can scare a lot of people as we want to get clear skin, not more breakouts, but knowing that this is the skin pushing out any dirt build up and dead skin cells, and is only temporary. Again, consistency is key, keep going for a full skin cycle (around 28 days) and if your skin still stings too much and breakouts aren’t clearing, strip it back and do some barrier repair work before starting again.
We use just under 10% total acid percentage in the pads so it’s not too intense, as well as including calming and soothing ingredients like green tea and cucumber extracts to help soothe the skin as the acids do their job.
And, ewww - your facts about how our bathroom towels are actually one of the germiest things touching our faces is a wake-up call - Reti Skin has a solution for this?
Yes! Studies have been done to show that nearly all bathroom towels they tested carried faeces! And we put that on our face?! Even after washing, you cannot remove all of the bacteria or dirt in the towel fibres. The Clear Skin Face Towels are biodegradable and single use making them exceptionally hygienic. I genuinely could not put a bathroom towel on my face again after using these!
Running a small business (or two!) is always a juggle - what does your typical day look like?
Always an early start with kids! Getting them sorted for school and kindy, as well as myself, I always prioritise my skincare. We need to make time for the things that are important to us, and skincare is very important to me! After they’ve all gone to school/kindy I’ll do some form of movement, whether it’s weights at the gym, reformer Pilates or yoga. Movement is crucial for your mental health, fascia and getting those endorphins going for the day.
Then it’s coffee and work! It’s amazing how quick the day goes when you’ve only got the school hours! Whether it’s packing orders, working on Meta ads, writing emails for the subscriber list, creating content, figuring out what needs to be done to grow the business. It’s a never ending list of tasks that seem to increase throughout the day! At the moment, the business is all still run by me and only me, meaning I do everything. And when you wear all the hats, there is such an enormous amount of things you need to do that no one from the outside sees. You’ve got to have huge faith in your passion/business and an enormous amount of resilience. And being able to do everything, all at once!
Who inspires you? Do you have a brand or business muse?
Any woman who is creating something from her passion, who is completely driven and building something magical will always be inspiring to me. Seeing women fearless and going for the thing, not caring what others are saying or judgements, not letting anything or anyone stop them will be a forever muse.
You also have another business, Little Barrier Co, which is especially helping sufferers of eczema...
Yes, Little Barrier Co was born after watching my 9 year old struggle with intense eczema all over her body. We tried EVERYTHING and I mean, everything. So many creams, even steroids and nothing seemed to help. Until we came across beef tallow at a little market in the Coromandel and the skin changes were almost instant. I started playing around with my own formula and using it on my daughter and it was incredible!
I then started playing around with a nappy balm and body oil formula using tallow and they feel so good on the skin! I wish I’d discovered this when my children were babies! I haven’t yet launched the nappy balm and oil but it’ll be available soon! I knew that if it helped my daughter’s skin so drastically, it will help others too.
What is the most challenging part of running your own business, and what's your favourite part?
The most challenging part is navigating a way to get the brand seen and explaining who we are to an audience that is overwhelmed with brands, content and noise on social media. The market is incredibly saturated so being able to encourage women who may be loyal to other brands or nervous to try new brands, to trust in Reti can be tricky, and I totally get why.
My favourite part is remembering that I’ve created products that people love, that has changed their skin and confidence. Every time an order comes through I say a little thank you and feel genuine gratitude to every single person. It’s still crazy that people buy a product I’ve created, and I LOVE that.
Where can we find you when you don't have your business hat(s) on?
I’m currently doing my yoga teacher training so you’ll find me practicing or studying yoga, always surrounded by at least one child and getting outside as much as possible. Grounding my feet in the earth, feeling the sun on my skin, being completely present and fully seeing what’s going on around me - it's a blissful place to be, especially in this busy world, so you’ll find me there as much as possible!
Best advice you've ever received - in life or business?
Free yourself from the imaginary audience.
What's your current 'go-to' product or ritual that helps you in your day-to-day?
I love a delicious smelling hand cream, something that I put on throughout the day and take a moment to breath in and smell, stop and give my hands a little massage and be present.
What are you reading/watching/listening to at the moment?
I love any kind of educational book, especially about the mindset and spirituality. There is so much to learn when it comes to the subconscious, how we perceive everything around us, our awareness and consciously creating a life we love. Any podcast or book that allows me to grow, learn something new and develop is always a favourite.
I love The Diary of a CEO Podcast, he always has incredible people on and I always learn something from every episode.
You are now very much a Kiwi but you're originally from the UK - what do you miss the most?
Family, and good fish and chips with mushy peas or curry sauce. Ah you can’t beat it!
Favourite Brunch/Coffee Spot?
I love Village Wholefoods Cafe in Howick, their food is INSANE. And any cafe with an ocean view and good coffee will forever be a go to!
What can we expect next from Reti Skin?
I have three serums coming out in the next few months which I am SO excited for. They are the serums you need for a healthy barrier, a restoring vitamin A serum for skin cell renewal, a hydrating vitamin B serum as your everyday hydration for the skin and a brightening vitamin C serum with peptides. They are beautiful and I can’t wait for everyone to try them. An absolute staple for your routine.
And lastly - words to live by?
I want to encourage people to have absolute belief in themselves, in whatever it is they want to do. Any doubts, feelings of not being enough or unworthiness are all false beliefs put on you by someone or something else. They’re not yours. So remembering your own power and capability to live a delicious life trying all the things you want to try and do, honestly do it all. And have FUN.
That’s why you’re here, to learn and have fun in this beautifully messy human experience. Don’t take things personally, don’t take things too seriously and always have a loving heart and the time of your f***ing life!
Thank you Mary for taking us inside your world.
Browse the Reti Skin collection here.
These articles are written by us at Boni & Beck. They are not sponsored or paid ads. Our aim is to bring back clean content that isn’t a disguised ad and isn't AI generated text. (If we have ads on our website now or in future you will be able to tell because they will look exactly like ads).
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