Italian skincare firm FRAME Cosmetics wants to bring the sun-kissed ‘Mediterranean Lifestyle’ to the skincare industry with their phytonutrient-packed products, changing how you look and feel in the process.
The concept of the ‘Mediterranean diet’ is one famous around the world for its benefits; its healthy living principles are so ingrained in popular culture that the way of life has been recognised by UNESCO as a ‘Heritage for Humanity.’ One Italian company is taking the concept further, applying the same principles of living and lifestyle to skincare under their umbrella philosophy of ‘Advanced Mediterranean Pro Ageing Solutions.’ The result of decades of scientific research, FRAME Cosmetics may have only launched in late 2017, but is already known around the world, including Hong Kong where they launched a year ago before expanding into China, Taiwan and Malaysia. Savannah Hillebrand, FRAME’s brand manager, talked Hive Life through their proposition and its place in the booming Asian skincare market.
Entirely made from ingredients grown via integrated farming, FRAME Cosmetics brings together the expertise of 11 different businesses held under the Italian VOS Group. “The Salamone family are the owners of this group, a holding company that encompasses 11 businesses, with six main ones who are leaders in terms of phytonutrients,” explains Savannah. Those phytonutrients, plant-based beneficial compounds present in raw plants, herbs and flowers, are cultivated in the Pollino National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, and fed into FRAME formulations via the different specialities of each of the parent businesses, who, between them, cover everything from extraction techniques, formulation of products, neutralising the formulation of nutraceuticals, and research and development. “The formulation of products is done in-house under one roof,” says Savannah. “We have complete traceability of everything from the cultivation of raw materials all the way to the end product. That’s what makes us unique.”
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Deeply rooted in research, FRAME is overseen by a panel of 25 experts in nutrition, neuroscience genetics and dermatology, all of whom are all members of the brand’s Scientific Advisory Board. “Some of them are active practitioners and some collaborate with universities. They are leaders in each of their fields,” explains Savannah. Another unique selling point for FRAME is their Made To Measure program, the practice of individualising products for different people, a process also overseen by their board. “Our products are calibrated specifically to respond to their geographical location. In Hong Kong, we sell different products than in Italy,” says Savannah. Made To Measure requires clients to fill out an in-depth questionnaire of physical, biological and lifestyle inquiries before examining three aspects of their skin through a bioimpedance skin analyzer (hydration levels, oiliness levels and skin thickness) and the results are then sent to the laboratory in Como in Northern Italy where the final product is customised. Targeting an ever increasing group of consumers searching for ‘clean beauty,’ FRAME Cosmetics puts a no-nasties policy firmly at its centre. “It’s really fantastic what the state of trends towards limiting unhealthy chemicals has come to,” says Savannah. FRAME is also a company that urges people to make lifestyle changes alongside investing in products to affect real change in their lives. “When clients sign up for the program, we tell them that our products are just one aspect of an integrated lifestyle. Our creams and serums are very effective, but if they smoke, don’t sleep enough or aren’t staying hydrated, it’s going to be a constant battle.”
In its holistic approach, FRAME wants to create a ritual of wellness in people’s lives – especially in Asia, where time is scarce and relaxation an indulgence. “It’s different for clients living a fast-paced life in Hong Kong and clients in slower communities, such as the south of Italy,” says Savannah. “We like to remind them of the importance of carving out time to slow down and be mindful.” To that end, their next project will be a sanctuary where people can do just that. “As a company, we are looking to purchase different buildings and old homes and turn it into a diffused hotel – Borgo della Salute – in Castelluccio Superiore. The hotel will carry many different services, ranging from a relaxing vacation all the way to a recovery site. Medical services would be available, ranging from rehabilitation to therapeutic massages. All treatments offered would be oriented around natural healing, giving people the chance to live that true Mediterranean lifestyle.” And, in the meantime, they sell the dream via their creams.
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