Mad Hippie is a socially conscious, Portland-based skincare company that formulates products with top-shelf natural ingredients while excluding harmful unnecessary additives. At the same time, the line is cultivated with environmental preservation in mind. Founders Sam and Dana Stewart share the roots of Mad Hippie and talk about products that are good for skin and the earth.
Parvati Magazine: Your line was developed to naturally address sun damage from years of adventuring and surfing. What do you recommend for practicing “safe sun” the natural way?
Mad Hippie: We encourage people to enjoy their lives outdoors. We certainly would never sacrifice the time we spend hiking, surfing, and doing all of the things we love, but we do wish we would have practiced sun safety long before we became savvy to it! Some of our favorite pro tips are:
- Wear antioxidants in the morning under your sunscreen (we love using our Vitamin C Serum and Antioxidant Facial Oil every morning under our mineral SPF).
- Wear SPF every day, even when it’s cloudy, because UV rays come right through the clouds! If you can, avoid those full sun hours between 10am and 2pm.
- Take time to enjoy your skin care routine. Savor the time when you massage your face with ingredients that feel good, smell good, and are good for your skin!
Parvati Magazine: Mad Hippie was built on the idea that you don’t have to compromise safety for efficacy, and vice versa. Before you founded your brand, what was it like to try to find products that delivered both? How have things changed since then?
The Science of Skincare and Bioavailable Vitamins
Mad Hippie: When we began Mad Hippie, our options for most things, skincare included, were very limited. We could find the scientifically-backed, cutting-edge active ingredients we were looking for like peptides and bioavailable vitamins in dermatologists’ offices and med spas, but they were rife with synthetic fragrance, dyes, preservatives… stuff we didn’t want to put on our bodies. Products in health food stores were clean and many of them felt lovely, but they relied heavily on oils and extracts and did not offer the peptides and bioavailable vitamins we were seeking. We are happy to say that options have dramatically improved in the last few years and watchdog sites like Skin Deep and Think Dirty have given people the tools that they need to decode ingredient lists and make safer choices. Armed with this information, customers have demanded safer and cleaner choices for themselves and their families.
Parvati Magazine: How and why did the idea of being a “skincare rebel” become a driving philosophy in your brand?
Mad Hippie: It came from the idea that skin care could be done differently. Taking care of your skin should be simple and enjoyable. You can offer clean, safe, effective products at affordable prices. You needn’t have a serious name and austere packaging to offer seriously awesome skincare. You can be fun and playful and still be taken seriously.
Why Vitamin C Serum is a Miracle for Your Skin
Parvati Magazine: Your Vitamin C serum has been lauded as a “miracle worker”. Why is it so effective?
Mad Hippie: Topical vitamin C is such an important ingredient in terms of providing antioxidant support to the skin, but this form of vitamin C in particular is incredibly stable and usually tolerated by even the most sensitive of skin types. It is refreshing for many people to find a Vitamin C Serum that delivers results and does not cause irritation.
Parvati Magazine: You’re obviously strongly committed to the preservation of the environment—from printing with soy ink on your packaging, running your Portland facility on alternative energy, and dedicating a portion of your web sales to conservation causes. What do you recommend to both consumers and creators in becoming more environmentally inclined?
Mad Hippie: One of my favorite quotes is by Lao Tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” As a company, we are always taking steps toward reducing our carbon footprint and increasing our impact when it comes to causes that are close to our hearts. We can all find single steps to take in our day-to-day lives and, over time, these steps have a large impact.
Sam and Dana Stewart are a husband-and-wife team that aimed to create natural yet scientifically-advanced skin care products with the smallest possible environmental footprint. Thus, Mad Hippie was born and can be found today in organic supermarkets like Whole Foods and beauty retailers like Ulta.