Sasha Plavsic: Founder Behind The Brilliant ILIA Beauty
Sasha Plavsic isn’t just the founder of a renowned cosmetic brand — she's also a pioneer in the clean beauty movement.
Since the brand’s inception in 2011, ILIA Beauty has firmly established itself as a forerunner in "skin-centric beauty." With its surging global popularity, millions are now discovering the unique benefits of ILIA's clean beauty formulas — and loving it.
But what's the story behind its founder, Sasha Plavsic? How did she become a key player in the clean beauty industry? Let’s learn more about the journey behind ILIA beauty and the creation of Sasha’s beauty empire.
Behind the brand’s conception
Sasha Plavsic has been the founder and subsequently Chief Creative Officer since the brand came into fruition around 12 years ago. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, it actually wasn’t until Plavsic was in her early thirties that she fell into the beauty product scene.
Having just walked away from her branding job and her partner, Sasha had come to a turning point in her life. She was at home having a conversation with her mom when she faced her first moment of realization. Speaking to Coco Eco Mag, Sasha explained: “I was complaining about how much cystic acne I had, which I suffered from throughout most of my life. I remember my mom saying to me, “You should look at what's in the products that you're putting on your skin.” That was really the trigger point that made me curious about what's in my products, and what can I take out and avoid?’
This triggered a deep curiosity in Plavsic to learn more about the ingredients that she was applying to her skin. Remember, at that time ‘Clean Beauty’ didn’t really exist.
Experimenting with natural ingredients, Sasha set about trying to recreate her favorite products without the synthetic and harmful stuff in them. Downloading the ingredients for her favorite chapstick, Sasha quickly realized that there was a gap in the market for natural, but high-quality products that are kind to your skin.
In 2013, Sasha was joined by her younger brother, Zachary Ilia. Zachary had suffered from asthma and allergies throughout his life and the siblings had been encouraged by their mom to explore homeopathic and natural remedies. As a result, they worked on building ILIA into a clean beauty leader.
Wait, what actually is clean beauty?
Ok, I thought I’d quickly throw in this explainer as this term gets thrown around quite a lot. As its name suggests, clean beauty refers to products that are made without ingredients that consumers and industry experts identify as harmful.
So this means formulations tend to be free from certain chemicals, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances, to name a few. Clean beauty is not just about what’s left out of products, but also about promoting transparent labeling, ethical sourcing, and sustainable packaging.
It also refers to a holistic approach because it champions prioritizing the health of consumers and the environment alike through good-quality, kinda-to-the-planet products. And, demand for clean beauty products is constantly growing. The thing is, there’s no real regulation on what is deemed ‘clean’ (although this might change later down the line). But currently, what's considered "clean" for one person might not be for another, meaning it's important that you, the consumer, do your own research into brands that are really committed to clean beauty (like ILIA).
Ascent to clean beauty stardom
Clearly, ILIA Beauty was filling a major gap in the market — one that has since ballooned with clean beauty products, mind you. However, as one of the O.G. clean beauty leaders, ILIA had firmly made its mark as a brand to be reckoned with.
What’s more, Sasha recognized the rising demand for clean beauty. In an interview with Forbes, she expressed, "Now is the time for clean beauty. You can enjoy the benefits of both skincare and color. We're thrilled to be pioneers in this movement and are eager to see its evolution."
In 2018, Sasha redefined ILIA Beauty, aligning her brand and team with emerging beauty trends. When relaunching at Sephora, she introduced a new range of cosmetics that blended safe synthetic ingredients with natural ones, offering the best of both realms. This approach merged science and nature, ensuring optimal skincare.
No longer limited to lip products, the brand blossomed, introducing a diverse range of cosmetics tailored for today's beauty enthusiasts. These include priming serums, foundations, and concealers.
Inspiring Sustainability
It looks like things have only been getting better for the brand in recent years. In 2021, Sasha’s brand won the WWD Beauty Inc. Award for Breakthrough Brand of the Year. Then one year later, the brand was acquired by Clarins in the latest sign that demand is high for ILIA products.
Speaking about the company’s acquirement, she said: “I love what I do and I love creating products. So it’s important that one day, should we choose to find a home that can accommodate a larger strategy globally, that will have to be at the forefront to ensure there’s a real partnership in the understanding of the brand.”
Going above and beyond the ethos of environmental responsibility, ILIA Beauty has truly shown no stopping in its commitment to eco-friendly practices.
Under the ambitious "1% for the forest" initiative, ILIA has pledged to plant an impressive one million trees, amplifying the brand's role in combating deforestation and climate change.
Beyond this, ILIA also champions the incorporation of upcycled ingredients into its products. Launching ILIA’s upcycled Avocado Extract, the brand made sure that all parts of the avocado were used in production, dramatically reducing waste. On top of that, ILIA also has a robust recycling program, encouraging Americans to mail them at least 10 product containers a month (from both ILIA as well as other brands)
This holistic approach not only diminishes waste but also elevates the quality of its offerings, cementing ILIA Beauty's position as a frontrunner in sustainable beauty.
Sasha’s rise to clean beauty stardom is undoubtedly something to applaud. Through her commitment to clean ingredients and good-for-you formulas, she's given the beauty world a brand that merges the best of nature and science. And we love it!
These days, it isn’t just about beauty products but a commitment to sustainability, transparency, and quality. And, I’m pretty certain that Sasha and ILIA Beauty have both had a massive influence on making the wider beauty industry cleaner and more planet-friendly.
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