Pure + Simple’s Two-in-One Clarifying Elixirs Treat Both Acne and Signs of Aging

A pioneer in clean, natural beauty, the Canadian skincare brand Pure + Simple has been around for more than 20 years. Founded by mother-daughter duo Jean Eng and Kristen Ma, their products have been staples in beauty lovers’ medicine cabinets for years before “clean beauty” became a buzzword. Known for their spa and luxurious facials, Pure + Simple was developed to offer spa-quality natural skincare that delivered results, particularly for those with acne-prone and aging skin—concerns that Ma and Eng, respectively, were addressing with their own skin.

Pure + Simple’s Minimalist Clarifying Willow Bark, a two-in-one tone and mist was a CertClean Clean Beauty Award Winner and their Minimalist Clarifying Elixir, an anti-inflammatory treatment for imperfections and signs of aging was a finalist. We spoke with Eng about what makes these products are so effective and why being a clean beauty brand is important.

Why do you think your product was chosen as the winner?

The needs for antiaging skincare seem polar opposite to the needs of oily or combination skin. Solutions for the two needs are easily solved separately. But since there are people with oily or combination skin tend to age without losing their concerns about blemishes and enlarged pores, our Minimalist Clarifying Willow Bark and Minimalist Clarifying Elixir help them solve their skin concerns in a simple “minimalist” manner.

The results of the two products are not just hydrating and moisture for this skin type but delivers its promise of minimizing pore size and reducing the incidence of blemishes. And both products give skin a fresh clean feeling with a dewy moist one without fear of looking greasy.

Why did you create this product? What need were you fulfilling?

Pure + Simple uses Ayurveda as its holistic modality to assist in achieving their clients’ skin goals. The busy professionals with sensitive skin tend to have combination skin. As this skin type ages, the tendency to break out or have overactive oil production can still remain.

The first place Clarifying Willow Bark and the finalist Clarifying Elixir are specially designed for sensitive ageing skin that is still showing signs of blemishes and enlarged pores. This skin type has been neglected in the beauty industry.

Would you say this is your best-selling product? If not, what is and why?

No, Minimalist Clarifying Willow Bark and Minimalist Clarifying Elixir are not the best-selling products in the Minimalist brand. These two products are new. We introduced them just months ago during the pandemic lockdown.

Our Best Seller in the Minimalist Line is Face Life Serum. It was one of the core products in the Minimalist brand about 10 years ago. It has a loyal client base we have developed over the years as it has proven to be an unusually effective serum for sensitive and aging skin. The secret to the simple serum with powerful hydrating and anti-aging ingredients is it does not contain oils or waxes so it travels deeper into the skin with its active ingredients to hydrate and support healthy skin cells.

What are the ingredients of this product and what do they do?

Minimalist Clarifying Willow Bark

This 2-in-1  toner/mist is the solution to multi-personality skin needs with naturally gentle, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory willow bark while rejuvenating skin with super antioxidants from berry leaves.

The black currant and raspberry leaf extracts are super antioxidants with anti-inflammatory actions to rejuvenate skin while reducing acne bacteria by minimizing the oxidation of sebum in the pores.

Willow bark, a natural plant source of salicylic acid (BHA), contributes to this versatile toner/mist’s ability to reduce problem skin along with reducing the visible signs of ageing. It performs well as an anti-inflammatory and anti-acne treatment while giving skin a rejuvenated appearance by increasing skin cell turnover.

Aloe vera and glycerin are hydrating ingredients that rejuvenate skin’s appearance and help it maintain a dewy look throughout the day. Properly hydrated skin is healthy skin that can also better defend itself from external stressors. Oat beta-glucan, rhamnose and witch hazel soothe inflamed skin. Beta-glucan from oats forms a thin, invisible film to help restore hydration and also provides excellent anti-inflammatory properties.

Rhamnose, sugar-derived from plant sources, helps prevent the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria on the skin, reduces inflammation response while enhancing collagen production.

What does winning this award mean to you?

CertClean’s certification is important to us, therefore we highly prize this award. Our goal is to offer uncompromising solutions that are natural and give clients the results they want and need. Winning an award and being a finalist confirm that the two-in-one solutions we have created achieve that goal.

Why is being a clean beauty brand important?

It not only gives us a clear goal about ingredient and production values to follow but it means that we are part of an elite group of natural and sustainable skincare producers that clients can trust.

What’s next for your brand?

We have not marketed our Minimalist line much. We have always relied on word of mouth. We plan to do more marketing on this very effective natural skincare solution to a wider market. And with CertClean certification and award, we are confident that it will be successful.

Looking for more natural skincare products? Discover the best natural serums, oils, toners and masks of 2021.