Rina Timpano’s Inspiring Journey to Award-Winning Natural Skin Care

Most brands don’t emerge out of nowhere. They are a culmination of a need, a desire and an inspiration to create something new and special. Clean beauty brands are the very same. They have a story that offers insight into the integrity, love and attention that goes into every single product.

Rinascentia’s founder, Rina Timpano, started her brand as a result of her experience growing up with parents who honoured the value of natural remedies that were influenced by their traditional Mediterranean culture. After starting her own family, she was inspired to understand more about the toxic nature of mainstream skincare. She started her multi-award-winning brand, featuring a high-performing premium, non-toxic, sustainable cosmeceutical beauty brand combining old wisdom, nature and science.

We connected with Rina about the catalyst for her brand and how she continues to make strides in clean beauty.

What was the catalyst for you to start Rinascentia?

Many small events in my life led me to my passion for creating a clean skincare brand. I was always enchanted by Teresa, my immigrant grandmother’s pearls and her vast supply of AVON that she proudly and successfully sold as an Avon Manager up until her passing in 2003. Observing her poise, elegance and sharp business sense, I considered her a role model.

When I was about six years old, my sister sprained her ankle, so off we went with my mum and dad to an old Sicilian Couple who made a poultice with a powerful odour. They put this warmed poultice around her ankle and wrapped it up in a compression bandage. I was amazed at how this poultice was going to fix an injury.

It wasn’t until many years later that my curiosity about cosmetics reemerged. I was concerned about the chemicals I used on myself and my children. I started educating myself and studying Aromatherapy, creating solutions to skin ailments and allergies, and working as a “Cosmetic Alchemist.”

My traditional Mediterranean culture heavily influences my product development process. Natives, flowers, and herbs feature heavily; some are picked straight from my pesticide-free garden. I started the brand long after, in 2013. Several of my beauty clients encouraged me to promote the unique formulations. Plane Jane® Hydrating Serum was the first product.

What did you do before Rinascentia?

I was brought up in a family of caterers. My sister and I would help in our family’s catering business catering to Italian weddings of up to 1000 people. I always loved the beauty in the background of catering, colouring and perming family and friends’ hair, waxing and giving beauty treatments in my teens. By 23, I had forgotten my love of beauty treatments, instead choosing to open my own Italian restaurant. It wasn't until later in life that I embraced my love of the beauty industry and in no time had regular customers.

How did growing up in the hospitality and restaurant business help you build your brand?

My upbringing in the catering industry has helped me with formulating and being able to make products in bulk. Once you know the science behind making the formula, it isn't much different from making lasagna for 1000 people.

What research brought you to your formulations?

Aromatherapy was where I started in the mid-’80s. Since then, I have never stopped researching and studying. I have taken many courses in natural skin care, cosmetic chemistry, organic skin care formulating and organic cosmetic science. Still, the real learning I found was through the many years of experience, listening to what people look for in their skin and their needs. I still have a lot of people coming to me for bespoke products to help with their skin concerns.

Your children have greatly inspired you; how have their skincare woes inspired your formulas?

My children and I have all experienced sensitivities. My youngest child suffered from skin dermatitis for most of his childhood. I had to create my own with no organic or natural products on the market. Today most of my formulas have come about because either a family member or a client has asked me to make them something to help with one of their concerns.

Which of Rinascentia’s products is your favourite?

Plane Jane® Hydrating Serum is the product that stands out. This was the first product I formulated. It was created for a flight attendant named Jane who had dehydrated skin from flying long haul. She came to me wanting to preserve her good skin and asked me to make something to help her. I made her Plane Jane® Hydrating Serum in 2012, which has been a staple in many households and has won gold and editor’s choice awards two consecutive years in a row.

What do you love about running a major clean beauty brand?

I love that I can nourish my skin with natural beauty products as I nourish my body with natural clean food. I am feeding my skin with vitamins and antioxidants necessary for healthy skin and eliminating ingredients deemed toxic to our health and environment. I strive to live the changes I want to see in this world. I have a deep appreciation for sustainability, particularly in relation to the ocean and sea life. It saddens me to think that one day our grandchildren may not be able to experience the beauty of our oceans and sea life. We can only do our small part and I pray that large corporations will one day make a stand and we can all work together to clean our oceans before it is too late.

For parents and sensitivity sufferers alike, we understand the difficulty that comes with finding products that are both functional and non-toxic. Rina Timpano is creating products from a genuine passion for clean beauty and sustainability of our planet. Rinscentia’s Plane Jane® Hydrating Serum continues to be a worldwide success to sustain skin health and hydrate deeply.

Rina isn’t the only brand founder with an inspirational story behind their brand. We also chatted with SALVEO’s founder to learn about how their brand came to be. Learn the story behind SALVEO skincare here.