Category Archives: eco design

We love a brand with a bit of a quirky tale, and the new natural Leif skincare range has just that.    Sydney based packaging design firm containermade.com, has just turned the usual design process on its head. After receiving numerous compliments on a slender long neck bottle design developed years earlier, the crew decided it was time to fill it with something wonderful – and so the Leif natural body product range was founded.

The Leif range has been developed using natural ingredients, and is wonderfully scented with Australian essential oils. Now I say “wonderful” as having just become a new stockist of the range, I have had the pleasure of testing the Hand Wash and Hand Balm – The Handwash is beautifully but subtly scented with eucalyptus (great anti bacterial qualities), Lilly Pilly and Tea Tree Oil. As an adult using this product it is pure bathroom luxury – making handwashing a noticeable enjoyable experience (truly!). What did surprise me though was my kids reaction – I have never seen them wash their hands so much!!  I must admit however I have hidden the Kakadu Plum and Macadamia Nut Hand Balm up on a high shelf out of kids reach – Post handwash it is a nourishing moisturizer that I’m keeping as my little secret!.

Leif has already achieved recognition – Last year, cool design spotters WallPaper Magazine shortlisted it as the “Best New Grooming Product” in their annual awards, and the sleek recyclable packaging won a bronze ‘Pentaward” (international packaging competition) for its design.

As the first batch rolls off the production line, we wanted to find out more about the design of this product – Jonnie Vigar, Co-founder of Container and Leif kindly obliged and shared with us the following;

1. Your work has previously focused on packaging design. What prompted the move to designing a skincare range?  As containermade.com we deliver both the package and brand identity to our clients. The formulation is the final element so out of curiosity (and the need to find a use for one of our favourite designs that didn’t have an owner) we began to look into the fill. It’s been a steep learning curve. We now have a much better understanding of what our clients go through in taking a product to market. It’s complicated!

2.  Australian indigenous botanical scents are used throughout the range – Why did you choose this combination?  Any new beauty product must have a compelling point of difference. There are many ranges that already look to include Australian natives but none seem to package themselves in a compelling way. We wanted Leif to be distinctly Australian in its ingredient story but to also have a modern aesthetic. Due to our isolation and tough climate we are blessed with some really unique and vital flora, we want Leif to be a showcase for these plants.

3. What major challenges did you face designing a natural skincare range?

Naturals, by their very nature, are not easy ingredients to work with. Leif body products have a simple aromatherapeutic story, each scent is formed by a blend of essential oils and extracts. Many ‘natural’ products use synthetic fragrance as it is cheap and readily available. Natural ingredients are like any other agricultural commodity – their raw material price can fluctuate depending on growing conditions which can be a challenge.

4.  Why was it important to use natural products?  It’s more compelling to create a product that is natural rather than synthesised. Integrity is becoming ever more important, if we’re to use a product who’s name includes Lillypilly then we should expect that the ingredient is included rather than an artificial approximation.

5.  Share with us you easy eco living tip!   Recycle more. Over 70% of plastic still ends up in land fill which is crazy when it’s simple to do the right thing. Australia should take note from Northern Europe who make it even easier to recycle. Money back on bottles should be nationwide, save energy by only boiling the water that you need.

Thanks for sharing the range with us Jonnie!

~Leif – Now available at State of Green~