Pure beauty talk with… Rose-Marie Swift

For me Rose-Marie Swift to beauty and make-up is like Donna Karan to fashion and clothes. Both know what women want and give it to them in the most natural, organic and beautiful way, kind to the skin and body whether it needs to be clothed or enhanced. What attracted me to Rose-Marie in a first place was her philosophy and knowledge about the skin and skincare products. It deeply resonated in me. For once I felt that there’s somebody out there who is looking for answers and information just like I did and, even better, has a solution that turned out to be my skin (and mind) saviour.

Asking Rose-Marie about an interview was a bold, very bold, move. She is a star known for her work with Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Espirit, H&M (remember that ethereal Gisele’s Spring/Summer 2011 campaign? Yes, that’s her hands that created the look) Vogue, Harper’s, V, i-D, Pop and AnOther magazines just to name a few as well as the make-up artist most gorgeous girls like Doutzen, Gisele, Miranda and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld unconditionally trust their faces to. 

She is one of a kind and, just like most one of a kind people, tends to have a very busy schedule. Yet she replied to my email and generously gave me her time fitting the interview somewhere between Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall and working with Gisele, making me feel a little bit one of a kind, too.

This story is very close to my heart because I hope that the message that comes from a true expert like Rose-Marie will be heard and may actually change a few lives, faces and bodies in the process. I know that breaking the rules isn’t the simplest thing of all, but I do hope that her passion, knowledge and advice will make some to take the first step towards appreciating and understanding organic skin care and the skin we live in.

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What does beauty mean to you?

Well, the old saying goes "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" so in my opinion as the beholder, I see beautiful as someone with as healthy and glowing skin as possible. Beauty to me is looking healthy and happy, a glow to the skin and a twinkle in the eye.

What makes a face beautiful?

I have to admit I have a skin obsession, and to me it is all about the skin…nothing beats youthful, healthy, dewy skin. Knowing your face and not changing it through layers of makeup is also a quality that can't be beaten.

RMS Beauty was created to enhance the natural beauty - what is your philosophy when it comes to make-up, both the ritual and the products? 

After many years in the fashion and make-up industry, I’ve learned a lot about the impact of daily exposure to chemicals in beauty care products. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t live up to its promises. I see the results of taking a quick-fix approach to looking good. I know first-hand the price our health can pay in the pursuit of beauty. I realized that what women need are skin care, colour cosmetics, toiletries that are as pure as possible, lines that create a solid foundation for anti-aging and long-term beauty.

Skin is a living organism. It breathes, interacts, and absorbs information from everything it encounters. It’s in constant communication with the environment. Without healthy skin, we are vulnerable to the effects of everything we encounter.

Unfortunately, most ingredients in skin products and cosmetics were approved by the FDA when it was widely believed that the skin acted as a barrier to the outside world, blocking out whatever was applied to it. We now know that whatever we put on the skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. You only need to look to medical patches, anti-smoking patches and hormone replacement patches for proof.

My background as an advocate for cleaner cosmetics came when my own health deteriorated years ago and thru my research I realized many of the chemicals that were in my body were also found thru out the beauty industry.

I started my site Beauty Truth in 2004 exposing some of the more serious chemicals in our cosmetics and through this I became very well versed on what chemicals make up our beauty products and the ramifications they can have long term. (I encourage you to read my site as I hope to have every single person open their minds to a new definition on cosmetics).

The site created a lot of press for me and the question asked over and over again by all my readers was.... what shall we use? I started studying ingredients labels in depth and the extent of the use of unregulated chemical ingredients. Sorry to inform you but the FDA does not regulate our beauty industry with the exception of synthetic colour. It is self regulated by the actual people that are adding all these ingredients and deeming them safe.

In fact, many ingredients are downright harmful. Some ingredients, like phthalates found in synthetic fragrances and nail polishes, are known to disrupt the hormone system, and are a factor in reproductive diseases and breast cancer. Sadly, the list of harmful ingredients in your personal care products is long – and we continue to use them daily. It begs the question: are short-term results now worth the risk of ugly health consequences later? 

Even the so-called natural lines which we are all led to believe are safe and clean are not by any means safe or clean. The word "natural" means absolutely nothing. There are no laws that either define or regulate its use. You are on your own to find beauty products (or food for that matter) that are actually formulated with natural ingredients. It all comes down to chemistry: when a raw material is processed for use in cosmetics or other beauty products, it typically undergoes a lengthy process.

I was surprised to learn that the majority of ingredients used for natural cosmetics are refined, bleached, clarified, deodorized, fractionated and heated to extreme temperatures. By some of this processing it means that they are not natural ingredients anymore – they are now equivalent to man-made chemicals.

Complicating matters more, the processes strip away all of the nutrients that make natural ingredients beneficial to skin and health. It is like taking one of the healthiest foods such as broccoli and putting it is a pressure cooker. It is now what I call "dead".... almost every beneficial enzyme, vitamin and antioxidant has literally been killed. That is why the concept of eating raw food has been making headlines with health advocates, nutritionists and celebrities.

I am honestly trying to educate every woman to be more aware of not just what they put on their skin but also what they put in their bodies. Your skin is a “mirror to your gut” so whatever is being put into the body is reflected in the skin. Eat healthy, eat wisely, and don't underestimate the power of clean water, fruits and vegetables. Living a healthy life is what gives us beautiful healthy glowing skin.

Do you have favourite or signature ingredients? Are there any substances, as natural as they might be, you’d never use in RMS Beauty line? 

My signature ingredient is my coconut oil. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils in the world, if not the healthiest. It contains none of the nasty chemicals that are in today’s makeup removers and skin cleansers. It has natural anti-fungal and antibacterial properties due to its lauric acid and caprylic acid content, which aids in cleaning the skin naturally. It is a known natural antioxidant that helps prevent free radical damage (premature aging) and contains high levels of vitamin E. When it is in its raw state, it is hands down the best oil out there, and the skin, eyelashes and hair all love it. This coconut oil is superior over any store bought cold-pressed coconut oil.

I also do not use any water in my products. Bacteria grows in water--not in oil--so avoiding water helps to eliminate added preservatives that are needed to keep bacteria at bay.

I also never use cheap unstable oils… I hate cheap oils that go rancid fast and cause oxidative stress on the skin. The beauty industry if full of them and many are found in the natural brands unfortunately.

What do women need to be aware of when choosing their cosmetics? What do we need to look out for when buying organic make-up to ensure that we get “the real thing’?

That is hard because unless you know the origin and processing practice of every ingredient you won't be able to find out. You have to literally find a brand that explains their ingredients (from origin, growing practices to processing), whom you know is trustworthy and has a great reputation for what they are doing. RMS Beauty fits that bill. It helps tremendously to start reading ingredient decks on the BACK of products and looking up some of these ingredients on a site called Cosmetic Database. They have done major testing on ingredients and list the toxicity levels of these ingredients making it easier to make wiser decisions when purchasing products. Tongue twisting words and that are hardly pronounceable are a red flag and most likely is a chemical.

Which one of RMS beauty products you would recommend as a first buy and why?

I would definitely suggest the Living Luminizer. It is an ultra-sheer, glowing luminizer with a satin-pearl finish that magically highlights the skin. This product is very unique to the beauty business and has become a celebrity favourite on both the red carpet and in the magazines. Its light-reflective, dewy glow cannot be compared and is the ultimate touch to add a youthful sheen to the skin. You will be instantly hooked when you hear how many people tell you how great your skin looks when using this product.

You are very particular about ingredients used in RMS beauty line. What about diet? Do you believe that “we are what we eat”?

Every woman needs to be more aware of not just what they put on their skin, but also what they put in their bodies. Your skin is a “mirror to your gut” so whatever is being put into the body is reflected in the skin.

Eat healthy and wisely, and don't ever underestimate the power of clean water, organic fruits and vegetables. Living a healthy life is what gives us beautiful, healthy and glowing skin. Makeup should enhance that beauty, not used to cover it up.

Raw, nutrient rich foods, probiotics, digestive enzymes, exercise and sleep all contribute to keeping the skin healthy and youthful and I try to live by that every day.

Avoid artificial sweeteners, sugar and soda pop like the plague.

What are your thoughts on beauty injections and dermatological treatments? What would you suggest to women who choose or need to have them as a follow-up remedy?

If people decide to do any skin procedures or peals etc. I have one life giving product for their healing process after... The RMS Beauty Oil.

And before you go... Are there any other (RMS) beauty tips you could share with us?

My beauty mantra is…… less is more.

Just as important as applying makeup it is also just as important taking it off as night. RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream beats anything out there and will remove every bit of makeup without wreaking havoc on your skin and lashes.

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