By now you no doubt know that collagen is a key ingredient for a glowing, radiant complexion, and while the market might seem filled with brands to choose from, arguably none are as captivating as PEARL by Par Olive. Founded by Olivia Boyd-Smith, the collagen brand has become an ingestible beauty hero (including amongst the Her Black Book office), for not only its real, evident results but for the brand’s commitment to clinical efficacy, sustainability, and traceability. Every formula is developed by a leading Australian Dermatologist, with each ingredient coming in active naturopathic dosages. Not to mention, the brand’s packaging is all recyclable and carbon-negative, with $1 from every sale donated to the Australian Marine Conservation Society. As part of HER BLACK BOOK’s Festival of Her, a shopping event to support female-founded businesses, Boyd-Smith shares some insight into her business journey so far.
The Right Idea
“PEARL was specifically born through need — when I couldn’t find a product to match my level of purity of efficacy, I created it with a leading Australian Dermatologist and Dietician. There is no doubting the science behind collagen supplementation and its incredible benefits for skin, hair, nail and gut health, however, I became alarmed about the sourcing of collagen, and also the traceability. When I looked into it, most collagen brands will never state where their collagen comes from, as it comes from a variety of different countries (no traceability) and most collagen on the market is from farmed cattle and fish — meaning you’re ingesting harmful antibiotics and microplastics from those animals. I wouldn’t consume a piece of fish or steak without knowing whether it came from Brazil, China or France, so I couldn’t understand why there was such a disconnect with a collagen supplement you are consuming every single day.
“After uncovering this, I also saw how collagen supplements were adding maltodextrin (a cheap corn filler) and different sweeteners. Whilst I don’t consume wild-caught fish 100% of the time, I try to eat the highest quality food when I can. For me, if you are taking a supplement every single day, it is so important that you have the highest quality ingredients, so that is why I created PEARL. I wanted a product with clinically backed efficacy, active naturopathic dosages of each ingredient, no fillers or flavourings and sustainability at the forefront.
“My mission was to bring to life Ingestible beauty supplements that have clinical efficacy, traceability and sustainability at the forefront. In just 18 months, I am proud to say we achieved this. I have been blown away by the community results and feedback. This is just the beginning and I'm so excited to be growing a business mindfully.”
Words of Wisdom
"Just do it!"
“I spent two years wondering if I could do it, two years in Research and Development and then finally took the plunge in September 2020. No one knows your business more than you, do the research, do the work and believe in yourself.”
The Rewards
“At so many points in the development phase of PEARL, I was encouraged to select cheaper ingredients that would really improve our profit margins, but they contained ingredients like maltodextrin (corn thickener) and collagen with no traceability (meaning very little quality control). Now, because I stood my ground by sourcing the highest quality ingredients, our community results speak for themselves. We have a repurchase rate of 73%, because people are actually seeing real results, so that makes me proud. The ingestible beauty space is so convoluted, so I feel really passionate about driving real results with the highest quality formulas.”
The Sacrifices
“Many! Currently 18 months in, I’ve definitely missed a lot of social time with friends, my partner and my family, and struggle to turn off at the end of the day/ weekends (yes, that is often me replying to your customer service questions on Saturday morning at 6am)."
"It's definitely not glamorous, but I am so motivated by the results of our PEARL community and I always want everyone to feel supported and valued."
Go-To Work Uniform
“A pair of black Totême jeans, a Uniqlo U white T-shirt, A-EMERY sandals from The Undone and Loewe basket bag that fits my laptop and 1L water bottle.”
What Makes You Successful...
“Optimism. My father and my partner’s father have both taught me that if you are optimistic, and have confidence in yourself, you can overcome any obstacles in business. When a problem arises, I aim to work on the solution and move forward as quickly as possible.”
