Introducing Bru and Veneita from Telopia Skincare. Where every item is handmade!! From their serene setting in NSW, they set out to re-define skincare, stripping back the noise to focus on what truly matters, pure simple rituals that promote a sense of well-being.
Find out why Bru and Veneita started creating and why they are so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
At Telopia Skincare we create really beautiful, natural hand crafted skincare. Our commitment is to both healthy skin biology and being more conscious about our environment. We've learned that the fundamental needs for skin remain universal: hydration, antioxidant protection, and barrier repair.
Skin is skin, regardless of gender.
As we stripped away the fillers and focused on actual skin biology, we realised that being waterless wasn't just better for the face, it was also a massive win for our Planet. Our love for all things Australian is showcased in the skin benefits and natural scents of some amazing native elements from our land and sea. We managed to keep the skincare ritual minimal with just two products, without cluttering bathroom shelves.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
As two lifelong school friends, we found ourselves constantly whinging about all the 'crap' hidden in skincare products. Combining Veneita's 20 years of industry insight with our shared passion, the dream of our own brand finally felt real. We wanted clean, uncomplicated skincare. No noise, no nonsense.
We researched for 4 years attending trade events in Australia and overseas, and working closely with an Australian skincare developer that had knowledge of our native ingredients and their benefits. To get things just right, we handed our early batches over to the people we trusted most - our friends and family. They lived with the products, tested them on all different skin types, and gave us the honest feedback we needed to tweak everything into the formulas you see today.
Early on, we were steered toward the men's grooming space, but for a while, that path felt a little lost. The real turning point came last year when we followed our gut and brought the brand back to its roots: inclusive, universal skincare. Everything finally feels back in alignment. Exactly as it was meant to be.
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
Honestly, it came down to listening to real people for two decades. We kept hearing the same frustrations with mass made products, which drove us to look for a cleaner way of doing things. Our website quotes David Attenborough - "It's surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth."
This is a driving force ensuring we consider our impact on the planet in everything we do. For 10 years we have been bringing our ideas to fruition, pushing our ethos and message, stumbling along the way. Then last year it was exciting to hear the term "skinimalism" (skincare + minimal) which is now a global movement (see our blog). It's a great feeling to know that our values all those years ago were in alignment with others around the world. This gives us so much encouragement to keep going.
Where did you learn your craft?
Our craft has been a long, hands-on apprenticeship in listening and learning. It's a blend of two worlds: Veneita's twenty years of industry insight and our time spent with an Australian Skincare developer who opened our eyes to the true science of formulation. We also went back to the source, researching the traditional use of land and sea elements within Aboriginal culture. Learning how these botanicals and oils have been used for thousands of years gave us a deeper respect for what our local landscape can actually do.
But the final part of our 'schooling' happened in the real world. We spent years handing out early batches to our friends and family, asking them to be brutally honest. Their feedback on how the products felt on different skin types is what truly shaped the final formulas.
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
Handmade artistry is at the heart of how we connect. It brings out the passion in the artisan and the joy from those who admire it and experience it. It feels more important now than ever to pass these skills and values on to the younger generation and to show them the fulfillment that comes from creating something tangible.
That's exactly why we joined Madeit.com.au. We wanted to be part of a community that shares our mission to keep the spirit of handmade alive, ensuring that craftsmanship continues to be valued and celebrated. Handmade not mass made.
Bru and Veneita are much loved members of the MadeIt Collective, posting regularly in our Facebook Group ~ MadeIt: Handmade not Massmade Australia ~ and sharing their new creations as they are released. If you haven't connected with Telopia Skincare make sure you join our FB Group and say hi !
