How the pandemic broadened the scope for anti-pollution skin care

20 Apr 2021 ---  Pandemic lockdowns have led to significantly more time indoors, increasing our time on both mobile devices and laptops, and with that our exposure to digital light pollution. 

Zaga Colovic, founder of anti-pollution skin care FOM London, believes that this has been one of the biggest developments in recent years, with the focus broadening beyond the typical outdoor pollutants and environmental hazards that have traditionally defined the category. We spoke to Colovic to discover more about this latest development, as well as finding out more about the important role education plays in this area, how the category is likely to develop in the future, and how she sees FOM London evolving.

Click to EnlargeZaga Colovic, founder, FOM London

The pandemic gives anti-pollution skin care a boost

“Consumers are more interested in green lifestyle and plastic-free and are paying attention to the health of their skin. They are becoming more interested in the educational side of the problem and want to know how they can contribute as they want to become a part of the solution and be included,” explains Colovic. 

“During the pandemic we have been forced to spend a lot of time indoors in front of computers, tablets, smart phones and devices emitting so called blue light. Pollution is here to stay; we might control and mitigate it if we get together as a global community and we all need to be responsible, every one of us. Moving forward I would personally like to see more of the circular economy innovation and development for the skin care businesses.”

The FOM London story started back in 2013, when Colovic, who was then working as an environmental risk manager, started to understand more about the negative effects of pollution on the skin. 

Four years to get the formulation right

Over the next four years Colovic took the time to meticulously research and develop ANTOXSILK, a patented formulation technology derived from real silk, that has subsequently been incorporated into a brand portfolio that now includes more than a dozen products. After seeing people get sick from pollution, and even suffering the repercussions of pollution herself, she decided it was the right time to develop a skin care brand that would pledge to protect people from pollution, while also not being a part of the problem that causes environmental pollution to the planet. 

“This proprietary ANTOSILK technology complex helps you cope with daily pollution on skin as I wanted to give people the best chance of preventing skin dehydration and hyperpigmentation caused by the negative effects of pollution,” explains Colovic, who also states that the inspiration for the brand came from her love of nature and a desire to help protect it. 

Anti-pollution and green beauty are synonymous

Building on this philosophy, Colovic believes that the anti-pollution skin care and green beauty movements are synonymous with one another, and even more so now that consumers have a far greater awareness of the negative effects pollution has on both human skin and the health of the planet.

“We understand pollution. We understand skin health. Our objective has always been to formulate skin care products of the finest quality through plant-based and cosmetic laboratory ingredients that support personal health by strengthening the skin's natural barrier,” said Colovic. 

“We support and protect the health of the planet, clean air and water through plastic free, green lifestyle product choices. This has also been achieved through our anti pollution ANTIOXSILK, a technology complex that was developed in the UK.”

Click to EnlargeEducation has been key for the category

Anti-pollution skin care was unheard of just a few years ago, but through education and building up awareness, it is now firmly on consumers’ radars. Indeed,  the FOM London team has made this an integral part of its business, holding workshops to help people understand the impact of pollution on the skin, as well as having a dedicated area on the brand’s website specifically for education. 

“I remember just a few years ago people were not even aware of pollution and how big the problem was, let alone the mention of anti-pollution skin care,” said Colovic.

“We educate consumers on recycling/upcycling the bottles after they have used the product. We educate them on how to recycle. We educate them on how our products are made. We educate them on waste control policies through our manufacturing. To further encourage and raise the awareness we offer incentives. We also form partnerships with likeminded businesses to exchange knowledge and collaborate in order to help consumers understand pollution and to raise awareness.”

Consumers want skin care with defined health benefits

Colovic believes that the beauty industry has taken some big steps in recent years, specifically with consumers wanting products with defined health benefits, rather than “a serum that claims to iron out your wrinkles,” she says. In response to this FOM London has developed a more holistic approach that tackles the basic health of the skin, while also focusing on both cleanliness, and protection to help prevent specific skin conditions that are related to pollution.

“We have developed skin care regimens for evening and morning. Starting with a cleanser, this is the first step to remove pollutants from your skin,” Colovic explains. 

“Wearing a moisturizer and keeping skin hydrated is very important as our anti-pollution technology complex is in all of our formulations. All our products will help skin to cope with pollution so as the damage is minimized - and specifically I am talking about the dehydration, hyperpigmentation, blemishes and inflammation that are all caused by the negative effects of pollution.”

What does the future hold for FOM London?

Looking to the future, Colovic believes that awareness of skin pollution and the consumer shift towards skin health means that the future looks bright for anti-pollution skin care on a global basis. 

“I definitely see FOM London becoming a global brand and a leader in the field of anti-pollution as we are the first brand that is fully devoted to fighting pollution for both skin and the planet, thanks to  our patented formulation technology,”  said Colovic. 

“We have seen a huge interest in our products from foreign distributors around the globe and of course we would welcome likeminded partners to join us in the anti-pollution revolution and help us all breath clearer air and have cleaner water.”

By Simon Pitman, BPC Insights Senior Editor