Olivia Wilde Wants You to Practice Safe Skincare
Olivia Wilde wants you to clean up your act—at least, where the toxic ingredients in your skincare products are involved. As of this week, the star's latest role is the chief brand activist for True Botanicals, a skin and bodycare range that merges all-natural ingredients with science, and the partnership came together just as organically as the brand's gentle formulas. Her love affair with True Botanicals' products started years ago, with the Pure Radiance Oil ($110; truebotanicals.com) being her gateway product, during her search for non-toxic skincare that actually delivered.
The stars aligned following a meeting with founders Hillary Peterson and Christine Mace-Turner, and Wilde officially came onboard with the mission of spreading the brand's word on the importance of safe ingredients. She was certainly up to the task. After all, she's been marching on Washington since the age of 8.
"It's my favorite role and title, other than mom, and as an activist, my job is to be as well-informed as possible, speak up, share the brand's story, but also to demand regulation and that companies understand standards for natural products are rising," she tells InStyle. "We don't have to use toxic materials to feel good or look good, and it's not a sacrifice we have to make to get the skin we want."
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Wilde took an immediate interest in the quality of ingredients used in True Botanicals' formulas, and the more she learned, the harder it was for her to slip back into her old ways. "Even down to the packaging—I thought the dark glass bottles made the products look nice, but it actually keeps light from breaking down the structure of the formula, and glass is the most sustainable material," she says. "Once you learn that, you can't unlearn it! I can't buy plastic anymore, and it really changed my standards."
In her role, plans to do more than just be the famous face of the brand. She'll be traveling to meet many of the ingredient suppliers, putting her storytelling skills to work in vocalizing the non-toxic mission, and possibly even directing a few projects for the brand. Wilde also hopes to drive the point home to other companies and demand regulation of harmful ingredients. "I want to encourage people to self-regulate, because we have to and the government isn't doing it for us, unfortunately. In the E.U. they banned more than 1,300 ingredients from being used in products, whereas in the U.S., it's less than 20," she adds. "People assume that what they see on a shelf is regulated and safe, but that isn't always the case, and it should be. Until it is, it's important to be informed. Activism is just sort of about keeping your eyes open, educating yourself, speaking up, being loud, and getting people to listen."
Fight the good fight, Olivia.
