YNNY luxury, essential oil based skincare
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YNNY is a luxury skin and haircare range based purely around naturally sourced essential oils born from personal skin struggles. The inspiring founder, Georgina Tang’s son was diagnosed with rare juvenile idiopathic arthritis and post chemo debilitating bleeding skin that even dermatologists could not cure. Creating her own waterless formulas that cured her son’s psoriasis and her own hormonal induced lines and volume loss, YNNY is now an award-winning luxury range. I spoke to Georgina Tang a few years ago about her hero product, the Elixir Serum, clients have named ‘natural botox in a bottle,’ I caught up with her about her new sought after skincare products and brand developments.
When Georgina Tang founded YNNY back in 2014 she was so far ahead of her time in creating a white label brand that put transparency and high quality, natural, vegan ingredients at the forefront. Note: all ingredients are listed on labels and the website and tested for allergies (ass her son’s skin will always be the litmus test for new products) ‘90% of people start with chemical based products and add in a very small amount of high quality ingredient because it’s cheaper – I reversed that because my starting point was what would work for my son’s severe skin condition – I use the best oils and they are all traceable back to their roots, whether it be rose otto fields in Bulgaria or wherever.’
Back when I discovered YNNY, the Elixir floral waters were my way into the brand – as someone with a filmmaker friend who had gone to document the Bulgarian rose harvests and pickers, I was discerning about how mainstream brands in the West were co-opting rose otto through synthetics and fillers. Georgina’s approach working directly with suppliers and sources was impressive for an independent brand where others were trying to cut costs – she has implemented the same process with French lavender essential oil sourced in Provence and Lemongrass from Thailand and Vietnam.
As a sensitive skin sufferer who experiences outbreaks of eczema, psoriasis and even now roseacea (with age) during stressful times and extreme heat (I have it now from the heatwave and intense UV in London), I know I can trust Georgina to make products with authenticity and efficacy. I remark how post Covid people are suffering more from damaged skin barrier and broken capillaries; she affirms, ‘Many clients came to me as the last resort after tried out many expensive products that didn’t resolve their skin or hair problems.’
I have been using two hero products recently her Foaming Cleansers and multi award winning Elixir Serum. I find that facial cleansers fall into two categories either two cloggy in texture and sits on the surface or not deep cleansing enough. Mixed with water for a nourishing lather, the foaming facial wash is deep cleansing with soothing properties of lavender essential oil. I start off my routine morning and evening before layering on the Elixir Anti-aging and skin rejuvenating Bioactive Oil serum – it’s been described as ‘botox in a bottle’ for good reason. Initially I was slightly sceptical that a 100% natural oil filled with bioactive goodness; jojoba oil, fractionated coconut oil, evening primrose oil, rosehip oil, Camellia oil, Vit E oil, sea buckthorn oil and GLA rich oils could have such profound efficacy. However, it’s now my go-to serum, instead of a harsh retinol product, because it really does completely soften lines, wrinkles whilst hydrating the skin in a light texture. After such demand, Georgina even created a scented version, Elixir Floral in 2024.
There are new additions to the YNNY curated range: The Enhanced Collagen Booster with Hyaluronic acid awarded by Heather Mills and The Lactic Acid Exfoliator. ‘I created the Enhanced Collagen Booster for myself as I began to notice my hormonal skin sagging and relaxed muscles on my face,’ she continues, ‘I also had lots of requests from white label clients for a hyaluronic acid serum as well as a vitamin C serum too. Therefore, I decided to make a serum with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B3 plus lots of antioxidants ingredients such as L-arginine which is a protein like a peptide. So, it became a fuss free 3-in-1 serum as I am always considering my customers and ways to make skincare easier for them.’ Other goodness in the Enhanced Collagen Booster includes antioxidants, aloe vera juice, green tea extract and the rare ingredient, L-arginine. Georgina explains, ‘L-arginine helps your body fight oxidative stress by serving as the building block for nitric oxide and by triggering natural cellular defence pathways that lower harmful free radicals. L-arginine is not a commonly used ingredient but it’s a beneficial one as it is one of the best for adjusting PH levels for natural alignment with the skin’s microbiome.’
The Lactic Acid Exfoliator is designed to be used daily as it only contains a low level of lactic acid for glowy silky skin: I mention that lactic acid is such an efficacious ingredient but rarely used in mainstream skin brands, ‘There are three main forms of acids and one form is called the Alpha Hydroxy Acids. The most common acid used in the beauty industry is glycolic acid which penetrates fast and deep exfoliation, however if not used correctly it could damage the skin and leave skin dry. Lactic acid is gentler that hydrates while it exfoliates without stripping the natural oil, so this ingredient is suitable for people with sensitive skin and home use,’ explains Georgina. The vegan haircare ranges featuring the plant based phytokeratin are also flying off the shelves with YNNY now amassing 20 awards.
What is next for YNNY?
‘I am considering creating a natural SPF product as requested by many customers and maybe a retinol product,’ she adds, ‘However, my main concern is to expand my business to help more people to regain their confidence by transforming their skin and hair.’