NATIVE CONTENT

In conversation with Janet Hayward, the ex-journalist founder of Ipsum – a luxury organic skincare brand introducing Australian botanicals to the world's finest spas.

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Signature: What prompted you to leave media behind, switch careers and establish a skincare brand like Ipsum?

Janet Hayward: I never imagined I'd end up doing this. I'm not a chemist, but after years of writing about beauty and wellness, I became fascinated by Australian native ingredients – not just for their topical benefits, but for how they affect the limbic system and parasympathetic nervous system. There's growing awareness around the vagus nerve and how chronic stress leads to inflammation. I wanted to understand how these ingredients work physiologically, not just how they make you feel.

Your packaging and branding feel very gender-neutral. Was that intentional?

It reflects my own style, I’m not very girly. I wanted the product to be the hero, not the packaging. Black and white is clean and unobtrusive. We use Miron violet glass, which looks black but has a violet hue and helps preserve the oils. The logo reminded me of Babar the Elephant