May 21, 2020
Meet the Maker: Rachael Finch, Co-Founder of KYND scent
Get to know the story – and the woman – behind Australia’s newest natural personal scent brand, KYND Scent.
You’ve no doubt heard of Rachael Finch, and you definitely would have seen her face. The former Miss Australia, model and media personality has been gracing our screens for the better part of the decade, and has also created a fitness platform (and app) Body by Finch, as well as finding time to become a mum of two. But, she’s not stopping there. At the end of last year, along with Co-Founder Emily, she launched the natural personal scent range, KYND Scent. The boutique line of beautiful, premium, Australian-made scents are all 100% natural and free from toxins. Here, we chat with Rachael about transparency, learning Russian and living a tox-free life.
Tell us about the KYND story
KYND came about so unexpectedly but also so naturally! I personally hadn’t been using conventional perfume for years and neither had KYND Co-Founder Emily. We got chatting and suddenly we were launching a business! We figured if we were looking for a great natural personal scent, others would be too, so we set our sights on creating a beautiful option for women who, like us, didn’t want to put chemicals on their skin. We launched KYND Scent in October, 2019 and it’s been a wild ride since!
How is KYND different to other natural personal scents in the market?
It was important to us to really be what we say we are. There are a lot of grey areas in the fragrance industry and there are some companies who mislead their consumers into thinking a product is more ‘natural’ than it actually is. We decided on full transparency from the get-go with a full ingredient list on the back of every box (which is not required for fragrances in Australia) and ensuring our marketing, along with our products is both honest and accurate.
As the natural market is largely unregulated in Australia, how can consumers educate themselves on what to look for when choosing a natural personal scent?
Our first tip is to buy from businesses that you trust. Secondly, look at the ingredients list. If it says ‘parfum’ or ‘fragrance’ there is no way to be certain what ingredients are really in it.
What do Kynd scents NOT have in them that other “natural” fragrances may have?
If you’re making the initial switch to go natural the top things to look out for are parabens, phthalates and synthetics – just stay clear. Navigating the ‘natural’ perfume world can be a little tricky too because some products aren’t always what they seem. Personally we created our perfumes to meet the European standards as they are much higher than Australian and US natural perfume standards. Again, make sure you trust the business, ask questions if you’re not sure, and the truth is that cost counts – if something seems rather cheap then do a little more digging to make sure it’s actually as natural as it claims to be.
Your products are made in Australia. Why was this important to you?
Because it meant we could completely see what was going on. We enlisted Jocelyn Fullerton, a fabulous Australian perfumer with over twenty years experience in the perfume industry to help us create KYND Scents. Jocelyn did two trips back and forth to France during the creation process to make sure we were using the very best techniques for creating a premium natural perfume. Of course the cost is always much higher when making a product here in Australia, but it just felt necessary and we don’t feel we could have achieved the same result any other way.
How did you decide what scents to launch with?
We wanted to have four completely different scents to hopefully have something for everyone! They’re all very unique and each is special in their own way.
Why is natural so important to you, personally?
Using natural and toxic free products has become incredibly important to me, especially as I got older and educated myself on the importance of living a tox-free life. Chemicals and toxins can have a huge effect on our body. What we put onto our skin is absorbed directly into our bloodstream and makes us who we are. The average woman unintentionally uses about 168 chemicals on her body before she even leaves the house. This is disrupting our hormonal patterns, the stress our body is under as well as cellular repair and turnover. So the less chemicals the better – and that means from our skincare to our perfume. The catalyst for me was when I was pregnant with my first child, Violet. I started to really dive deep into this topic and realised that whatever I put on my skin was going directly to my baby. That was a huge wake up call for me.
What scents do you love to work with the most?
I love the musky, warm scents. To me, they just express a sense of connection and that’s what I’m aiming for when I use essential oils – a connection between my mind, body and senses.
What is your favourite KYND scent?
Violet Kiss! It feels most like ‘me’.
Tell us a little about your initiative with Trees For The Future
It’s important to me to give back simply because I’m in a position where I can. I feel a huge responsibility to the Earth and to others. When we found out about Trees for the Future and their work we knew they were ‘the one’. It’s actually incredible just how much they are revolutionising regenerative agriculture in places that need it the most. They’re literally saving lives through planting trees and we are very inspired by the work they do.
The quick six… with Rachael Finch
One thing that would surprise people about me is...
I can barefoot water ski and I’m learning how to speak Russian!
To me, self-care is…
A necessary daily practice that helps us stay intune with our body and live to our full potential. It’s something I believe should be scheduled into our day like any other appointment. It’s a chance to nourish our soul and give back to our body.
I’m currently binge-watching...
All the seasons of Orange is the New Black! There is something so addictive about how diverse the characters are and obviously how unusual the setting is. I find it so intriguing to watch what prisons go through and the process of what happens inside.
My morning ritual looks like...
I wake at around 6am and if Dom is awake we’ll have a cuddle before I head downstairs to drink a huge glass of water with lemon. I’ll then take Simba (our dog) out for a walk in the fresh air to move my body before I stretch and meditate for 20 minutes. After that it’s onto kids breakfast, lunches and packing bags while I have a collagen coffee and my smoothie – then start the day!
My party trick is...
I can do the splits - but I don’t pull it out too often haha!
Keen to try one for yourself? Shop the complete range of Kynd Scents here
Follow Rachael and Kynd Scent on Insta @rachael_finch @kyndscent
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