How a brain tumor forced me to rethink my beauty routine
Imagery: Courtesy of Indie Lee // @indie_lee
Words: Sarah Tarca // @tarca
Indie Lee, Founder of Indie Lee skincare
What would you do if you were given six months to live? Go into hiding? Go skydiving? Or start brainstorming a better life, and in that, plant the seeds for the company you would build when you recovered. If the latter sounds like some kind of farfetched movie idea, you’re not wrong. Yet this is the approach that Indie Lee, Founder and CEO of her eponymous skincare line, Indie Lee, took after being diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2008. “I didn't understand - I had been living a healthy life,” she says. “In fact, at the time I was growing edible flowers in the greenhouse in my backyard and selling them to Whole Foods. I was eating healthily, exercising, and there was no history of similar diagnoses in my family. In one of my appointments, my doctor asked me the life changing question: ‘What do you put on your skin?’ That was my awakening.”
Now, in 2019 both Indie, and her clean beauty brand, Indie Lee (which is stocked in Sephora in Oz) are alive, thriving, and here to tell their one-in-a-million tale. We sat down with Indie to talk about her own Wayward journey, what life looks like after such an epic awakening, and how to make sure you’re not a passenger in your own life.
What happened after you were diasgnosed with the brain tumor?
The day I was diagnosed was life-changing. It was right after I had received the MRI results and was on my way to my doctor’s office to review them. On that drive, I realized that I had been going through the motions for years, planning my life away but not actually living it. I was a passenger in my own life. It was on that brief but significant drive that I realized that this gift of life is not a dress rehearsal and that I need to live vibrantly every day. I promised myself from that moment on that each day would count. With whatever time I had left, I would live with purpose, with passion and be fully present in every moment.
When the doctor asked you that life-changing question – what do you put on your skin – what did you do?
I started researching the ingredients found in my go-to products and to say I was mortified would be an understatement. Toxin after toxin was presesnt – and even worse – very little regulation. I was floored. How did more people not know what was in their products? How did I not know? The more I researched, the more I learned about the potential links between harmful ingredients and things like autoimmune disease, medical anomalies and cancer.
What exactly were you putting on your skin at the time?
The truth is I had no idea what I was putting on my skin before my diagnosis. I was always conscious of what I put into my body - I ate organic and grew produce in my own greenhouse! Despite being fully aware of the impact of the ingredients I chose to put into my body, the impact of what I put on my body had never even crossed my mind.
I was a lotions and potions girl. If a new serum had an innovative applicator, I was the first in line. If that legendary fashion designer was launching a new mascara, I was on the waitlist. And all of this was happening long before the wellness movement we’re experiencing today.
“Despite being fully aware of the impact of the ingredients I chose to put into my body, the impact of what I put on my body had never even crossed my mind.”
what did you do your beauty cupboard post-diagnosis?
While I was looking for doctors to give me a different diagnosis and prognosis, I started to toss out all of my personal care, makeup and skincare products, and I started from scratch. I learned how to read labels and make educated decisions on what I felt comfortable using and purchasing for my family. I was always a clean eater so while there wasn’t a ton of changes to make on that front, I did continue to stay disciplined about it.
most people would not start dreaming of business ideas after a diagnosis like this… But you did. Why?
My diagnosis was and definitely remains the core inspiration behind this brand. I didn’t want another person to say goodbye to their children like I potentially would have to. Educating and empowering others became a mission for me and giving up - on myself or on that mission - wasn’t an option.
After my awakening, I knew I had found my purpose; I knew if I survived the surgery (which the odds were against), my legacy would be to create change and empower others to live their healthiest life. And I’m still here, so I truly believe I survived for a reason.
Being the type A personality that I am, I was already starting the business leading up to surgery, so when I woke up, we literally turned the website on a month later, and the rest is history. I haven't stopped since...and here we are 10 years later!
Knowing what you know now, what would you never put on your skin?
This is really an area that I’m passionate about and trying to bring awareness to. We have an entire section on our website dedicated to ingredients we won’t formulate with and why. You’ll see the usual suspects on there like parabens, sulfates, and others, as well as some more unassuming ones. We provide this to stay true to our mission of education and empowerment.
What are the main ingredients you work with in your line?
With every product, we carefully select the ingredients with intention - each one has a purpose. We source the finest ingredients from our mountains, fields, and oceans, without harming animals in the process and we work with like-minded chemists and formulators to bring clean, efficacious products to market. We use botanically-derived ingredients, many tried and true. One of my absolute favorites is squalane. Our bodies naturally produce squalene (unhydrogenated squalane) in abundance until about our mid-twenties. It’s a wonder ingredient - it hydrates, helps balance excess sebum and oil production, and leaves the skin with a beautiful glow. We use a couple of different sources but all botanically-derived. The squalane in our Squalane Facial Oil is 100% pure olive-derived squalane. We use sugar cane-derived squalane in our Daily Vitamin Infusion and Daily Skin Nutrition. Both are excellent sources.
What do you say to skeptics who believe that natural products are’nt as effective as synthetic chemicals?
There is absolutely no reason why clean products can’t be as effective if not more than conventional products on the market. It may be a more rigorous process in terms of getting the product to market, but that’s what we’re committed to and we don’t cut corners. We work with the world’s leading chemists to marry nature with science to create high-performance skincare. Clean beauty is not a fad or a trend, it’s the new standard.
you’re incredibly passionate about creating change. how do you do that with indie lee?
My mission was and still is to help consumers be the most empowered versions of themselves. It guides everything we do, starting with our internal team to our outward communication. This brand is all about empowerment, education and healthy living; creating a community of like-minded individuals on the same journey of change.
And finally… what are your favourite products?
It’s so hard to pick just one! However, right now, my favorite product is our new I-Recover Mind & Body Gel. It’s one of two products that signify our entry into wellness, as well as my personal recovery story from brain surgery - mind, body, and soul. This gel is a wellness game changer. It’s packed with Arnica, Black Pepper, Lavender, Patchouli, Eucalyptus, and Menthol. It provides an amazing warm-cool sensation, making it great for everything from sore and achy muscles to aromatherapeutic uses. For me personally, it’s also provided a ton of comfort when I experience a Rheumatoid Arthritis flare-up. I was actually diagnosed with R.A. six months before the brain tumor (which I don’t think is a coincidence). The thermogenic properties of the Mind + Body Gel are so soothing and really help ease the discomfort.
To CHeck out the full range of indie lee products, including this brand-new-to-oz products below (the overnight facial oil is the crowd favourite here at the wayward) head to sephora.com.au
