Having proven the efficacy of Australian botanical skincare to improve problem skin, Adjunct Associate Professor Elissa O’Keefe is taking her Science Skincare products to the world, recently winning a 2023 ACT Chief Minister’s Export Award.
What inspired you to start this business?
This is the culmination of a lifetime’s work searching for solutions for problem skin. I was on a mission from the age of 12 to find a solution for acne. It became clear to me that the combination of powerful Australian botanicals and clinically proven active ingredients were what was needed for strengthening the skin barrier for healthy skin.
What tactics have you found most effective for networking?
Don’t talk about yourself. Other people are far more interesting and it’s your job to help them achieve their goals, not theirs to help you. Send it out, and it will come back to you in spades.
Can you share some resources that have had a significant impact on your business?
We have had the good fortune of having amazing support from Austrade’s Tradestart advisors and the wider team in our foray into export. Last month we won the ACT Chief Minister’s Export Award for being the most promising exporter. Our involvement with them has allowed me to bond with some other incredible women with exactly the same challenges that I have. Their support and understanding of my journey has been humbling and uplifting.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in business?
I worked with a consultant earlier in the year who told me to “take a seat little lady” before he introduced me to a very important potential business colleague. I fired him at my first opportunity as it wasn’t the first time he’d shown misogynistic tendencies. It’s 2023!
What advice do you have for women looking to advance their careers in your industry?
You need a lot of energy. You will have sleepless nights, but at least it’s quiet then and you can do some uninterrupted thinking, planning and some gratitude exercises. This is a very crowded industry and cutting through the noise near impossible. Know your place in it and your worth.
How do you stay up to date with developments in your industry?
I’m the biggest nerd. I read clinical papers and text books for fun. I’m a ravenous reader and have subscribed to a set of very specific resources that I read religiously. Also love a good conference.
What are some important qualities women require to excel in their careers?
Resilience, resilience, resilience.
What are your thoughts on mentorship?
We all need mentors and we need different ones at different junctures. I love being a mentor and have taken on that role for many young women in my career. My favourite mentor was Emeritus Professor Glenn Gardner who once described me as a “jewel in a crown” and I’ve never forgotten that.
How do you approach goal setting to achieve long-term success?
I’m just trying to wring the daylights out of the opportunities I have every day. I say yes to lots of seemingly impossible goals, but am equally good at saying no to those that don’t serve my best interests and higher self.
What do you see as the most significant opportunities in your industry?
Putting high quality cosmeceuticals into the hands of everyday people. They understand science and research-backed results. The power is in the consumer’s hands.
What are your thoughts on the importance of workplace culture?
Your culture is a reflection of your personal values so nail down what they are early and stick to them. They will keep you on the right path and those who don’t resonate with them will exit your life gracefully.
Are there any challenges you are addressing in your industry?
Recyclable packaging and the ethical use of all other resources is consuming me. No matter which way you look at it, you can’t have everything you want in that space because of the restrictions in technology, government decisions, consumer behaviour and costs. I try to make the best decisions possible with what I have available.
How does your business contribute to your local community?
I am an ACT Waterwatch volunteer and love doing scientific testing at Stranger Pond every month. I feel personally responsible for the health of the water and the birds and animals that make it their home.
Science Skincare are proud supporters of Bush Heritage Australia, a leading not-for-profit conservation organisation that protects ecosystems and wildlife across the continent. They use the best science, conservation and right-way knowledge to deliver landscape-scale impact.
Contact details
To find out more, visit scienceskincare.com.au or contact Elissa O’Keefe via [email protected] or 1300 001 809.
