Behind the Brand: Emilie Heathe's Clean and Sustainable Beauty Products Feature Nourishing Ingredients
Emilie Heathe is a clean beauty brand founded by makeup artist Emily H. Rudman. The collection features chic packaging and gorgeous colors with products including premium nail polishes, seductive scents, and a gentle exfoliating lip scrub. The clean ingredients in Emilie Heathe’s products are inspired by Rudman’s Asian heritage and selected for their rich nutrient benefits.
This cruelty-free beauty company takes a holistic approach to their products, making sustainability a priority. Nail polish bottles are made of up to 50% post-consumer recycled glass and boxes feature recycled paper and board. We caught up with Rudman to learn about the Emilie Heathe collection and the story behind the brand.
Emilie Heathe Founder and CEO Emily H. Rudman
Can you share a little about your background in the beauty industry?
I was a self-taught makeup artist for many years, taking my love of comic book drawing and art mediums like graphite and gouache and using those skills to live canvases. Eventually, when I wanted to break into the beauty industry and applied at MAC as a makeup artist, they told me about this amazing makeup school, the Makeup Designory.
I ended up taking their beauty and Special FX makeup course and got a job working as a makeup artist for MAC. I also became a consultant for Avon Products in Global Product development. My ultimate goal had always been to create my own brand, so I stopped working at both companies to focus on studying for the GMAT and applying to business school. I also got my cosmetology education and license at Arrojo Cosmetology. During and after business school, I worked for Bobbi Brown, Brigeo,and Luxury Start Up.
What inspired you to launch Emilie Heathe?
I don't think I have single inspiration for creating my brand, but one that is most prominent for me, especially now as a mom of a mixed-race child and as an adopted Korean American, is the idea of a diverse lifestyle. And I mean that across all things, whether that be showing inclusive faces, blurring boundaries, or being a chameleon.
As an entrepreneur you kind of have to be able to adapt to anything and any place. I also have diverse interests. I love my sweats (especially now) but I also love getting dressed up and going somewhere fancy. I love dancing into the wee hours of the night at a party in Brooklyn with my friends who are DJs, but also staying in at home and cozying up with my family and getting to bed before 10.
Is there a signature product you are known for and do you have a favorite product from your collection?
It's hard to choose. I am sure a lot of people say that but for EMILIE HEATHE I wanted each product to really be made with intention and to only launch a product because I really felt like there was a need in the marketplace or a point of difference. When I was coming up in the industry, there were not nearly as many brands nor the direct access we have today.
To be honest, I feel overwhelmed sometimes with all the choices, it's hard to focus. I always wanted my brand to have carefully crafted and selected products that you would want to add to your routine as staples and then by all means, buy all the other brands you want too! I'm a product junkie so my belief is there is room for all of us.
Emilie Heathe nail polish in Emma
Right now, I have to say our nail polish is our hero product. It took about three years to develop from brand design to production. Once you have a design, it's not just as simple as ok, now go and make it. We had to go to numerous manufacturers and kept hearing "no" that they could not engineer/manufacture the specific design we wanted. We finally found an amazing partner based in Japan who said yes and then another year of back and forth refining all the technical aspects of the design to make it as best we could. I am currently loving our new launch, the Voulez-Vous collection and would have to say my favorite color is Emma, a beautiful periwinkle shade with just a hint of shimmer. We like to say it's a bit precocious, just like my daughter which it is named after.
Any nail or makeup tips you recommend?
Oh wow. So many!
Check out my IG @emilyheathnyc for beauty tips but in general. I would say less is more and practice, practice, practice. I was not always good at putting liquid eyeliner on, but now I am a pro because I practiced. And it's ok to mess up. I've been on set plenty of times and worked on a look and was then said to myself that was not good. It's ok. You just have to try! You don't have to be perfect. And this is coming from a virgo! It's something I have to remind myself of every day.
Is there anything you want people to know about the ingredients in your products?
Absolutely! We are super careful about the ingredients we select and the manufacturers we work with. My background is in product development, but I also have an amazing team. Shout out to Zhuo'er Wang and Jessaline Orlansky. We also consult chemists as well. We have an extensive no list and watch list for ingredients that is tailored for every product we make. We also do tons of research during development and consult with sites like EWG and others. However, there are still so many unknowns about ingredients which is why then we bring in chemists or others to help us develop.
At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we offer the most effective product with the cleanest ingredients. And by "clean" we mean the minimal amount of ingredients needed; ingredients that help nourish your skin and nails, high quality versions of ingredients, and sensitizing, meaning they do not cause irritation. We also do our part to make sure our ingredients are ethically sourced. And lastly, we add ingredients that are active, meaning they actually are doing what they are supposed to. Much of the time you will see call outs for ingredients and while the ingredients may be in there it is not in there at active or effective levels or in a form that is effective.
What steps does your brand take towards being sustainably conscious?
I like to call us eco-conscientious. We have a strong focus on sustainability but what is more important is our overall impact on the planet. Sometimes sustainable materials can lead to more waste or byproduct. Sometimes things that are vegan-made are more harmful for the planet. We like to look at our footprint holistically. That is why we are part of 1% for the Planet, which means we commit 1% of sales annually to environmental causes. We also use FSC paper, recycled board, and post-consumer recycled-materials when possible. And we are huge fans of upcycling. All of our packages are meant to be used and reused as much as possible. In my personal life, I am huge fan of brands like Clean Cult and Seed and every package I ever get I keep the boxes and reuse any and all stuffing.
Does Emilie Heathe work with any non-profits to give back and can you share a little about that?
As mentioned we are 1% for the Planet members. We also began donating 20% of sales to the GLAM4GOOD foundation at the start of Covid. And along with their founder Mary-Alice Stephenson, we just launched a manicure set and are donating a portion of proceeds to their cause.
When I started the brand, I wanted to start supporting a cause that was important and personal to me, so from the start we have donated and supported Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter in the city. I have held adoption events with them and 10% of sales of our Vegan PU Vanity Box is donated to their cause. In addition, we make donations to social causes that are important to us in an unofficial capacity but those include, The Trevor Project, Black Lives Matter, John Jay, the SPLC, the Innocence Project and others.
Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer/editor. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram: @zillizy