For Elemis cofounder Noella Gabriel, the journey all started with breathing.
During the annual WWD x FN x Beauty Inc Women in Power event, Gabriel joined Beauty Inc editor in chief Jenny B. Fine in a conversation about her career trajectory, tapping into wellness before it was cool, the importance of skin health and building a lasting, impactful brand.
Growing up, Gabriel was on track to have a career as a professional singer. However, after losing both of her parents suddenly at the age of 20, she was forced to pivot. In looking for the next step, Gabriel always came back to the concept of breathing, something ingrained in her from her musical training.
“It was a very interesting journey, that whole classical singing journey, because when you learn to sing, the first 18 months is all about breathing,” Gabriel said. “They believe that the breath sings a voice. They believe [you need to] get out of the way of the breath and let it flow and let your body soften and let magic happen….There was a curiosity around that subject that had never left to this day. It’s no accident that every Elemis treatment starts with abdominal breathing.”
Prior to Elemis, Gabriel, after pivoting from her singing career, started her first venture in the wellness world alongside her sister. It was a health food shop, way ahead of its time, called Acorn. From there, Gabriel was always learning, training in nutrition, skin care and aromatherapy, which ultimately led her to run the beauty department at Harvey Nichols. While her career was thriving, Gabriel, one fateful Thursday evening, took a phone call from an investor that led to her taking a pay cut to get involved in a small venture now known as the iconic beauty brand Elemis.
“It wasn’t about the money,” she said. “It was about finding something that I could put all of that skill set into and lead in that creative space.”
At the time, Gabriel was also introduced to the many benefits of essential oils for aches, pains, stress, detoxification and more. This concept, then novel but now popular within the wellness world, inspired the initial mission for Elemis.
“For me, that was the beginning of starting, just planting the seed of doing skincare very differently,” Gabriel said. “This is going to be a lifestyle brand that we’re really going to listen. We want to listen to you as a brand. We want to spend time with you, engage with you.”
She continued: “We launched a big concept, and we were very bold. [Some] may say we were naive and we were young, but for me, a lifestyle brand means that I believe every one of you, and this is scary, your skin today reflects the choices you made yesterday…but if you engage with us as a brand today, I can help you change your skin tomorrow.”
Over the years, Elemis has gained viral status for many of its products, most notably its Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, $72. Gabriel attributes much of the brand’s success to her alignment with her cofounders.
“We have one common denominator across all three of us,” she said. “There is zero compromise. Whatever we’re doing, it’s zero compromise. If we’re innovating, we’re innovating the best.”