First of all, can you give my readers a quick overview of the brand? 

For years, my co-founder and father, Dermatologist, Dr. Michael Freeman, had been compounding products for his loyal patients in his clinic on the Gold Coast, after struggling with the beauty industry’s tendency to fill skincare and cosmetics with a lot of negative or unnecessary ingredients for the skin. Fast forward to 2015, and ‘BLOC Beta’ was born. I was working with my father in-clinic, helping him craft a line that covered all bases, and targeted skin conditions or goals that his patient database wanted. After years of formula testing, patient feedback, and design, BLOC was publicly launched in 2018. 

BLOC’s commitment is to follow the science; ever-changing, improving and achieving positive results for our following. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background? 

My background is in marketing, PR and business consulting. I spent many years in the non-profit sector, working for RSPCA Queensland amongst others, before moving to focus on the family business. I now run a Medi Spa, BLOC and events venues. 

What was your inspiration for creating the brand? 

The inspiration came from within my father’s medical clinic. We saw thousands of patients each year unsure of what to buy, or buying less than ideal products, which would lead to them going backwards in their skin goals. So product creation was a logical step in the Dermatology practice. What we soon realised was that the broader market is also interested in hearing from a skin specialist, about what really is good vs. not. 

Do you have any tips for someone wanting to start a beauty brand? 

It always takes three times longer than you think, and if you’re doing it right, it should. It takes more money than you think, and there are many moving parts. 

Packaging is a particularly tricky aspect, as we wanted our boxes recyclable, and our tubes made out of recycled plastic. 
Create your brand voice, and stick to it. Don’t waiver to please the masses. Stand out. 

How do you decide what products you want in the range? 

This is very much a collaborative approach between myself identifying what is emerging in the retail market/client feedback and requests, and from Dr. Freeman identifying scientific advances, and what is possible. 

We then pair this knowledge and look for market needs, vs emerging market trends for wants in the longer term. We are working on two new products right now, that will be available hopefully pre-Christmas. 

What are the key products and ingredients you think should be in a typical skincare routine? 

Sunscreen! Ideally a physical (zinc oxide) - we have this in many of our products, including Your Cover, and Repair Your Skin. We also endorse certain chemical sunscreens for prolonged sun exposure for adults. 
For cleansing, we like salicylic acid - highly effective. 

Moisturisers are important in a skincare routine, not just the face, but the whole body. When using them on the face, we like to see DNA repair ingredients, sunscreen, vitamin E and other actives in to protect this part of the body that sees a lot of photodamage. 

Are there any new products coming up in the near future? 

Yes, we are working on two that will likely come out at the end of the year. Stay tuned!

To find out more about BLOC Cosmetics Click Here.

Simon x

*Thank you the team at BLOC Cosmetics for taking the time out to answer questions.