Moments with Nicolas Travis, founder, ALLIES OF SKIN
“I wanted to make beauty more human”
Nicolas Travis
I’ve interviewed my fair share of beauty brand founders in my time as an editor, across all manner of categories. I always love a chat with skincare founders for the chance to drill down into what made them creators in the first place, and it usually means that I leave committed to trying their line and following every drop of advice I can get.
When it came to Nicolas Travis, founder of the superlative Allies of Skin, I was already a big fan of the brand after discovering it via a mailer from the team at MECCA almost two years ago. I was instantly hooked, and it seems I’m not alone.
Supermodel Kaia Gerber told a journalist that she uses Allies of Skin exclusively – a moment that sent the brand rocketing into the kind of social media success most founders could only ever dream of – then no other than Hailey Bieber named the Allies of Skin Peptide & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment as a beauty must-have.
A plethora of celebs and derms alike have also shouted to the world that they are in love with AOS’s careful, effective and high performing formulations, and the brand has gone from just a few key streamlined products to global success in what feels like a relatively short amount of time. As passionate about skin health as he is about mental health, Nicolas was always going to be a beauty superstar, and the founder of the Singaporean beauty brand is pure joy to be around.
In 2022 Travis packed his bags for Berlin, where he opened a new European headquarters, and when we met it was his first trip Down Under – en route to The Ambani wedding in India, no less!
And full discolure – after this interview I immediately reviewed my daily non-negotiables, and after adding in a combo suggested by Nicolas for nightly barrier repair, my skin has never felt healthier!
When it came to Nicolas Travis, founder of the superlative Allies of Skin, I was already a big fan of the brand after discovering it via a mailer from the team at MECCA almost two years ago. I was instantly hooked, and it seems I’m not alone.
Supermodel Kaia Gerber told a journalist that she uses Allies of Skin exclusively – a moment that sent the brand rocketing into the kind of social media success most founders could only ever dream of – then no other than Hailey Bieber named the Allies of Skin Peptide & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment as a beauty must-have.
A plethora of celebs and derms alike have also shouted to the world that they are in love with AOS’s careful, effective and high performing formulations, and the brand has gone from just a few key streamlined products to global success in what feels like a relatively short amount of time. As passionate about skin health as he is about mental health, Nicolas was always going to be a beauty superstar, and the founder of the Singaporean beauty brand is pure joy to be around.
In 2022 Travis packed his bags for Berlin, where he opened a new European headquarters, and when we met it was his first trip Down Under – en route to The Ambani wedding in India, no less!
And full discolure – after this interview I immediately reviewed my daily non-negotiables, and after adding in a combo suggested by Nicolas for nightly barrier repair, my skin has never felt healthier!
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| The newest release from Allies of Skin |
Welcome! What brings you to New Zealand?
To launch a few of our hero products and do some training with the team at MECCA – it’s my first time here and I just love it so much. I love the people, I love the weather, I love everything. In fact, I think I could live here!
We would love that, please do! The brand launched into MECCA around 18 months ago, and it feels like you’ve grown so much!
We have, it’s been so great and they are the BEST partners.
And they have helped tell the Allies story so well. From your battles with chronic acne as a teen to the facial surgeries you had following an awful accident, skincare and your frustration with it has played such a role in your life. How did you go from wanting to create your own line to actually doing that – and being a global success?
It really has played such a role in my life, from those early days of shopping for products and finding the whole process so daunting and intimidating. I’ve always had a fascination with the skin as an organ, and I went on to earn a degree in biomedical and pharmaceutical science because of that, and studied business. I was prepared but also unprepared, if you know what I mean.
Like me I know you see an intrinsic link between skin health and mental health, the impact that having a ‘good skin day’ can have on just whether or not you feel like you can leave the house.
Absolutely. Even in my darkest times I thought that although I couldn’t change how I looked I could change how my skin looks – it was the one thing I could control.
As I get older I’m also working on reaching a stage where it’s not so much about what I have on the outside but how I feel about myself on the inside. When you’re in the right state of mind everything wrong can eventually become right.
When you look at the most ascendant Buddhist masters and spiritual teachers they have a truly spiritual beauty where all you see and feel is there light. It’s not what they wear or how their hair looks, that’s the ultimate goal.
You’re in an industry that is so appearance-focused, is it hard to keep that in mind? The quest for perfection can be never-ending…
It is tricky for me, but I know that I can be part of the industry but play by my own rules. I’m also now at a stage in my life where how I feel, trumps everything else. I only want to do things that make me feel good.
I love that so much. That same motivation has increased for me as I get older, and it was a great reminder after my second cancer diagnosis. I could talk about that for hours… but back to the matter at hand, Allies of Skin. How did you go about nailing your initial formulations, did you work with a particular lab or scientist?
I formulate everything, but I work with a team of really brilliant chemists to bring it all together. For my master’s in international business thesis I wrote a start up plan for a skincare line, and actually used that as all of my initial research. I had zero clue what I was doing at all, no connections, no money, no experience… but I persevered.
What was the first product you created?
It was the Peptide & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment, which we have now upgraded to be Advanced Firming. It’s a do-it-all, super charged moisturiser - it brightens, it firms, it de-puffs and rejuvenates the skin, it rebuilds your barrier… it’s literally the Swiss Army Knife of moisturisers.
And it’s such a beautiful formula! I feel like so many baby skincare brands seem to be starting their journey with a vitamin C serum, when nailing a great moisturiser should possibly be their priority.
I wanted to put all the great ingredients in one place. If you start with a serum then your customer still has to go find a moisturiser, so why not instead create a really great moisturiser and make things easy for them? Also, if they already have serums they like, they can use them alongside your great moisturiser.
You have the epitome of glass skin, which seems unreal given how much travel you do. So what’s the tea, what’s your daily routine?
It’s very extra! I start with our cleanser and then mist, then I use three serums. In the morning I use our brand new Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum, which is great for inflammation, menopausal skin and repairing the skin, then growth factors which I hope to bring to MECCA next year. Then I do a Vitamin C serum and an eye cream and the Peptide & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment. If I’m on a flight or its winter I really like the Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm for my barrier.
We would love that, please do! The brand launched into MECCA around 18 months ago, and it feels like you’ve grown so much!
We have, it’s been so great and they are the BEST partners.
And they have helped tell the Allies story so well. From your battles with chronic acne as a teen to the facial surgeries you had following an awful accident, skincare and your frustration with it has played such a role in your life. How did you go from wanting to create your own line to actually doing that – and being a global success?
It really has played such a role in my life, from those early days of shopping for products and finding the whole process so daunting and intimidating. I’ve always had a fascination with the skin as an organ, and I went on to earn a degree in biomedical and pharmaceutical science because of that, and studied business. I was prepared but also unprepared, if you know what I mean.
Like me I know you see an intrinsic link between skin health and mental health, the impact that having a ‘good skin day’ can have on just whether or not you feel like you can leave the house.
Absolutely. Even in my darkest times I thought that although I couldn’t change how I looked I could change how my skin looks – it was the one thing I could control.
As I get older I’m also working on reaching a stage where it’s not so much about what I have on the outside but how I feel about myself on the inside. When you’re in the right state of mind everything wrong can eventually become right.
When you look at the most ascendant Buddhist masters and spiritual teachers they have a truly spiritual beauty where all you see and feel is there light. It’s not what they wear or how their hair looks, that’s the ultimate goal.
You’re in an industry that is so appearance-focused, is it hard to keep that in mind? The quest for perfection can be never-ending…
It is tricky for me, but I know that I can be part of the industry but play by my own rules. I’m also now at a stage in my life where how I feel, trumps everything else. I only want to do things that make me feel good.
I love that so much. That same motivation has increased for me as I get older, and it was a great reminder after my second cancer diagnosis. I could talk about that for hours… but back to the matter at hand, Allies of Skin. How did you go about nailing your initial formulations, did you work with a particular lab or scientist?
I formulate everything, but I work with a team of really brilliant chemists to bring it all together. For my master’s in international business thesis I wrote a start up plan for a skincare line, and actually used that as all of my initial research. I had zero clue what I was doing at all, no connections, no money, no experience… but I persevered.
What was the first product you created?
It was the Peptide & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment, which we have now upgraded to be Advanced Firming. It’s a do-it-all, super charged moisturiser - it brightens, it firms, it de-puffs and rejuvenates the skin, it rebuilds your barrier… it’s literally the Swiss Army Knife of moisturisers.
And it’s such a beautiful formula! I feel like so many baby skincare brands seem to be starting their journey with a vitamin C serum, when nailing a great moisturiser should possibly be their priority.
I wanted to put all the great ingredients in one place. If you start with a serum then your customer still has to go find a moisturiser, so why not instead create a really great moisturiser and make things easy for them? Also, if they already have serums they like, they can use them alongside your great moisturiser.
You have the epitome of glass skin, which seems unreal given how much travel you do. So what’s the tea, what’s your daily routine?
It’s very extra! I start with our cleanser and then mist, then I use three serums. In the morning I use our brand new Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum, which is great for inflammation, menopausal skin and repairing the skin, then growth factors which I hope to bring to MECCA next year. Then I do a Vitamin C serum and an eye cream and the Peptide & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment. If I’m on a flight or its winter I really like the Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm for my barrier.
I have used that and adore it, especially after I suffered from rosacea several years ago following cancer treatment. I’m all about the barrier and that balm is amazing.
Mix that with our CE15 Bakuchiol Firming Oil – it’s a game-changer.
At night I don’t get enough sleep, so I’ve been using our Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum and then the growth factors and Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Serum. Then I use our eye cream followed by Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream and our oil. The oil is my non-negotiable every night, mixed into the cream.
What’s the one product you think everyone should use?
Our SPF, which we launched a couple of months ago and is doing so, so well. Uma Thurman was zoom calling me and said it was the best SPF she has ever used, Pedro Pascal was txting me saying he needs more serums, and the SPF - which he also says is the best he’s ever used. It has aloe vera gel and its invisible on the skin, it’s weightless and feels like a second skin. I’m so proud of it, hopefully we can bring it to MECCA next year.
What is getting you excited in skincare right now?
Anything that can increase the ATP of your skin, like exosomes. I’m not about following trends, but if someone is doing something new and cool then that inspires me to do something cool of my own.
Please keep up the amazing work.
Thank you, I will!
Allies of Skin is available now at MECCA.
Mix that with our CE15 Bakuchiol Firming Oil – it’s a game-changer.
At night I don’t get enough sleep, so I’ve been using our Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum and then the growth factors and Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Serum. Then I use our eye cream followed by Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream and our oil. The oil is my non-negotiable every night, mixed into the cream.
What’s the one product you think everyone should use?
Our SPF, which we launched a couple of months ago and is doing so, so well. Uma Thurman was zoom calling me and said it was the best SPF she has ever used, Pedro Pascal was txting me saying he needs more serums, and the SPF - which he also says is the best he’s ever used. It has aloe vera gel and its invisible on the skin, it’s weightless and feels like a second skin. I’m so proud of it, hopefully we can bring it to MECCA next year.
What is getting you excited in skincare right now?
Anything that can increase the ATP of your skin, like exosomes. I’m not about following trends, but if someone is doing something new and cool then that inspires me to do something cool of my own.
Please keep up the amazing work.
Thank you, I will!
Allies of Skin is available now at MECCA.
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