Although #TeamCoco are constantly searching for the best, whether that be fashion, food, travel, work or beauty; lately we have been considering how we can have the most luxurious things in life whilst having a conscience, a la Emma Watson.

Skincare, is such an important part of our lives and the products we use within our daily routines, are vital as our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it. Despite us knowing that we should avoid, parabens, toxic chemicals and the likes of microbeads, when checking ingredients on our skincare, we weren’t exactly clued up on abbreviations acronyms and we had no idea what half the ingredients actually were or what they do to our skin. Whilst in the midst of relentless Google sessions and research, we received an invite to a vegan breakfast for the launch of Tropic Skincare’s SS17 collection and we haven’t looked back since.

With an ethos that is pure, honest, freshly made and effective, Tropic Skincare, founded by Susan Ma, is the definition of beauty with a conscience. At 28 years old, Susan has gone from working alone on a market stall to employing over 55 internal staff and through Tropic’s brand essence of Empowering Beauty, has created business opportunities for Ambassadors throughout the UK.

Before moving to the UK at age 13, Susan lived in Australia where her family made their own body scrubs, moisturises and toothpaste, this creativity led Susan on her path to entrepreneurship. At age 15 her desire to create a better life for self and her mother resulted her creating her own all natural body scrub in her kitchen (Tropic’s best seller; Body Smooth Refreshing Polish) before selling them on weekends and during school holidays in London markets such as Greenwich, Camden and Spitalfields. Soon Susan was able to contribute towards bills and eventually was able to afford university tuition fees, a house for her mum and her first investment property. At age 21, Susan appeared on our TV screens in 2011 as a contender on the BBC’s The Apprentice. Although she did not win, Susan became the first and only runner up Apprentice candidate to still receive a £200,000 investment from Lord Sugar and now Tropic Skincare’s success speaks for itself.

‘The biggest challenge I faced was trying to create a freshly made and effective range of skin care that is 100% natural. I eventually overcame it by relentless research, and working with green scientists from all over the world! It’s so rewarding to see all those years of hard work being enjoyed by so many people now.’

Tropic Skincare now has over 100 products from innovative botanical makeup to luxurious skincare and body care freshly made by their Beauty Chefs. Susan promises to ensure animal welfare and to protect the environment along with using ingredients that are pure, honest, effective and that all products freshly made. Tropic Skincare products are of the freshest ingredients and come with a best before date so when a product lands on your doorstep it’s only a few days old. We can also rest assured that Susan knows every ingredient used within Tropic and her favourite ingredient to work with and Tropic’s hero ingredient; tamanu oil.

‘It’s incredibly versatile and has unrivalled regenerative properties, which help heal and treat the skin.’

Susan’s passion for skincare obviously starts at home and every day she treats her skin to a full routine with Tropic Skincare products. Starting with Tropic’s Smoothing Cleanser and a second cleanse with our Clear Skin Mask. She then balances her skin with the Vitamin Toner and finishes with a generous helping of our Super Greens Nutrient Boost Serum for a healthy glow, Eye Revive to stay looking bright-eyed and Skin Revive to moisturise. Every other day she will use her Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum, which is an innovative 100% naturally derived overnight skin treatment to deeply exfoliate; ‘I just love the glow it gives my skin, I’m addicted!’ Susan also keeps a Tamanu Healing Balm close by at all times, to apply to lips and any troubled areas of skin.

With such an amazing skincare range and a flawless complexion, Susan is a true ambassador for her brand. Her top skincare tip is to gently steam skin with a warm Bamboo Cloth, Tropic’s Smoothing Cleanser comes with one! Run the cloth under hot water, wring out and lay over your face after applying a generous helping of the Smoothing Cleanser. The steam not only opens the pores to supercharge your cleanse, but really brings the eucalyptus aroma of the cleanser alive. Which is very refreshing and the perfect start to your skincare routine.

Not only does Susan have the drive to personally succeed, she also has the desire to see others do well. In May 2013, Tropic began a social selling opportunity with just 400 Ambassadors, and today they celebrate over 7,000 Ambassadors selling their award-winning range of products. Their achievements are celebrated with extravagant themed biannual events hosted by Susan, as well as regular treats and opportunities such as spa breaks and afternoon tea at The Ritz. They also work towards trip incentives; this year they are heading off on a stunning adventure to Mauritius. Susan believes that every person should have the opportunity to shape their own future carries through the entire company, with one of her future goals being to set up a charitable foundation for empowering young women through education and giving them the opportunities and skills needed to be successful businesspeople in the future.

‘How do I stay motivated? Simply passion for what I do! I have always set, and stuck to goals, which keep me motivated. It could be anything from buying my mum a house when I was 15, to developing the best range of natural skin care, or seeing the successes of our Ambassadors.’