Published In "Cosmatic Business" Link to the article
Tursian, which uses a deliberate choice of ingredients in its formulation, was also inspired by Swedaan’s late partner, Brandon Truaxe, the founder of Deciem
For Tursian founder, Riyadh Swedaan, there were never going to be any half-measures in creating his new luxury skin care player.
The brand claims to be the result of comprehensive research gathered over four years of data and analysis, which uses the “finest” ingredients from around the world. Swedaan, who has a background in pharmaceuticals and serves as CEO, worked closely with Dia Foley, VP of Brand and Retail, to bring the brand to life.
“Our skin care is rooted in cutting-edge science, not fleeting trends,” according to a statement from the business.
And although one half of Tursian was focused on creating a robust skin care collection without compromise, for Swedaan, the brand serves as a tribute to his life partner, Brandon Truaxe.
Trauxe, the founder of Deciem and creator of The Ordinary, died at the age of 40 in 2019. The brand name itself is an a"rmation to Truaxe and the pairs’ journey through their lives and careers.
Tursian is inspired by a variation of a name that held personal meaning to Swedaan, connected to Truaxe’s early identity before he immigrated to Canada.
“Turisian [was] always a plan between Brandon and me, one that we decided we would do at some point together,” said Swedaan.
“But, sadly, he was not here to do it.”
Truaxe’s absence and memory are also reflected within the packaging itself, with the ‘T’ in Tursian missing a small section.
“This was deliberate because Truaxe is not here,” Swedaan added.
Foley, who was also a close friend of Traxue, added: “We learned so much from Brandon, and we had a lot of laughs, we did a lot of things, not just involved in Deciem, but really from a friendship perspective.”
Swedaan walked Truaxe’s path alongside him during his time creating Deciem and claimed to have drawn on this “experience and passion” to create Tursian. “Everything from manufacturing, the design studio and even social media has been done in-house,” says Swedaan.
This extends to a very deliberate choice of ingredients for the collection's formulation. “We searched the globe for the most e#ective, clinically proven ingredients, whether it is potent algae from Japan, resilient botanicals from the Arctic, or cutting-edge biotech discoveries from Europe,” according to a statement from the brand. It also meant deliberately foregoing some of the more staple ingredients in beauty.
“We do not talk about, with all respect, niacinamide or hyaluronic acid, not because I hate them, I just think the skin needs more,” Swedaan added.
“I want to give myself the best, and I do not want to age here really, but I love what we have achieved so far.”
The collection itself consists of five products, including a Radiance Booster Gel Cleanser
(£70). This is a foaming gel cleanser formula that uses Australian caviar lime extract to gently exfoliate the skin, while gac fruit extract, rich in polysaccharides, provides hydration.
The Hydration Activator Energising Toner (£100) is a daily revitalising multivitamin toner that helps to nourish and hydrate the skin thanks to deep sea algae water. Heptapeptides also work to boost the skin’s defence system and protect against free radicals.
For the Ultimate Hydration Serum Concentrate (£120), this is a multipeptide defence serum containing repairing stem cells and multi-protection peptides to support the skin’s collagen.
Ectoin boosts moisture and protects the skin’s barrier whilst the multi-layer peptides fight against photoaging for a more even and rejuvenated skin tone.
The Youth Restore Serum Concentrate (£210) also contains peptides at the highest
allowable concentrations.
This is said to reduce and relax fine lines, overtime smoothing out the appearance of expression lines, whilst tackling the stimulation of skin to enhance collagen production. Finally, rounding o# the collection is the Eye Contour Brightening Gel (£75), which has been created using peptides, bio ferments and algae technology.
The choice of ingredients, packaging and technology behind the formulation would appear to place the brand on the luxury end of the beauty scale.
However, Foley said this was never the intention for Swedaan.
“It was never something where he went out of his way [to pursue],” she added. “I have never seen formulas so packed and at the highest level of concentration, which are actually beneficial to the skin.
“The pricing model only came after what these formulas are built on.”
Swedann added: “I do not want to call it luxury, because it is for everybody and all skin, for all the people. “And if you were to call it luxury, it is not for the sake of being expensive, but because it is valuable with the ingredients, the smell, colours, textures and packaging.”
This level of commitment and thought behind the formulation wasn’t without its challenges.
“Compatibility across the whole product range was the biggest challenge, and it took three years to perfect every formula,” Swedaan explained. “We went through 135 versions, which I am one hundred percent responsible for.” This intense formulation process meant that, when asked about what is next, Swedaan said he is preparing for a short vacation. But both Foley and Swedaan agree that there is a highly ambitious future for the skin care business in the coming year following its launch this month. “We want to make sure that we have a real tie to the UK beauty market, and ensure our global DTC operation is [functioning well],” Foley concluded. “We are also in talks with partners in the Australian market.
“There will be a focus on expansion, but we want to do it right, as this is not just a one and-done product.
“There is a lot that is involved, and we just want to continue [delivering] on the core of this business, which is really about creating beautiful products that actually deliver and give people a sense of loyalty.”