Lesse founder Neada Deters. Photograph courtesy of Lesse. She might be firmly entrenched in the hustle and bustle of New York City, but the Sydney-raised editor-turned-beauty-entrepreneur Neada Deters, 33, puts her Australian roots and love of nature at the centre of her sustainable skincare brand, Lesse. “The power of active botanicals are so underutilised, especially Australian natives,” says Deters. “They’re ingredients that we use again and again, because Australian plants have adapted to deal with a very harsh environment and have incredible reparative and regenerative properties that are not at all common in the broader landscape of skincare.”
On a more holistic level, Deters, who founded the brand in 2018, was keen to create a small range of products that utilised organic ingredients and would change the mindset around skincare, turning a chore into a meditative process. “We wanted this to be a ritual, something that they can look forward to,” she says.
The brand’s Bioactive Mask, which contains antioxidant-rich flame tree extract, has acquired a cult following since its launch and perfectly encapsulates Deters’ ethos. “You cleanse your face, you apply the mask, you sit in that mask — it’s an intentional practice,” she says. “In the actual formula itself and in the practice of it, you are getting this internal and external renewal.”
