Melissa Palmer is playing the long game.
Her brand is living proof: Palmer and her mother, Jenefer, founded the cult-beloved natural skincare line OSEA in 1996, setting a new, meaningful standard for sustainable beauty long before “clean” was the marketing designation du jour. And despite an approach that could certainly be argued as cutting edge, OSEA’s M.O. has always hinged more on timelessness over flash; a highly edited, quality-driven catalogue over a hamster wheel of new products driven by trend.
“We’re not interested in bringing something to market for the sake of having a new product,” Palmer says. “We are more concerned with creating one-of-a-kind experiences.” In other words, less is more—an MO we certainly share here at Ritual.
It’s fitting, then, that Palmer has a similar take on aging: one that seeks to embrace the years rather than erase them entirely. “I think there is beauty in every stage of life and it’s about celebrating and nurturing yourself, rather than turning back time,” she says—a mindset she credits to her mother.
Below, Palmer gives us a closer look inside her business—and her refreshing take on aging.