CULT STATUS

Professional skincare brand Dermalogica has such a loyal following that at one point founder Jane Wurwand was suspected of leading a cult or being a Scientologist. (Yes, really. And, no, she’s not.) During a lunch of pizza and kale salad in the middle of a California heat wave, Wurwand tells the story of her 35-year-long career that began when she moved from the United Kingdom. “I came to the [United States] to pursue the American dream, though I didn’t quite know what that meant,” she says. A licensed skin therapist, she began interviewing for jobs at salons and spas and noticed that everyone at the front desks answering phones was American but everyone performing the treatments was European. She was told it was because training in the United States for spa treatments wasn’t up to par. “I thought to myself, ‘The opportunity is in education,’” she says. So in 1983, Wurwand and her husband, Raymond, founded the International Dermal Institute, where they taught students to perform skin treatments, waxes, aromatherapy and reflexology. Above all else, Wurwand set out to empower women. “Ninety-eight per cent of skin therapists are women, and 64 per cent of salons are owned by women, as opposed to 30 per cent in any other industry,” she says, calling the business “an economic powerhouse” for women. In 1986, on the heels of the institute’s success, Wurwand launched Dermalogica, after noticing that there was a lack of prestige American skincare brands in salons. “Back then, there was no Internet or pop-ups or boutiques,” she says. “American brands were either in department stores or drugstores or in direct selling, like Mary Kay or Avon.” Next up is Sound Sleep Cocoon ($110), a gel-cream nighttime moisturizer that features motion-activated lavender oil that’s released as you toss and turn throughout the night, aiding in sleep quality thanks to the oil’s relaxing properties. The gel also contains tamarind seed extract, which cushions skin and acts as the “cocoon,” creating a barrier that allows skin to retain water and moisture, Persian silk tree extract, to reduce signs of fatigue the next morning, and kakadu plum extract, a potent source of vitamin C.