MILAN — It all started with a cup of coffee.
It couldn’t be otherwise for sisters Andrea Dominique, Jaqueline and Micaela Illy, who hail from the Italian family behind the renowned Illycaffè coffee brand and who have recently launched Amarey, the latest addition in the increasingly populated landscape of Italian indie beauty brands.
“It all started with a moka pot in the middle of the sea. It’s a family tradition to spend long periods on a sailing boat, rarely going ashore, and the challenge has always been to create as little waste as possible,” said Andrea Dominique Illy, explaining that on these occasions coffee grounds are often repurposed in beauty rituals by the sisters and their mother. “The coffee scrub was almost the only gesture we treated our skin with, but the effect was exceptional. It’s from there that we studied the properties of coffee for cosmetics,” she added.
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In launching the skin care label, the sisters’ goal was to enhance every part of the Coffea Arabica plant and transfer its benefits from the food industry to the beauty world. In doing so, the Illys also wanted to promote an approach that shifted from a linear to a circular business model as they leverage waste and leftovers of coffee production in Amarey’s formulations.
“Amarey is the change we dream to see, the change from linear to circular, from extractive to regenerative, from unconscious to conscious,” said Jacqueline Illy, noting that “although there are national and international strategies and policies [encouraging] the implementation of the circular economy, in the production world everything still revolves around virgin raw materials.”
According to the company, out of the more than 2.25 billion coffee cups drunk per day across the globe, only 10 percent of the coffee cherries — the fruits containing the raw coffee beans — is used to produce the beverage. Amarey aims to repurpose the rest and leverage coffee’s antioxidant properties and benefits, which are said to include the prevention of cellular skin damage, the reduction in inflammation and puffiness and helping to counteract signs of photoaging, such as discoloration and wrinkles. Of African-Yoruban origins, the name itself was picked to evoke this natural power, as it stands for “possessing great strength.”
The brand’s formulations, which are developed in collaboration with Illycaffè’s Università del Caffè academy and the Biofarma company, are based on regenerated Arabica coffee extract, coffee flowers and coffee powder, as in the case of a solid cleanser. The addition of niacinamide defines the Antioxidant Lift serum, while a hydrating face cream is enriched with vitamin E. Prices range from 24 euros for the cleanser to 52 euros for the serum.
Packaging was also conceived to reduce the impact on the environment, as it favors recycled glass, where possible, and recycled plastic. Secondary packaging derives from coffee silverskin, made of cellulose leftovers of the coffee beans’ roasting.
In addition to retailing on the Amarey e-commerce, the line is being sold at Rinascente department store in Milan until Nov. 14. Here, the brand is displayed on the fourth floor as part of a special area dedicated to emerging beauty players with a sustainable approach.
“[Customers] are liking the project. The coffee [element] attracts them, the research convinces them, but eventually the product make them come back. The greatest satisfaction has been seeing customers return with friends after getting results with our products. This positive word-of-mouth confirms that we are on the right track…but it’s still a long journey,” said Micaela Illy, who handles the financial part of the company. Andrea Dominique and Jacqueline spearhead formulations and marketing, respectively.
Next up, Amarey will add a body scrub to the range by the end of the year, while the formulation for an eye cream is being developed.