Regenerative Beauty: Q&A with the founders of Star Seed

The rise of the “dirty dozen” as ingredients within our skincare routines and self-care rituals means it’s time for a regeneration. At Green Salon, we understand how important it is to harmonise green solutions with luxury products, but that’s often easier said than done. With so many skincare brands offering products that might be doing more harm than good, we sat down with Star Seed*, the regenerative skincare brand that is taking London by storm.

Please note: this is a sponsored post and we have been paid for the content. However, Green Salon only does sponsored
posts with companies that have scored above 50% on Our Rating System.

Our founder, Lucy Johnson, sat down with Emilie Jaspers and Ed Pycraft, the founders of Star Seed, the regenerative beauty brand that is redefining luxury skincare, to find out what inspires them, how they plan to grow their company’s powers of restoration and regeneration - and what made them decide to wish upon a Star Seed.

You call Star Seed a regenerative beauty brand, what does that mean?

The essence of Regeneration lies in reconnecting with ourselves, community, and nature. For Star Seed, "Regenerative beauty" means a commitment to leaving the world more beautiful and biodiverse than we found it. We not only regenerate your skin cells but also the Earth itself. Our dedication to regeneration extends to the areas we source our botanical ingredients from. To date, we have planted 3,000+ indigenous & endangered trees and mangroves, positively impacting 240+ community livelihoods & 12 local schools in Kilifi, Kenya. By enhancing soil health, we can help promote more biodiverse and resilient ecosystems, allowing the communities within them to flourish.

What led you to set up Star Seed?

Ed and I met in Copenhagen in 2017 and fell in love with each other and our shared passion for positive change. Both coming from high-pressure city jobs, we experienced years of health issues, including skin hives and rosacea outbreaks. Witnessing the widening gap between humans and nature, we embarked on a journey to resurface healthy skin in a way that could also regenerate the Earth. Our path led us to Kenya, where we set up a smallholder agroforestry initiative. Learning from the region’s indigenous botanical wisdom, we combined our passion for skincare, regeneration, and artisan circular design. A Star Seed was born.

Star Seed’s Forest Botanical Day Cream* which boasts potent Baobab, Moringa, Neem,
Sea Moss & Green Algae as the stars of its ingredient list

I love the idea of wild-foraged ingredients, can you explain more about what that means?

Wild foraging is our most primal instinct, as indigenous communities venture into the wilderness to gather fallen fruits, nuts, seeds, and leaves, we bypass any human cultivation. This ancient practice preserves ecosystems by taking only what nature willingly offers, respecting species in their habitat. The ethical, wild-foraged ingredients involved embody a deep respect for nature. When ecosystems are regenerated, there is more potential to heal humans and animals. By re-wilding your skin microbiome with wild and regenerative botanicals, we promote healthy, radiant skin too.

Your Explorer.Land App shows the trees Star Seed is planting is a really interesting step for a skincare brand, what made you decide to use this technology?

Addressing a global challenge necessitates a global solution. To catalyse a worldwide regeneration movement, we advocate for transparent and traceable value chains. The Explorer.Land App represents our first step in achieving this vision. By showcasing our regenerative impact, we aim to inspire more people to join the journey. We are a renaissance brand, bridging nature's wisdom (biodiversity) with human ingenuity (technology) to measure and demonstrate our impact in real-time without unnecessary travel.

A stripped back skincare routine that’s both luxurious and minimalistic, complete with
a replaceable glass jar allowing you to enjoy the product for years to come! Enjoy The Complete Collection*.

Star Seed packaging looks luxurious, how does it fit into the concept of circularity?

I qualified in Denmark as an Architect with a vision to design out waste. Moving into product design has provided me with a control over the whole value chain, to ensure ethical sourcing. Our Star Seed artisan packaging is designed to last. We have chosen a robust design, made from local, natural materials such as glass & wood. Introducing a simple refill system, you keep your beautiful, hand-painted & engraved beechwood lids, while we replace your glass jar (cleaned for reusability). We also include a box full of 16+ varieties of UK wildflower seeds in all orders, encouraging you to plant to beautify your own home.

Star Seed is such a beautiful name, what made you choose it?

The name Star Seed holds spiritual significance and encapsulates the essence of our brand – regeneration, beauty and cosmic reconnection. When Ed and I first met in 2017, I received a reading by a Guatemalan friend and shaman who said Ed was a "Star Seed". He emphasised the significance of our relationship in healing planetary and human health. In Mayan astrology, Star Seeds are universal beings entrusted with beautifying the world through a harmonising artistic approach. This resonated strongly with our mission to regenerate human skin and the soil beneath our feet. The other meaning of our name Star Seed is that our Star botanical ingredients are grown from Seed in healthy soil. We sow the seeds of positive change and ask you to Join the Regeneration.

Use code GREENSTAR10 for 10% off your first order.

Have any questions for Ed & Emilie? Please ask them below. And if there any innovative beauty brands you’d like us to know about, do let us know.

Want to become part of our green living community? Sign up to our newsletter for tips on going green and special discounts from our partner brands.

We analyse each brand for their commitment to sustainability but we are not a certification body, nor are we auditors, and we have taken the approach that we trust brands to tell the truth about their sustainability policies, practices and plans.

Affiliate disclaimer: ❀ indicates affiliate links with brands to help fund the Directory so that we can research further sustainable brands. This does not affect the price you pay.