Emma Lewisham has been making waves in skincare since its launch in 2019. Founded, owned and operated in New Zealand, the brand’s speciality is natural ingredients, sustainability and scientifically-backed approaches. Speaking with founder Emma Lewisham, she says that listening to customers has been key from the beginning, and helped kickstart the development of their new Sunceutical SPF50 Mineral Glow Serum ($89). 

“It came about from being really in tune with what our customers wanted, the lives that they're living, wanting to have a tight range of skincare, but deliver a lot of benefits.”

Eight years in the making, the serum is the latest addition to the SPF Sunceutical line, and one of the brand’s most innovative products yet. It’s also its first entry into ‘makeup’, combining a bronze-tint with suncare and skincare in what Emma describes as a “unicorn” product with the “highest quality, intention and efficacy.”

I was most excited by its SPF50 level, a focus influenced by Kiwi roots (yay for our hole in the ozone layer). “We are very aware of the impact of the sun [in New Zealand], and I think, globally, people are becoming much more aware that we need to make sunscreen a core product in our routines,” Emma says.

Unfortunately, our sun safety can dwindle after summer, even though up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can filter through clouds – especially concerning for the delicate skin on your face. Plenty of us (myself included) know this, but incorporating SPF consistently can feel like a chore; Emma and the team wanted to address this by creating an intuitive, luxurious, effective product that people could look forward to using daily. 

Then there’s the thorny issue of certifications – does a product meet them? Are those standards relevant to Aotearoa? Australia’s TGA certification is held as the global standard for SPF, as they share our ozone struggles. It was the ultimate stamp of approval for Emma Lewisham, both so they were legally allowed to sell their products in Australia, and to show their SPF really works. 

“Not every brand is TGA approved, because it is so challenging. It's another proof point of the seriousness you take in the category, and what lengths that you've gone to,” says Emma. The entire Sunceutical range meets TGA and FDA certifications, thanks to their use of Zinc Oxide (remember Zinc Sticks?). And while it works, the ingredient’s Achilles heel is its proclivity to leave users with a white cast.

Shade inclusivity is a touchy subject for some brands and a selling point for others, so I was curious to see how Emma Lewisham would approach it. Though my complexion isn’t the deepest, I'm brown – I’ve certainly struggled with products clearly not made for me.

The serum is “formulated for all skin tones”, a phrase that can raise alarm bells for anyone who doesn't default to porcelain. This is just as much of an issue in skincare as it is in makeup – every brown and Black girl has a moisturiser, cream or sunscreen they won’t touch in fear of the ghostly white sheen. 

Emma noted that this exact issue was what made the serum’s development last nearly a decade. “With Zinc, it can be really whitening on all skin tones, so that meant testing it on various skin tones and ages to ensure it didn’t leave that whitening on the skin.” 

Rather than calling it a tint for all skin tones, the brand smartly redefines what it can be used for per skin tone. For fair to light skin, it’s an illuminating base with a bronzing glow; for medium skin tones, it’s a subtle, glowy skin tint; for deep complexions, it’s a radiant non-whitening SPF.

It’s an exciting step forward for SPF for medium and deep complexions, and I'd love to see the product on more examples of darker skin – particularly on socials, so everyone can see how it may look on them.

In these cold months, it’s been the perfect product to bring a bit of brightness back to my face. I’m low maintenance 99% of the time, but working this into the skin with a foundation brush gives my skin a natural glow and evens my tone – perfect for a low effort #cleangirl look. Simply adding blush, bronzer, concealer and mascara takes it up a level, perfect to go from errands to a drink with friends. For nights where the glam is more heavy duty, I’ll sub my primer out with the Glow Serum, creating a moisturised, smooth, SPF-protected base for my makeup.

All in all, the team at Emma Lewisham found their ‘unicorn’: a multi-tasking product that doesn’t sacrifice efficacy. The brand’s skincare expertise shines through in how hydrating and luxe the serum feels (extra important in these cold months). It’s helped add a lovely bronze glow, and strong, reliable suncare is now seamlessly woven into my routine, so I have no excuses. I can’t wait to use this when we’re in the thick of summer, and I can relish in my SPF50 protected, hydrated, made in New Zealand glow.