Seriously Good Fun, Seriously Good Skin: The story of Peaches&Creme

Apr 26, 2021

We are skincare enthusiasts who have a passion and love for Korean skincare. It had been a very (very very!) long skincare journey for some of us. Back then (during our, well, teenage years), finding a solution for our skin needs was much harder—there were no innovative skincare products unlike today, and the market was filled with harsh products and torturous treatments. We're lucky to have all of these products and innovations today!

Korean skincare was a life-changer. Not only did it improve the skin, but it brought back a sense of self-confidence, and the ability to believe and love ourselves. Plus now, taking care of our skin isn't just a chore or something we needed to do—it's become something we actually enjoy! Thankfully, k-beauty and Korean skincare products do not have harsh formulations, so you can really have fun and experiment while taking care of your skin. (Yep, we do enjoy switching from one brand to the other. It's fun to explore!)

And this is the story that we genuinely want to share with everyone. We want others to experience what we've experienced: a way to good-looking, healthy skin and a better well-being, while enjoying every minute of it. Hence: #SeriouslyGoodFun, #SeriouslyGoodSkin.

Setting up shop

We decided to set up shop in Malta primarily because there's very limited access to K-beauty products available locally in Malta. We personally had to order our products from abroad. It took ages to arrive (not to mention the enormous shipping fees!).

We realised how much Malta is missing out on such innovative and high-quality skincare products—and we felt like if we can, we should bring Korean skincare products to the island and make it accessible to everyone! As shopping became even more limited when the pandemic hit, it was the signal that we needed to get started.

The Beauty of K-Beauty | Peaches&Creme Shop

What makes Korean skincare distinctly K-beauty is because it’s a culture—and like any culture, it is based on a philosophy. Some key points we love:

1. There are no quick fixes. We’re talking long-term skin health.

You can’t get good skin instantly. While some products may claim that they work overnight or instantly reduce irritation or redness, approaching your skin with overnight results in mind don’t give you lasting results and may even damage your skin. It’s the same way crash diets don’t work—it’s not about quick, instant results that can as instantly rebound, but a long-term habit done consistently with long-term skin health in mind.

Korean beauty is all about improving the quality and condition of your skin over time, for lasting results and great skin from within.

2. Now it's personal.

The “way” of Korean beauty and skincare is to have a personalized routine based on your skin type and skin goals/needs, and to follow that routine religiously and consistently. The end result: beautiful, healthy skin that lasts.

Korean beauty and skincare products are designed for what we call layering – you can apply nourishment, treatment, and hydration one layer at a time with the same product or multiple products, so you get just the right amount that your skin craves at any given day. This way, your K-beauty routine is flexible and buildable, and you can always adjust it depending on what feels right.

3. K-beauty is inspired by nature.

Korean skincare is all about gentle, nourishing ingredients for smooth, even, bouncy skin that glows from the inside out. (Seriously, you have to see it to believe it.)

Historically, Korea comes from an agricultural social background. Because of this, Koreans have always been trying to find ways to treat and correct environmental damage to the skin. This is also the reason why Korean skincare products always feature natural ingredients like aloe, rose, rice water, herbs, mung beans (yes, beans), a range of botanicals, and even snail mucin. These ingredients are rich in nutrients, with protective and hydrating properties that are gentle and good for the skin.

What makes K-beauty different?

The Korean skincare routine is all about layering products like toners, essences, serums, and masks that all work together to moisturize, treat, nourish, and strengthen your skin one layer at a time.

The K-beauty philosophy golden rule? Every skin is unique, and your routine therefore should be custom-made just for you and your skin needs at any given time. Hence, skincare products designed to be buildable into layers, flexible enough to accommodate even small changes in your skin needs.

A personal relationship with your skin

Understanding your skin is the #1 most important, fundamental step as you start building your personal skincare routine. It’s all about knowing what your skin type is and discovering products and ingredients that work best for you.

Most Korean skincare products are designed for layering, so you can choose the levels of treatment and hydration that works best on your skin at any given time (e.g. feeling stressed? Extra humid day? Traveling to somewhere with different climate?)

For instance, on a normal day, you’ll have your toner and essence after cleansing. Say you’re feeling extra grimy, you can do a double-cleanse (with an oil-based followed by a water-based cleanser). Or for example your skin is feeling extra parched after a whole day under the sun or after a long flight. You can then either use several layers of essence, turn your toner into a mask, or use the 7-skin method to give your skin some extra love.

Key to a successful K-beauty routine is being aware of your skin. By doing your regimen consistently, you can start being more aware of what your skin needs and pay more attention to how your skin’s needs change. This is the personal, customized routine that will truly give you some amazing, long-term results.

For us, Korean beauty and skincare is a journey of discovery. Have some #SeriouslyGoodFun with it! It is definitely worth it to spend a few minutes of your day to take care of yourself and see how well your skin responds when you treat it with love and attention—let's go, #SeriouslyGoodSkin!

About the shop and our products | Peaches&Creme Shop

Our shop is completely online-based. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opening a physical store was not an option.) We plan to continue offering our products online so that it's more accessible for everyone in Malta and the EU.

Our online store specialises and offers only Korean skincare brands and products. We offer products ranging from oil cleansers & water-based facial cleansers, toners, mists and essences, serums and ampoules, face masks and moisturisers.

Just six months from our store launch, we are very proud to announce that we currently offer 44 brands, including several brands and a wide collection of products that are vegan, organic, and clean (all-natural, cruelty-free, and without harmful chemicals). We are continuously striving and doing our best to bring more Korean skincare brands to Malta, so stay tuned!

Even through we started with only facial skin products, we are slowly venturing into bringing Korean body and hair care products as well. Many have been asking us about soft makeup products as well—and yes, we're bringing them too! Stay tuned for soft makeup products that you can use while still taking care of your skin, brought to you by our favorite Korean skincare brands. 💖

Our store is accessible to all residents of Malta and the rest of the European Union. We know how agonising it is to wait for your favorite skincare products to arrive, so we've got you covered! We provide next day delivery via DHL express for both local and international deliveries. The sooner you get your happiness haul, the better!

Corporate Social Responsibility | Peaches&Creme Shop

Our packaging

All our store packaging is made of recyclable paper, from the beauty box, paper wrapper and stickers, to our packing peanuts that are made of biodegradable materials. We carefully and lovingly prepare and wrap each order you make from our store to ensure your happiness and satisfaction. We believe that your Korean skincare experience should be a happy and fun experience—from ordering the products in our store until you receive them.

We are carbon positive!

All orders from our store are carbon-neutral.

Until midyear 2022, we contributed to Offset (in partnership with Shopify) to ensure ALL shipments from our store are carbon-neutral. Offset combines data from our store with industry data and peer-reviewed models to determine how much CO2 our shipments release into the environment, and then works with Pachama to determine the cost of offsetting those emissions.

Many factors go into an offset calculation, but the average cost per shipment is $0.005 USD, or half a cent. Offset is currently funding the Jarí Para REDD+ Avoided Unplanned Deforestation Project with Pachama. This is a Verified Carbon Standard certified project that will be verified by Pachama using their monitoring technology. The charges from Offset go towards protecting the existing forest, improving the biomass through better forest management practices, and verifying the progress of the project.

From July 2022 until today, we cover all purchases made from our store to make them carbon positive by contributing to Eco Cart for every order made. All proceeds will go towards protecting the Amazon Rainforests via Eco Cart.

BENEFITS

Protects endangered and vulnerable species of animals, including eight IUCN species.
Trains families on how to grow bananas, chickpeas, cassava, and corn; the processing of fish; rearing organic pigs, and using rotational cattle pastures. The goal is to increase yields and help make these agricultural activities more profitable.
Facilitates doctor visits from local towns on a periodic basis and refurbished or built four health clinics.
Educates local communities about improved agricultural techniques while monitoring unsustainable uses of the forest, the projects are mitigating deforestation and helping to protect the area’s rich biodiversity.

You can learn more about the project here.

We aim to be MORE than a Korean skincare company.

We partner with local bloggers and influencers, who promote the same values of our company: empowering both women and men, regardless of age or gender, and promoting diversity and inclusivity.

We believe skincare is one tool to empower people, giving them confidence not only on how the way they look, but also on how they feel inside: confident, beautiful and powerful. We also believe that skincare has no boundaries—it defies all cultural and social barriers. Healthy, beautiful skin is for all and it is not a symbol of femininity or masculinity (it's 2021, people!)

We also partner with local and women-owned businesses to strengthen that circle of support. Let's support local businesses!

Working to make a difference in society and the world

Every now and then, we contribute to foundations that can make a difference to society and to the planet. In February, we contributed a percentage of all our sales to Richmond foundation in order to assist in providing mental health therapy to those who cannot afford it. We believe that this is a big issue in our society today especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, we supported the Women’s Rights Foundation Malta to help more women understand their rights and get legal assistance. This April, for Earth Day, we'll contribute to The Canopy Project to plant 1 tree for every dollar donated so we can plant some seeds for the future generations to enjoy.

We're looking forward to supporting more causes and organisations in the future!