The Interview: Caglar Odabasi, Head of Education at fresh, on 30 years of innovation

fresh was founded in Boston in 1991 by Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg. Glazman and Roytberg opened a small shop in Boston offering natural beauty products that touched people’s hearts through their skin and thirty years later, fresh has evolved into a global brand beloved for its sensorial skincare, lip care, bodycare and fragrance inspired by natural ingredients. 

The brand was born out of the founders’ love of natural ingredients and cultural traditions from around the world. Sustainability is at the core of everything it does – and to celebrate its milestone 30th birthday, it released 30 commitments focused on the planet, people and products. It also launched forever fresh, a new sustainability platform focused on working responsibly with communities where the brand sources its hero ingredients while also addressing climate action and eco-packaging.

One of the brand’s hero products is its brand new scent, Rose Morning. The scent, which is infused with peach blossom, joins the Rose Morning Hand & Body Wash and Body Lotion as part of its signature Body Collection and is now available at Space NK. Rose has a variety of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals that benefit all skin types – the hashtag #roseskincareroutine has over 54.5 million views on TikTok. TheIndustry.beauty spoke to Caglar Odabasi, Head of Education UK and Europe at fresh about the brand’s new range, how its innovative formulas are developed and what’s next.

Can you tell us about your career background?

I have a degree in Engineering but when I moved to London, I had a retail job which happened to be in beauty. I enjoyed it so much that I went on to build a career in sales and then moved to education. I enjoy helping people develop new skills and I also like travelling, which comes with the role as I am responsible for education in the UK and Europe.

What are your responsibilities as Brand Expert?

I’ve worked with fresh for 19 years across different roles. As Head of Education, there are many layers to the role. Having in-depth knowledge of the brand and products to be able to ensure our teams have the expertise to be able to offer the fresh experience we aim to deliver. Our aim is to make these experiences as creative as possible – from facials to events to boutiques, counters and, of course, the teams who welcome and help our customers every single day. I also adapt our training style and tools which are used to educate our retail partners about fresh. I represent the brand at some of these events.

How are fresh’s formulas developed?

Most brands use market research to decide which products they should be creating but the process is slightly different at fresh. It all starts with our founders’ inspiration or discovery – anything from a unique ingredient, texture or the experience the product is expected to deliver can start a conversation. Then our founders and the product development team work together to bring these ideas to life. During the development process, safety, efficacy and sensoriality are always the main focus as well as combining natural ingredients with high science.

Why is efficacy and sensoriality important to Fresh Beauty

We all use beauty products because we want to feel good about our skin and achieve results. Delivering safe and effective products are the first priority for any beauty brand, now more than ever to have longevity in the crowded marketplace we are currently in. Offering unique, sensorial experiences has been part of our ethos from the beginning – the texture, scents and the feelings our products give can elevate anyone’s everyday beauty rituals, which is why we describe it as ‘a journey in every jar’.

The fresh rose franchise

How is the brand simplifying natural beauty for consumers?

At fresh, we believe in the power of nature. Everything starts with natural ingredients. Some of our recipes are inspired by ingredients that were used in ancient rituals such as Umbrian Clay, Black Tea and Creme Ancienne. There’s a lot of research happening behind the scenes and we blend everything with modern science – that’s how our products come alive. We believe science brings out the best nature offers. We simplify the core ingredients we use and how their benefits are communicated so our customers can understand what they need. Product formulas are complex, so we want all of our customers to trust us for our commitment to safety, efficacy and sensoriality.

How is the brand educating consumers about the benefits of natural beauty products?

fresh was one of the first brands to pioneer the use of natural ingredients at a time when consumers didn’t really know what they were. We are very transparent when it comes to our philosophy and the ingredients we use. All of our products go through a unique journey before we make them available to the public and we like to share these stories with our customers to help them understand the ingredients and the results they deliver.

Tell us about the rose range and the rose skincare routine?

Rose is a much-loved flower that has been used across many cultures for centuries. It hydrates, soothes and tones the skin and it’s also renowned for its mood enhancing scent. At fresh, we source our roses from Turkey , Bulgaria and Morocco. Our rose products also contain damask rose extract, which has skin strengthening benefits. Our goal with the rose range is to help our customers lock in hydration by improving the skin barrier, which is why hyaluronic acid has been added to the formula.

Are there any innovations that fresh are working on at the moment? What's next for the brand?

Innovation never stops for us. It takes around two years to launch a product. Some of our products took six years to launch because of how committed we are to our fresh promise of creating safe, effective and sensorial products. I can’t talk about all of our upcoming innovations but we are launching a resurfacing night serum that contains AHAs and prickly pear flower extract. It’s being launched earlier in the US and should be available in the UK in January 2024. It evens texture, boosts radiance and reduces the look of dark spots and lines without causing any irritation or sensitivity. We can’t wait for our customers to try it!