Known Effects, founded by Ainsley Schumacher from Byron Bay,  is a one stop online marketplace which brings together businesses who share the same ethical values when it comes to health, beauty, fair trade and sustainability.  From beauty, food, fashion to home decor.  

They also stock two of my favourite brands, Sonia Orts Botanical Alchemy and TMF cosmetics, I love these!! my top two natural beauty lines!  The TMF lipsticks are amazing! highly pigmented and gorgeous. I have the lipstick in Kate and the gloss in Perry.   I have the Sonia Orts alchemic pack, which is my absolute favourite organic skincare, I use it every day. 
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The jewellery is stunning, I am eyeing off the Daxia Somed earrings, so beautiful!   

I can see that every item on Known Effects has been so carefully chosen and the artisans and creators of these products have put there heart and soul into them.   

Get to know Amy and the reasons behind Known Effects in the interview below :) 

​What is KNOWN EFFECTS?  

​KNOWN EFFECTS is based on the ‘KNOWN EFFECTS’ of consumerism.
 
We wanted to create a community that supports businesses both small and large that are making positive changes to the way business is done. We have built an online marketplace that will become a one-stop ethical shopping platform. We are focused on creating a community filled with like-minded people from all areas from artisans, makers, fair-trade advocates to those who are driving the way in sustainable lifestyle products and living. KNOWN EFFECTS want to see small ethical businesses grow and we are driven to work with each brand to make this happen.
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Our vision is to create awareness for consumers about the KNOWN EFFECTS of ethical consumerism, along with changing the buyer pattern to adjust how businesses do business and making conscious choices in purchasing more sustainable, longer life-cycled products. We will be doing this through community and social events, v-logging, live chat's, educational talks and travel, spreading the word about what KNOWN EFFECTS is and that we are here to support and grow small ethical businesses.

What motivated you to establish KNOWN EFFECTS

​​In our travels around the world in our early 20’s, naïve to say the most, we were confronted with atrocious working conditions in some countries we had visited. When we started to look further into the process of how clothing is made in manufacturing companies and we were incredibly disheartened to learn the answer that that ‘bargain’ $3 shirt was actually only possible because of horrendous working conditions, next to nothing pay rates, child labour….these kids would have been the same age as my children now and I look at them and couldn’t imagine having to put them into that environment. Everything about some of these places made us angry, sad but motivated in wanting to make a difference.

Then KNOWN EFFECTS was founded, in 2015. In this time we had taken every step we could to gather as much research and talk to many businesses to evaluate if people needed this type of marketplace in their lives and lucky for us this was definitely missing. In 2016 we started to build the KNOWN EFFECTS marketplace from the ground up.

Our motivation is that the reality is no-person or business is perfect but if we combine our knowledge, experience, failures, achieved goals and grow together so we can help each other reach the same end goal of more ethical & sustainable businesses, products making fair-trade priority on the larger scale and pushing the larger companies to be responsible for their products, including all of their workers and environmental impact.​

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​From ingredients to packaging, have you noticed to shift in consumers favouring natural and organic products over others to achieve a more sustainable life?

​Packaging is one of our worst enemies. As consumers we buy a product we want but don’t put much thought into the packaging because we just want what is inside, no real thought about way happens when we throw the packaging away. Annie Leonard quoted that “There is no ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere”. She is right, it has to go somewhere, and that place is into our earth, to undeveloped countries that don’t have the resources or capacity to handle the rubbish, into the air we breath and the ocean we are surrounded by. This ‘away’ is slowly coming around full-circle and will impact us all if we don’t take control, educate and enforce changes.

​Interestingly, even the 45 – 65 age bracket demonstrate a consumer awareness surrounding the importance of purchasing ethical, natural and/or organic products. It is not only the younger generation who are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of chemicals in our foods, beauty products etc. The shift to purchasing natural and organic products has stemmed from consumers becoming aware of marketing loop holes surrounding product labelling and this education has driven some consumers to properly consider what they are buying, putting into or on their bodies and back into the environment. 

​For businesses we understand that creating sustainable products can be a major shift in an already made process however when we join forces and give each other guidance we can start to feel confident in making changes to our production to become sustainable, even when it starts with packaging.

How is stocking a brand on KNOWN EFFECTS more sustainable than running their own physical store or online store?

​I have personal experience in running both a physical and online store. The main downfall of physical stores is the overheads that are associated with brick and mortar set-up. From electricity to rubbish – a bricks and mortar store has a much higher negative impact on the environment than an online store that lives and breathes in a digital world. Instantly, an online store is more sustainable to our environment than a physical one.

​Some new and established businesses are confused and overwhelmed by the digital landscape and struggle to create an online shop that not only functions correctly, but isn’t costly to create and will be visible on search engines to the online shopper. This is another reason that brands like to align to KNOWN EFFECTS as we take care of all this of this in-house. We set up your store and even have an in-house social media expert to help grow the brand online by engaging directly with specific target consumers 
 

How have KNOWN EFFECTS established a sense of community?

​A community is important to KNOWN EFFECTS, like a large family that all have common interests and goals. The KNOWN EFFECTS community is not just the KNOWN EFFECTS brands (sellers) we are a community filing up with other businesses that are striving in the same direction, we are people who want to really make a difference and know that by creating a community will make a much stronger impact, this is what makes our KNOWN EFFECTS community so exciting.

​We have started growing our community, networking and talking to other bigger businesses on things we can do and plan for in the future to spread the word about Ethical & Sustainable consumerism. We have recently created a Facebook page for Makers & Designers to have a positive forum for business to grow their businesses by asking questions, posting DIY videos, lessons learnt from mistakes, all the areas small businesses can feel secluded in and unsure on where to approach their questions, we created a non-judgemental forum.

How does aligning with KNOWN EFFECTS increase consumer reach for businesses operating within their first 6 months?

​​Aligning with KNOWN EFFECTS helps brands find and connect with their ideal customer through networking events, social media, traditional media coverage and more. We provide that extra hand every business needs to reach out to more potential unfound customers. We find this helps businesses, particularly in their first 6-months of trading, as new business owners are too busy to wear every hat from accounting, to marketing, to sales – so we are able to partner with them escalate the process of engaging consumers and take the stress of sales and lead generation out of the first 6-months of operation. This is how we are supporting and growing small Australian businesses.

Talk us through the different types of brands that KNOWN EFFECTS supports

​The brands we support under KNOWN EFFECTS range from handmade organic clothing, homewares, sustainable timber products (they grow their own trees!), Eco- home improvement products, food, vegan make-up, organic skincare – the works! 

​In addition, KNOWN EFFECTS would not be sustainable without an up-cycled category for brands who have the talent to turn things that are heading to landfill into some new, exciting and useful. This further allows us to support sustainable brands and create a hub for consumers to purchase new and reinvented sustainable items.
 
Talk us through the process; if a new sustainable Australian brand wishes to align with KNOWN EFFECTS, what criteria do they have to meet to be eligible?

​​KNOWN EFFECTS is application based and product assessed. Unlike other marketplaces that tend to get out of hand with the grey area of ‘Handmade’ we have created an application with a few simple questions upon becoming a vendor via our website. These questions give us an insight into the brand to make sure their core values align with KNOWN EFFECTS and our community. We require all brands to subscribe to World Fair Trade Organisation guidelines and our internal sustainable requirements are that if a product claims to be sustainable, we require information into the life-cycle of the products, materials used and product creation process in order to ensure the products is safe to be promoted via the KNOWN EFFECTS platform. We have a ZERO plastic policy, as one of our biggest goals at KNOWN EFFECTS is to eliminate all plastics in business and we require our brands encompass this same ideology and move toward a plastic-free world.
 

What are the added bonus benefits of a brand aligning with and stocking on KNOWN EFFECTS?

​​We want every business to succeed, our first priority is to make sure all our brands have the help and guidance they need so we have implemented a Brands first process where we check in with all our brands to keep up to date, help out where we can, offer advice where we are fit to do so and the one thing we love doing with our brands is brain storming. We know it can be hard on your own and sometimes feel secluded so we have been doing some email brain storming to help our brands grow in the direction they want to go. The benefit is that brands that are serious about ethically made products are surrounded by other brands that have the same drive and passion.

What are the added bonus benefits of consumers purchasing goods via KNOWN EFFECTS?

​The added benefits for consumers purchasing from KNOWN EFFECTS is the knowledge that every product in our marketplace is 100% ethically made and by purchasing via KNOWN EFFECTS consumers are supporting small businesses and most importantly, the environment around them. Furthermore, most of our brand give back to charity too - further instilling a sense of community that cares. Consumers can also get involved in the community at KNOWN EFFECTS and become an advocate for striving toward a world that is fair, ethical and sustainable.

Ainsley, tell us a little bit about yourself. What drives you? What life experiences lead to the decision to launch KNOWN EFFECTS? Do you subscribe to a sustainable way of life?

​​I reside in Byron Bay, NSW with my amazing family. We are coastal people with compassion for this planet we all share. This is where my drive comes from, my family & our environment. I want to help create a world where it will be clean, safe and a place that is supportive of creatives, designers & makers  - not money hungry corporations that only have the dollar in-mind. I can start with my family by teaching our children the importance of keeping our environment and natural resources safe, the bigger picture of shopping local and supporting small businesses and sharing and showing their knowledge with their friends as they grow.

​Small businesses drive me. Small business owners’ ideas, passions and how they create their products really excites me. I want to help businesses grow ethically and as sustainably as they can. I feel I am in my comfort zone when I am brain storming with brands on how we can be even better at what we do and how we can get it all out to the world, it’s what made me want to create a marketplace more so than my own product and label.
Our home life is quite environmentally friendly however we are always challenging ourselves to be better, coming up with alternate ideas where we can to make less of a negative impact on the environment. It has kind of become a competition when one of us thinks of something; the other has to go that one bit better – we are always thinking about ways we can become more sustainable.

Why should consumers opt for natural, organic, sustainable products over others?  

​The reason for choosing natural, organic, sustainable products over products that aren’t are for our own benefit, our environment and the future of our planet.
 
When we choose products that have ingredients that have been sustainably made we are benefiting ourselves by putting less harmful chemicals and nasties onto and into our body, this varies from beauty products, food, clothing to sanitary products all which are quite often made with harmful ingredients.
 
When products are made sustainably you are purchasing a product where the environmental impact has been at the forefront of the brands business plan. Not only do sustainable products have a positive impact of the environment but it may also reduce long-term costs to the consumer through stronger, more durable materials.
 
What is harmful about purchasing a product that is not deemed sustainable? (Sweat shops, workers being paid fairly, product testing methods etc)

​‘There is nothing sexy about wearing an item that was made by a child’ - Jennifer Nini
I could talk about this topic without an end, it’s the topic that started KNOWN EFFECTS on it’s mission to make change. We have never been perfect, we still (and I’m sure always will) make mistakes but what we have learnt is to slow down in our purchasing and think before we buy.

​In a nutshell, when a product is not sustainable it effects the maker, businesses, the consumers & the environment. The makers are those who are employed by manufacturing or factory companies to make the products. Most face unethical working conditions resulting in a never ending cycle of poverty, child workers, wages below the living costs, health and safety risks and no restriction on working hours – and these are only a handful of ethical standards that aren’t met or followed by some manufactures. In many cases this has resulted in employee suicide.  Purchasing products that are not sustainable keeps these cycles going.

From humble beginnings, Chris Caley and Melanie McVean developed a unique natural deodorant paste which was free from nasty chemicals. Now they are the entreprenuers who founded No Pong, the deodorant which has gained a massive following.

Get to learn more about Chris and Melanie in our interview below - 

​When did you first start making natural deodorant?

We were making a variant of No Pong for about a year before we decided to turn it into a real-world product, so around 3 years ago.  It was quite a different product to the one it is today! 
 
The idea of applying a deodorant paste with your fingers seems quite different (I love it), what are the benefits to this type of application? 
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We believe it’s healthy and natural to be in touch with your body.  As outdoorsy people we’ve always been used to applying lotions and creams for different sports, so the idea of a deodorant paste comes quite naturally to us.
 
We’ve actually had a couple of really humbling moments because of the way No Pong is applied.  One customer contacted us to let us know that because it’s applied with her hands, she detected a lump in her armpit.  Thankfully it turned out to be benign, but it’s a good example of showing there is a benefit in being in touch with your body.
 
Another customer got in touch to tell the story of her daughter, who has a Neuromuscular condition similar to Muscular Dystrophy.  She can’t use sprays or rolls-on as she has difficulty holding them and making the movement required to apply them.  However, she is able to reach her armpit with her hands, and to quote her:
 
“You have brought back to a young lady, some dignity in achieving one of life's simple & basic every day task to an able body person.” 
 
We still tear up when we think about that!  We never would have thought we would have such an impact on anyone’s lives when we set out.
 
Another benefit of being a paste is that it means we don’t need to use any plastic in our packaging as many stick, roll-ons and sprays do!  We’re surfers and love the ocean, and have made a personal commitment not to use plastic anywhere in our packaging, and it’s all 100% recyclable
 
What are the health issues connected to using conventional deodorants and which ingredients should be avoided?
 
This might sound counter-intuitive coming from a natural deodorant company, but we’re science people as well and the truth is, the jury is still out.
 
There are lots of ingredients to be mindful of, and to be honest there is some conflicting research around some of them.  Aluminium is known to have potential to cause mutation to genetic code.  Parabens are known to mimic hormone functions, particularly oestrogen, and its well known effects on breast cancer.  Triclosan is a common anti-bacterial found in traditional deodorants, and actually banned for use in soaps by the US Food and Drug Administration, but not in Australia.
 
However, the scientific jury is out on the real-world, long term effect of many of these as used in deodorants. At the end of the day though, why use these ingredients at all if you don’t have to? 
 
No Pong is simple, natural, doesn’t contain any contentious ingredients and our customers would say is even more effective than traditional deodorants.
 
Which alternative ingredients do you use to replace chemicals and preservatives in your deodorant?
 
It’s not so much a matter of replacing, or switching out ingredients compared to traditional deodorants. No Pong comes from a different sheet of paper.  No Pong works by creating a water-resistant layer using coconut oil and beeswax, and uses this to carry the other bacteria busting and absorbent ingredients in No Pong.
 
Chemical preservatives are often added to other products to reduce the microbial growth that can occur when products are used in the real world.
 
Because No Pong is not water based, and is antibacterial by design, it’s naturally preserved and has an extremely long shelf life.  Microbes hate No Pong, they just can’t survive!
 
How do you see the natural deodorant industry evolving in the future?
 
We think the natural deodorant category will grow quite a bit.  As people start to cotton on to the fact that that natural deodorants can be simple, and ridiculously effective we think they will attract more and more attention. 
 
That said, not all natural deodorants are created equally, and there are definitely some products out there that don’t really do what they say on the tin!
 
Before you started No Pong, what types of deodorants were you using and why did you stop using these deodorants?
 
We’ve always been fairly health conscious, but we used to use low fragrance roll-ons without thinking too much about it.  After losing a relative to cancer, Chris particularly became more aware of what he was putting on his skin and eating, and around the same time we started experimenting with making a whole range of natural products from sunscreen and zinc, to deodorant.
 
As people are becoming more aware of their health and natural products, there are now quite a few natural deodorants on the market, what makes No Pong stand out from the others?
 
No Pong does what it says on the tin!  One of the things we do differently compared to other skincare and deodorant brands, is focus on doing one thing, really well. 
 
Rather than having a huge range, with loads of variants, or other non-deodorant products in our range we’re committed to being the best possible Natural Deodorant Company we can be, and creating the best possible customer experience anywhere!  As an online focused business, being really customer-first is an area we know we have to really be outstanding in.
 
We’re also about to bring out a version for people with sensitive skin which has been a long time in development and we’re quite excited about. 
 
Why is it particularly important for breastfeeding mothers to use natural deodorants?
 
It is particularly important for women in general, particularly those women who plan or want to breastfeed to avoid as many toxins and chemicals as possible.  This is because toxins and chemicals are stored in adipose tissue, which is mainly in the breast and then can be passed through breastmilk to the baby.
 
In regards to using natural deodorants, per se, well, this is a contentious one!  Melanie is also a Registered Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and there’s actually some controversy around use of essential oils during pregnancy and lactation.
 
Many natural deodorants use essential oils, either as an active ingredient or as part of their fragrance so it’s important for breastfeeding mothers to be aware of the ingredients in any natural deodorant they choose.
 
That said, there is a lot of information out there and not all of that information is evidence or research based.  We use high quality essential oils in our product to add a fresh scent and not for therapeutic value.
 
There is no current evidence that any of the oils we use in No Pong are not safe in pregnancy and/or lactation.  The percentage of actual essential oils per whole tin of No Pong is less than 0.5%.  These oils are a lovely blend, so that fraction is further diluted.
 
We are advocates for knowing exactly what goes into the products that you put on your body, so we publish the full list of the ingredients, including all of the essential oils in our fragrance on our website here: http://www.nopong.com/directions/
 
What has been the most rewarding aspect of creating No Pong?
 
Without a doubt the overwhelming groundswell of support we see, feel and hear from our customers every day.  From the hilarious, to surprise that it really works, to just the sincere thanks we often get for creating this product, it is truly humbling.  Without our awesome customers there would be no No Pong, so thank you!
 

La Mav has an international cult following and I can see why.     Australia's first anti-aging certified Organic skincare brand which delivers amazing results, based on a background of science, understanding and integrity.    

I had the pleasure of talking to founder and director Tarj Mavi to find out what lies behind La Mav's success.


What were the reasons behind your passion to start La Mav?

After the birth of my second child I developed a severe case of postpartum pigmentation and as I was not able to find a solution that was both effective and not harmful to my health, I decided to turn to nature. I was still breastfeeding and it was extremely important for me to find an alternative that was 100% toxic free. So, I took my knowledge as a scientist and my experience in the development field and started formulating products based on healthy, effective, organic ingredients that are good for our bodies, good for the planet and good for the generations to come. Cut a long story short - this is how the brand came into being. And I am very happy with what we have managed to achieve!



What is it about La Mav that makes it have such a large and dedicated following?

I believe the reason is that we do not only sell beauty products. We make constant efforts to raise awareness among people, about the importance of turning to organic solutions, avoiding chemicals, being nice to nature and all living beings.



Why is it important to use organic ingredients?

Because they are better for you and they provide long lasting results, in contrast with regular skincare products. Organic ingredients are more potent, they reach the deeper layers of the skin, nourishing it and helping the cells regenerate, while protecting them from external damage. Yes, you may not see the change after the first application, because none of the organic products contains petroleum by-products, silicones and other ingredients meant to make your skin appear better instantly, but fail to offer sustainable benefits in the long run. You can be sure, the results from switching to organic will not be far away and you’ll be amazed how good your skin can look and feel!



What is the difference between natural and certified organic skincare?

Unfortunately, in the past years, “natural” turned into just a  trendy word used to make products more appealing for customers, rather than carrying any meaning,  due to lack of strict regulations towards the products carrying this label. This means that even if the manufacturer states that what they are selling is natural, the truth might be far from that.

Organic, on the other hand, means that all plants used in the manufacturing process were grown in a pesticide, fertilizer, antibiotics and growth hormone free environment. This way there aren’t even traces of harmful and potentially dangerous chemicals in the final product. In order for a product to get labelled organic, at least 70% of its ingredients must be from organic origin. The good thing here is that there are regulatory bodies and organizations that are in charge of certifying, which products get labelled organic, such as: USDA, OFC Australia, Natrue, Ecocert. They have their specific strict requirements and if these are not met, it is not prohibited for the product in question to carry the “organic” label.

For those new to La Mav, which products should they start with?


Here I would strongly encourage people who are not sure of their skin type or skin conditions and the products they should start with to reach out to our staff, so we can give expert advice and recommend products to them, based on their specific needs and preferences. We are always happy to help with guidance and advice, whenever it is needed.



What is a unique feature of the La Mav range? How does it differ from other skincare lines?

All of our products are created after years of extensive research and we carefully picked the ingredients of each product, so they can be as potent as possible to encourage visible and long-lasting results. We are also the first brand that successfully infused makeup products with Certified Organic Rosehip Oil and Vitamin C – both proven to be irreplaceable aids in the fight against premature ageing.



What are the most exciting ingredients in the La Mav range?

If I have to be honest there isn’t one in particular that stands out from all others. Each ingredient was carefully selected because our main goal was to formulate all products that we offer in a way that they would be effective, yet gentle on the skin. The power of each formulation lies in the well-studied effect of the combination of all ingredients used. In order to capture this vision we have implemented a unique Three-Tier™ formula, which consists of BIO-ACTIVES, antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids, therapeutic grade herbal extracts, carrier oils and very gentle and soothing Essential Oils that provide a potent and result-driven concentration designed to work on the cellular level.



For those starting to change to a green routine, which product should be the first to be replaced?

The cleanser, definitely. Overdoing cleansing or using aggressive products  that wash away the skin’s natural oils and disrupt the lipid barrier, can have devastating effects on the overall skin condition and appearance. Even the greatest moisturizer can’t reverse the damage caused by harsh cleansing products. That is why it is important to pick wisely. You should look for a gentle, yet effective cleanser that removes impurities, keeping your skin healthy and good-looking, without leaving it dry or irritated.



Being the CEO of an internationally renowned company, how do you balance and maintain a healthy lifestyle?

I try to sleep well, eat well and take some “me time” no matter how busy my schedule is. I also finish every day with Bikram Yoga - it keeps me fit and it helps me relax and takes the stress away.

I spend every free moment I can get with my family – they are the most important part of my life and even one hour with them gives me a lot of energy and motivation to move on and do my best at everything.



What has been the most rewarding aspect about starting La Mav?

Meeting all those incredible people along the way who helped me in so many ways! Another thing that makes me happy is that more and more people are turning to the organic & natural ways of living and that our attempts to raise awareness actually leads to something. This was my initial mission when I first started the brand and I am super delighted to see the change already happening!





You can find out more about Tarj's skincare line at La Mav.