At the intersection of natural wellness, thoughtful design, and conscious beauty sits Foile — a skincare brand co-founded by New Zealander Alex Grima. With a background in fashion and a lifelong curiosity for holistic health, Grima’s journey into skincare wasn’t linear — but more intuitive. Grima shares how Foile was born, what beauty means to her, and why supporting skin should be as much about how you feel as how you look.
In conversation with Alex Grima
Growing up I felt drawn towards natural health modalities. I found myself so curious. I would explore the local health food store and was fascinated by herbs and remedies and more ancient approaches to health and beauty. I was working in fashion into my mid-20s when my co-founder Su [Suzanne Tuttle] and I met. I ended up leaving fashion and we were working together at Nimbus and Co, which Su had founded, a wellness space that offers infrared saunas and natural health practitioners. Through product development for this business we created Foile.
Foile is about focusing on fundamental formulations. Clean, vegan skincare that supports healthy skin. A range that is inclusive. We wanted to embody the down-to-earth energy and connection to nature that Su (co-founder) and I both experienced growing up, Su in Australia; myself in New Zealand. ‘Foile’ references the reflective quality of foil, to reexamine our approach, practices, and beliefs and imagine new ones.
It was quite by accident [we decided on skincare]. We started with the idea of a multi-use oil. When we opened our concept store in Sydney in 2020 we included face oils, clay, aloe vera etc, single-ingredient skin salves. We were able to refine the range in response to the dialogue we were having with customers. Our chemist then found us and we began developing our formulated range.
Our original intention was to create a refillable vessel. We wanted to reduce the waste in the beauty industry and offer a quality container that would last years of use. Quality and good design can be inherent to longevity so we focused on a durable material, a functional ergonomic shape, and a design you felt connected to, to encourage its reuse.
I approach beauty through my complete well-being, fortifying from within (mind and body) and my beauty feels like a by-product of that. If something feels off balance, I really think of treating the root rather than the symptom. Consistent gentle care, prevention, and long-term thinking are really what I try to ground my approach in.
[As a child] I remember at a sleepover I used my friend’s mum’s Clinique soap bar and was so excited by this idea of a routine. My mum has a really natural approach, loves botanical-based skincare, and I think this informed a lot of ideas about skincare. She has beautiful skin and didn’t wear make-up in the form of concealer or foundation. Seeing this role modelled was really valuable — that skin could be bare and beautiful.
We plan to continue to develop the range. We have a couple of products to release we have been working on for a long time, which we are incredibly excited about. We have recently launched in Europe and have an upcoming pop-up in Paris. One day, we would love to have a concept store again and create an immersive skincare experience.
This article originally appeared in Fashion Quarterly’s Winter 2025 issue.
As told to: Sarah Murray.
Photography: Supplied.
