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WINNING FORMULA While Roccoco Botanicals continues to kick goals from its Yatala base, CEO Jacine Greenwood is shining on the world stage.
WORDS RHONDA OXNAM IT’S BEEN A LONG ROAD TO SUCCESS, both literally and figuratively, for Roccoco Botanicals founder Jacine Greenwood. Born in Mount Morgan, a very small mining town outside Rockhampton, Jacine grew up in Brisbane and spent time in rural Western Australia before returning to Queensland, where the business was established. But it was in New York City that she reached the peak of her career to date, when Roccoco Botanicals' signature product, Ruby Crystal Cleansing Balm, won the prestigious Alle Award for most innovative product of its class. “I got an email from Cosmetics and Toiletries to tell me about the awards because I’m on their contacts list,” Jacine explains. “I thought ‘this looks interesting’ and I started my submission but when I saw what was required, I backed out because you are up against major players.
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“Then on the last day before it was due, I received a reminder saying ‘we notice you have not completed your application’ so I decided to enter. “My thoughts were … ‘What’s the worst that can happen? You aren’t going to win, just apply and get the feedback’." Luckily, Jacine’s instincts were completely off base. Not only did Roccoco Botanicals make the finals, they became the first Australian brand in the Awards’ ten-year history to have won. “Without sounding egotistical, we do have the best product on the market, nothing out performs us,” says Jacine. “We’ve essentially grown by word of mouth and we wouldn’t have been able to do that, to the extent that we have, if the results weren’t there. “It’s not until people actually try the product that they realise how good the brand is.”
But let’s back track a little to discover how and why Jacine ended up on that stage, in that city, accepting that coveted award. “I had cystic acne from when I was a teenager and I could not find a solution for it, the treatments and antibiotics just dried my skin out and made it super sensitive,” she explains. “From when I was 18 to around 25, I went to all the beauty counters in the major department stores and tried just about every product to fix my skin and none of it worked. “I also visited a lot of skin clinics and found it interesting that I would get conflicting information. “I’d go to one therapist and they would tell me one thing, I’d go to another and they would tell me something different and I thought ‘this can’t be right … I’ve got two people giving me two different answers and none of it is working’ so that’s when I decided I would go and train as a skin therapist.”