Children Of The Stars: Clean-Label Skincare For Mums & Bubs With Ingredients You Can Pronounce

When Olive Wong Chui noticed the abrasive redness on her niece’s chubby baby cheeks, she got down to work. As the founder of an all natural beauty brand, the UCLA alum knew a thing or two about maintaining healthy skin; her mother was a skincare specialist and Chui grew up at her beauty center where she was immersed in cosmeceuticals. After realizing that no amount of scientifically-developed creams or products would rid the bumps and rashes on her niece’s face safely or permanently, she honed in natural products suitable for infants, free from harmful chemicals like silicone, mineral oil, artificial fragrances and the like. A year later, the result of her labor of love became Children Of The Stars.

An all natural skincare line developed by local beauty cult fave, INUF Responsible Skincare, Children of the Stars offers gentle, non-irritating products made with minimal ingredient lists that are completely free of synthetic chemicals. In fact, the entire product line contains less than 12 ingredients and they are all ones you would easily recognize. “When I let my niece try the skincare sample my lab was working on, her skin healed in one week,” exclaimed Chui with a bright, infectious smile. “I knew I had to do something!”

The star ingredient in all Children Of The Stars products lies in organic olive essence. Derived from olive extracts, the natural source is formulated to absorb fully into the skin, boasts excellent repair and nourishing abilities, and protects from environmental stress. The entire line is also fragrance-free, making them ideal for infants, babies, even adults with eczema, allergies and other sensitives.

Made by a team of top industry experts from Hong Kong and the US, the rest of the ingredients are carefully selected based on their healing abilities. For instance, the Mild Face Cleanser contains a gentle blend of coconut-derived glycerides to protect the skin as it softly rinses off impurities. The hypoallergenic, soap- and sulphate- free Mild Body Wash is a gentle foaming neutral pH bath gel that cleanses and purifies the skin. The nine-ingredient based Baby SPF 15 is infused with chamomile to reduce the risk of sunburn and other damages by UV rays. Chui also developed a line of prevention and elimination oils for mothers pre- and post- natal. The Stretch Mark Prevention Oil is a mixture of chamomile, lavender and coconut extracts and vitamin E to help moisturize and maintain the elasticity of your skin. The Stretch Mark Elimination Oil, composed of highly anti-oxidizing vitamin E, squalene (found in olives), and a blend of collagen repairing peptides, is meant to be used post-birth and after nursing. Athletes who build body mass and muscle quickly may also find the Elimination Oil beneficial.

An art consultant by trade, following in her mother’s footsteps was mostly accidental. Chui’s luminous skin was constantly attracting attention from women asking what foundation she was using. Replies of “I never use foundation,” were met by a barrage of questions and requests for skincare tips. So much so that Chui soon launched a Facebook page to provide advice and support about daily skin woes. Soon after, she combined her lifelong knowledge of natural skincare and developed a product line to combat humid, subtropical climates. What started as a hobby grew quickly into a successful side hustle: I Never Use Foundation (aka INUF). Made in small batches at their Good Manufacturing Practice-certified, cruelty-free, research and development lab in California, Children of the Stars and INUF goes to great lengths to share their commitment to the environment. Their recyclable and FSC-certified packaging is made of glass so there is no danger of toxins leaching into the product. At their beautiful Tsim Sha Tsui store (which includes a just-opened brand new spa featuring six all-natural treatments, btw!), reusable tote bags are given in lieu of plastic bags. In addition, when you return two or more primary packaging containers (either from their signature INUF or Children of the Stars line), you’ll receive a small gift, a thank you from the company on behalf of the environment.

It can be overwhelming for new parents when it comes to the abundance of baby products on the market but having a keen eye when it comes to examining labels is paramount. Toxic synthetic chemicals are one of the biggest issues in the industry and the public assumes seemingly trusted corporations are using the safest ingredients, especially for products used on babies. It wasn’t that long ago Johnson & Johnson shocked the nation when they admitted they knowingly continued to sell their globally recognized Baby Powder even though it contained cancer-causing chemicals. “There are so many brands and products out there that say they are safe but they’re not,” explains Chui. “It’s our mission to raise awareness about our formula and show that our ingredients are as natural as we can find.”

Committed to the belief that all children deserve a promising future, INUF continues to give back with the launch of Children of the Stars. For every product it sells, the brand donates a portion of the proceeds to a local charity that helps sick children and their families.

13/F, Kolling Centre, 77 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, +852 3904 0390, info@inufskincare.com. Open Tuesdays – Saturdays 10AM – 9PM; Sunday 1PM – 6PM. Click here to place an order or find more information here. 

All images courtesy of INUF Responsible Skincare.