The realm of entrepreneurship encompasses a myriad of leaders who have pushed the boundaries of innovation to carve out their own niche in industries. Jacine Greenwood, CEO of Roccoco Botanicals is one such exemplary visionary leader. She has been breaking new grounds by exploring immense possibilities in the field of beauty and skincare to make a real difference.
Regarded by clients as ‘The Fairy Godmother of Skin, Jacine possesses over two decades of experience as a Beauty Therapist combined with a comprehensive background of cosmetic formulation. Having six Diplomas and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, she exudes profound expertise and knowledge in revolutionizing the industry. It is her commitment to solve skin problems and her acumen in business that embarked her upon venturing into a new journey with Roccoco Botanicals.
Today Roccoco Botanicals grew into a renowned skincare brand, formulating innovative skincare products to treat and maintain acne-prone and sensitive skins. It is Jacine’s dynamism, dedication and expertise that has plummeted the brand to new heights. The CEO Views team interacted with Jacine to know more about her business story.
CEO Views: Why did you decide to start your own business? What sparked your interest in this space?
Jacine Greenwood: My interest in starting my own brand stemmed from my personal skin struggles. Unable to find a solution for my cystic acne skin, I did not want my children to endure the devastation of self–esteem that I went through. Cursed with genetics of severe acne but not only eczema, meant that many acne products on the market were simply not suited to my skin. It is from this struggle that I now help thousands.
CEO Views: Starting from scratch might not have. been easy for you… How was your journey in establishing your business?
Jacine Greenwood: When I started, I started with nothing but a mission and pure grit. I had 120K divorce money and I sank it all into my business. From my kitchen sink to New York, we grew this brand into three countries without any paid ads.
CEO Views: What have been the most significant accomplishments and milestones so far?
Jacine Greenwood: The most significant accomplishments to date have been winning the Alle Awards from Cosmetics & Toiletries, which are the Oscars of Cosmetic Innovation and Ingenuity. This was my pinnacle as a chemist. My pinnacle as an entrepreneur was winning the Most Influential Women at the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards in September 2023, as well as Best Beauty Brand. It meant more to me than being named in the Financial Times High Growth Lists of 2022/2023 and also being Australia’s fastest–growing beauty exporter of 2023.
CEO Views: What kind of botanical solutions does the company offer? Can you please explicate in brief about your offerings?
Jacine Greenwood: Our products are anywhere between 94-100% natural, with solutions for every possible skin condition that you can imagine. From acne and eczema through to aging skin that is pigmented. We have a particular love of Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs with a high portion of our herbs. coming from these cultures. Australian Botanicals are also abundantly used with us being able to tap into unique bioactives from Indigenous Australian plants that have not been discovered before.
I believe everything is possible. Without this belief system, you won’t experiment or try new things. It is crucial for innovation and thinking outside the box.
CEO Views: What approach do you follow to treat acne and sensitive skins in a better way?
Jacine Greenwood: Our approach to acne is very different in that we don’t overly exfoliate, instead we focus on reducing inflammation and removing biofilms. Our actives focus on preventing bacteria communication which prevents the immune system. from being activated. This results in less breakouts but also less scarring.
Sensitive skin isn’t just treated with soothing and calming actives. The challenge with these actives is they don’t retrain the skin to stop being so sensitive. We work on the skin barrier function and also the skin receptors, so the skin stops overreacting and being sensitive to everything.
CEO Views: You possess an unparalleled career with decades of experience as a Beauty Therapist combined with a comprehensive background of cosmetic formulation. How your experience and expertise have contributed in your entrepreneurial journey?
Jacine Greenwood: Having a thorough knowledge of skin has assisted massively with cosmetic formulation. Being able to test and treat skins with my products first hand has been what has made the difference. We get to see long–term the effects of our cosmetic formulation and we can adjust accordingly if we need to. Most chemists don’t see what their products do on a long–term basis.
CEO Views: What kind of leadership approach do you follow to set new benchmarks for the skin care industry?
Jacine Greenwood: I believe everything is possible. Without this belief system, you won’t experiment or try new things. It is crucial for innovation and thinking outside the box. I also ask the question of how can we do things differently. How can we innovate? Simply by asking these questions, your brain starts to look for opportunities of how it can be achieved.
CEO Views: What major trends or developments are you observing in the sector? How does your company make use of technological advancements to deliver the best outcome?
Jacine Greenwood: There is definitely a trend towards waterless at the moment in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and reducing environmental impact.
We look for ingredients that have novel technologies for delivery or they can present a novel way of using an ingredient in a format that has not been done before.
CEO Views: What acts as the driving force behind the innovations at Roccoco?
Jacine Greenwood: It is the desire to help people that is the main driving force. So many people or cultures have issues with their skin, simply because nobody has provided them with an alternative. I love looking at what problems are not being solved in the market and identifying novel ways of fixing these issues. This is how we innovate at Roccoco.
CEO Views: What are some of the key challenges and opportunities that you are observing in the industry, and how you are approaching them?
Jacine Greenwood: One of the challenges at the moment is everyone is pulling in their cash. We are approaching this by providing exceptional results that overcome the price objection. We have often found people don’t mind spending money when they get the desired results. It is when they don’t have their problem solved that they get frustrated.
CEO Views: What are the factors that differentiate Roccoco from others in the market place?
Jacine Greenwood: Our products are so multifunctional and safe for both sensitive and acne skins. Nobody is like us in the market. We have carved our own niche.
CEO Views: What do you see as the future of the industry? How do plan to position your company to thrive in that future?
Jacine Greenwood: The future of the industry is more eco–conscious products. We are looking at how we can incorporate recyclability more into our range with refillable pods and pouches. We have already launched our first refillable fully recyclable refill pouch for our Ruby Crystal Cleanser.
CEO Views: What advice would you give to the budding entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders who are just starting their own business? Jacine Greenwood: Don’t over think things. Procrastination kills more dreams than anything. Just go for it and start. If you take the first step the path. is often revealed.
