Finding Our Formula with Founders Formula
In a world overflowing with skincare promises, finding something that truly works – and works naturally – can feel like striking gold. At the IN Noosa office, we’re always trying, testing, and talking about what makes us glow. So when Ann Donnarumma, founder of Founder’s Formula, stepped in to show us the science behind her award-winning botanicals, we couldn’t resist. Join us as we set out to find our formula with Founder’s Formula.
When it comes to skincare, our office is a lively mix of philosophies. Amongst us there’s Ali, our sporty, salt-kissed, minimal-effort beauty; Deb, our luxe-loving, on-the-go Editor-in-Chief; and me, kind of in between, with Danish skin that still hasn’t quite adjusted to the Queensland heat.
So when we were offered the chance to try Founder’s Formula, a homegrown, award-winning, all-natural skincare brand built on the power of Australian botanicals, we couldn’t resist.
We jumped online to take their personalised skincare quiz, which cleverly tailors products to your individual needs. A few days later, owner and skincare guru Ann Donnarumma arrived with our customised Discovery Kit: compact, beautiful and brimming with promise. It felt like nature itself had been bottled, and we were about to find out just how much difference science-backed botanicals could make.
Founder’s Formula is more than just skincare. It’s a philosophy. Rooted in the resilience of Australia’s wild landscape, the brand harnesses potent native botanicals known for their hydrating, brightening and anti-inflammatory properties. From the salvation of Kakadu Plum’s Vitamin C properties to the nourishing and cleansing power of Macadamia Oil, these ingredients have evolved to thrive under Australia’s harshest conditions, and so can our skin.
“Your skin deserves natural care, not harmful hormone-disruptive ingredients,” said Ann, whose passion for merging science with nature shines through every formula. The products are clean, clinical and results-driven.
No nonsense, no compromise.
If skincare could be a personality, Ali’s would be bare minimum with a glow. Our office’s ‘sporty spice’ spends her days between the beach, the gym, and designing magic in front of a screen. Often coated in SPF and salt spray, a simple yet effective routine was essential.
Her Founder’s Formula kit was built for her element-loving skin: a gentle Macadamia Oil Cleanser, Australian Botanicals Brightening Oil and Wild Rosella Hydrating Moisturiser.
“I’ve always been a foam-cleanser girl,” Ali admitted. “I’ve never thought of using an oil to cleanse.”
She says switching to Founder’s Formula has converted and transformed her skin, as well as her daughter’s.
“We love how the Macadamia Oil Cleanser melts away sunscreen and salt without stripping the skin,” she said.
“It emulsifies beautifully when mixed with water and rinses away easily leaving skin feeling clean but still hydrated.”
Her other go-to? The Australian Botanicals Brightening Facial Oil, a silky blend that evens out pigmentation.
“I never realised how dull my skin was until using this product,” she said. “I definitely noticed how it gave my skin a lift and a glow, without feeling heavy,” she said. “It’s easy, quick and I looked forward to using it after a beach day.”
For someone who’s never been one for fuss, that’s a win!
Then there’s Deb: our time-poor leader, always in and out of meetings, late-night laptop sessions and effortless glamour. She’s the first to admit she often falls into bed mid-email or post-party with makeup intact. Enter Founder’s Formula to change everything.
Her Discovery Kit also included the essentials of Macadamia Oil Cleanser along with Purslane and Commelina Gentle Balancing Toner and Australian Botanicals Pro-Ageing Treatment Concentrate Serum, a powerhouse packed with vitamins B3, B5 and hyaluronic acid, designed to hydrate, strengthen and smooth mature skin.
“I was surprised that the oil-based products didn’t actually make my skin oily,” she said. “They just feel good, luxurious and light. You can feel it working, so you want to keep going.
I was surprised at how effective the Macadamia Oil Cleanser was in removing makeup with little mess or fuss.”
Deb’s sensitive, rosacea-prone skin often reacts to exfoliants, but even the Wild Pandanus Exfoliating Enzyme Cleansing Grains left her glowing, not flaring.
When our Discovery Kits first arrived, Deb’s eyes widened. She laughed, half-joking, that our petite trial bottles would not last more than a few days.
“I’m a woman of excess,” she admitted. “I slather on skincare – the more the better right?”
Wrong. According to Anne, the skin can only absorb so much and the high concentration of botanicals only requires the smallest amount to activate.
To Deb’s surprise, all of the products, including the Wild Rosella Moisturiser lasted more than a fortnight, even with twice-daily use.
She’s now swapped makeup wipes for a bamboo cloth and a proper cleanse, adding in Lemon Myrtle BHA Refining Organic Cleansing Oil every few days to harness the antioxidant power of Lemon Myrtle to clarify pores, target congestion, and refine the skin texture.
Deb’s skin has never looked better.
“It’s actually made me question what’s in all my other products,” she said. “Especially the ones with ingredients I can’t even pronounce.”
And then there’s me. My skin is fair, sensitive and perpetually confused, torn between my Scandinavian DNA and Queensland’s fiery UV. I’ve always been low-maintenance, but lately I’ve realised that good skin doesn’t just “happen.”
My Discovery Kit delivered a warm, hydrating hug for my parched face.
The award-winning Macadamia Oil Cleanser has quickly become the holy grail for all three of us.
Recognised as one of the best Oil Cleansers at the 2021 Global Makeup Awards in Scandinavia (and the UK), this cleanser transforms into a silky, milky texture when mixed with water, leaving skin feeling clean, soft and nourished, never tight (unlike most other cleansers).
To remove the dead, dry patches, I’ve been alternating between the Wild Pandanus Exfoliating Grains and Lemon Myrtle BHA Refining Organic Cleansing Oil. These magical products sound like something out of a rainforest ritual but feel like the gentlest massage and care for my face. My skin now feels (and looks) like a baby’s.
And when the sun gets too harsh, the Calm Tasmanian Mountain Pepper Berry Serum soothes inflammation and redness to become my post-sun salvation.
As Ann likes to remind us: “Your skin shouldn’t be squeaky clean. It should be clean, lush and moist.” And she is on to it, as this feels just right.
What sets Founder’s Formula apart is how intelligently each product is designed to work with your biology.
Rather than masking problems, the formulas nourish and rebalance from within. Natural ingredients such as Kakadu Plum, Lemon Myrtle and Wild Rosella, have evolved over thousands of years to endure Australia’s extremes and that resilience transfers directly to your skin.
So, did our at-home trials work on our (very) different skin types? Let’s just say, after a few weeks, we were all glowing – literally and metaphorically. Our skin looked brighter, our routines felt simpler and our bathroom shelves became cleaner. For three women with completely different lifestyles, Founder’s Formula delivered the perfect balance for each of us.
Because, as we discovered: when nature meets science, that’s when the magic (and the moisture) really happens. We are so happy we found our formula!
WANT MORE?
Download the interview with Ann from our podcast.
