we’re diving into the divine world of  clean beauty brand, Dieux Skin, with none other than co-founder, Joyce de Lemos. As a clinical cosmetic chemist, Joyce mixes serious science with a splash of skin care magic to create formulas that not only promise, but deliver, celestial-level radiance.

In our exclusive chat, Joyce spills the beans on her all-time favorite Dieux products and sets the record straight on some of the most common skin care myths that might be sabotaging your glow. Plus, she shares why Dieux Skin has become a holy grail brand for skin care aficionados who not only crave that heavenly soft skin but also value sustainability.

We know the brand is founded by a clinical cosmetic chemist, a career brand builder and a multi-hyphenate creative. Can you share the inspiration behind the creation of Dieux Skin and how you envisioned its place within the beauty industry?

From my experience in the industry, I learned that customers often felt distant or detached from the products that they were purchasing. Our goal is to create a brand that offered transparency to our community and to provide a world full of education to empower them to make the right decisions for themselves. We didn’t want to create another brand that sold miracles or dreams. We wanted our community to get real answers to questions like – What ingredients are in this moisturizer? How do they work? How much does this ingredient cost and where does it come from? At Dieux, we are proud to offer effective, clinically tested formulations along with transparency and education to help empower our customers.

Many customers rave about Dieux Skin products, describing them as cult favorites. What do you think it is about your products that resonate so
deeply with consumers?

At Dieux, one of our pillars is education. When we source ingredients, packaging, manufacturers, etc., we’re always asking questions to educate ourselves on their origins and practices to make sure they align with our ethos. We know we can’t be perfect, but we’re always going to try to do better where we can. I think this authenticity truly trickles down to our customers. In addition to the formulas being extremely effective, we’re also meeting them where they are when it comes to learning what skin care is best for their skin and embracing their key values of transparency and sustainability in the crowded marketplace.

Formulation is crucial in skin care. Could you shed some light on the process behind developing Dieux Skin’s products and the key ingredients you
prioritize? 

I always find myself comparing product formulation to building a house. The first step is to consider the purpose of the house, which will help me decide on the foundation and general structure. Then I think about all of the house add-ons and bells and whistles that’ll help us accomplish the purpose. Similarly, in formulation, I start with the foundation. I decide on the appropriate format (gel, emulsion, cream, serum) for the purpose of the formula. The foundation needs to be strong enough to support all of the add-ons and bells and whistles that’ll help the formula accomplish its purpose. In formulation, these are all of the active ingredients – niacinamide, Vitamin C, Glycolic Acid, etc. When we created Instant Angel, I knew what I wanted to create. It was inspired by a previous formulation that I had worked on with incredibly high performing, but expensive ingredients. I set out to create something similar without breaking the bank. I created a foundation that I loved and then hand picked all of the bells and whistles in the formulation to ensure that they were just as effective as the more expensive options but still performed just as well.

Let’s talk about some of Dieux Skin’s hero products. Could you highlight a few fan favorites and explain what makes them stand out in your lineup?

One product that has amassed a true cult following is our Instant Angel Moisturizer. It’s an an unfragranced, rich moisturizer that feels like silk without leaving the tell-tale *residue* of a richer cream. A lot of thick creams tend to feel super thick and greasy, so this product has amassed tons of fans since it restores your skin’s barrier without feeling heavy. We also recently restocked it in new packaging with a more compact tube that uses less aluminum.

Building a skin care routine can be daunting for first-timers. What products from Dieux Skin would you recommend for someone who’s just starting out with skin care?

Our Forever Eye Masks are a bestseller for a reason! Those are a great place to start because you can layer with other products you have on hand to replenish your under eye area. I’m also extremely proud of our Deliverance Serum. It addresses fine lines, uneven tone and irritation, so it can help a lot of different skin types.

Beauty myths are everywhere. Can you debunk one common skin care myth that you frequently encounter in the industry?

A common myth that I like to debunk is the idea that natural ingredients are inherently better. People often think that unprocessed, raw form ingredients are superior to those that are processed or synthesized, and that’s often not the case. Using natural ingredients such as botanical oils and essential oils allows for exposure to naturally occurring allergens. Also since natural ingredients are not controlled by a process or manufacturing process, they often vary in quality from batch to batch. I’m not saying that either natural or synthetic ingredients are superior to the other, but that there’s nuance with each ingredient and application, and that should be considered.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the skin care industry. How does Dieux Skin integrate sustainability into its practices, from sourcing ingredients to packaging?

Sustainability is a moving target and there is always more to be done. We reevaluate packaging yearly and have partnered with Bluebird Climate to measure and benchmark our performance off harm reduction goals. As a brand we are super mindful about making the smallest impact we can and are consistently working to improve our efforts in these areas by reducing and recycling. We make our formulas as efficacious as possible to reduce how much needs to be used. Wherever we can’t reduce or reuse, we work with post consumer recycled materials like aluminum and PCR plastics. Neither are perfect, but we are making the shift to recycled aluminum that is infinitely recyclable and is better if it does make it to waterways. We’re also increasingly sourcing existing recycled aluminum rather than virgin aluminum, which is mined.

Beauty trends come and go. What’s one skin care trend you predict will be huge in the upcoming year, and how is Dieux Skin prepared to embrace it?

I think we’re going to see a reintroduction of some old tried and true ingredients like retinols and plant stem cells or exosomes. These ingredients have been in the industry for ages, but were either too difficult to work with or too expensive. Advancements in the commercialization and stabilization of these ingredients and the creation of complementary ingredients to help with their performance or decrease their negative effects (as is the case with retinol and causing skin sensitivity) have made them more attractive to formulations and consumers. We’ve had our eye on these for a minute now and have been in the process of “embracing” them. Stay tuned!

Social media plays a big role in the beauty industry. Can you share any memorable fan interactions or experiences that have happened on your social platforms?

A young Filipino woman from LA just recently messaged me because she had seen someone post about our Sephora launch party in LA. She had found my Instagram. She said she was so proud to see someone that looked like her and had a similar family upbringing own a business and successfully launch at Sephora. It really touched me and brought me to tears.

Lastly, if you could only use one Dieux Skin product for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?

Of course, I have to say Instant Angel. I have incredibly dry skin during the Winter and Summer, so I always need extra moisturization. I always say that I love my babies equally, but I secretly love her the most.