Meet the Maker: Clean & Pure - Choose Skincare That’s Pure for You and the Planet
As part of our 2A Essence Meet the Maker series, we introduce inspiring founders whose passion, purpose, and creativity shape the brands they’ve built. This week, we’re featuring Mark Chapman, founder of Australian skincare brand Clean and Pure—a business that started in a family kitchen and grew into a global mission for honest, sustainable skincare.
Mark’s story began in 2004 when his wife’s painful skin flare-ups from chemical-laden products drove him to create something better. Using only pure, natural ingredients—free from toxic additives and low-grade fillers—he developed formulas that not only transformed her skin but quickly gained a loyal following. Today, Clean and Pure produces over 100,000 orders a month, staying true to its roots by crafting skincare that’s as kind to the planet as it is to your skin.
Let’s dive in!
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey?
I’m Mark Chapman, and Clean and Pure isn’t just a business—it’s a personal mission that started in our family’s heart and kitchen. Back in 2004, I watched my wife suffer from painful skin flare-ups caused by commercial skincare products packed with chemical cocktails. It broke my heart to see their discomfort, and it made me angry that the industry seemed to care more about profits than people. We ditched those products and started making our own, using only pure, natural ingredients we could trust—no toxic additives, no compromises. We were obsessive about quality, avoiding the low-grade RBD oils, cheap olive oils, or refined beeswax that even so-called “natural” competitors sneak in. Our homemade solutions worked wonders for us, and soon, friends and strangers online were begging for them too. By 2014, without a single ad, our kitchen was drowning in demand. We were mixing batches at the sink, pouring our hearts into every product, but we couldn’t keep up. In 2016, we faced a choice: stop or go big. So, we built commercial facilities, scaling from ten units to over 100,000 monthly orders. It’s been a wild, emotional ride—every product we make carries that same love and stubborn refusal to settle for anything less than pure, effective skincare. Now, it’s a full-time family mission, and we’re fighting to give everyone skincare they can believe in, free from the crap that’s out there.
2. What inspired you to start your eco-friendly business?
At first, Clean and Pure wasn’t about being eco-friendly—we were just a family desperate to fix my wife’s skin flare-ups caused by chemical-laden products. But as we grew, our eyes opened to the bigger picture. Travelling through West Africa and Asia, we saw oceans choked with plastic and realised Australia’s clean backyard doesn’t mean the problem’s solved globally. So, when options like plastic-free tubes and sustainable packaging became viable, we jumped on them—not to save the world, but to do right by our customers and the planet. We’re not environmental warriors, just a family making choices that align with our mission: creating pure, effective skincare that doesn’t harm. We switched to renewable power when solar and batteries became affordable—it’s better for the earth and, honestly, cheaper than the grid. We partner with suppliers who’ve ditched toxic chemicals like Glyphosate for natural solutions, ensuring our ingredients—like our award-winning Manzanillo olive oil and high-grade Manuka honey—are as clean as our values. Some products, like our sunscreens, need plastic, so we teamed up with Seven Clean Seas—every bottle sold means they remove its weight in ocean plastic, making it plastic-neutral or even negative if recycled. That’s sustainability to us: practical steps, driven by care, not preaching.
3. Tell us about the products you make. What makes them unique?
At Clean and Pure, we make skincare that’s as honest as it gets. What sets us apart is our obsession with quality: we use Australia’s best Manzanillo extra virgin olive oil, awarded for its excellence, and beeswax packed with hive goodness, not the low-grade RBD oils or refined beeswax that even “natural” brands sneak in. Our Manuka honey is high-grade, never the cheap stuff thrown in just for the name. We partner with suppliers who’ve ditched harmful chemicals like Glyphosate, using natural solutions to grow ingredients as clean as our mission. Unlike the faceless corporations dominating the industry with their KPI-driven products, every jar or tube we make carries our family’s heart, crafted to work without harming your health or the planet. That’s what makes Clean and Pure different: it’s personal, it’s pure, and it’s made by people who care.
4. How do you source your materials?
At Clean and Pure, we source our materials with the same care we put into our products—it’s about trust and doing right. We partner with suppliers, mostly local Australian ones, who share our obsession with purity, rejecting toxic chemicals like Glyphosate and synthetic fertilisers for natural, sustainable methods. Travelling through West Africa and Asia opened our eyes to global pollution, so we prioritise local sourcing to keep our footprint small and support Aussie communities. Unlike the big players churning out chemical-heavy products for profit, we’re a family choosing ingredients that don’t harm your health or the earth. Every supplier we work with is vetted to ensure their practices align with our mission: pure, effective skincare that’s kind to you and the planet. That’s not just sourcing—it’s standing up for what we believe in.
5. What does sustainability mean to you and your business?
For Clean and Pure, sustainability isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about practical choices that reflect our family’s values. It started with solving my wife’s skin issues, rejecting chemical cocktails that hurt more than they helped. That fight grew into a broader mission: making skincare that’s safe for you and the planet. Seeing plastic pollution in West Africa and Asia made us rethink our impact, so we adopted plastic-free packaging and renewable power when they became viable—not to be heroes, but because it’s the right thing to do. Sustainability means using pure ingredients from suppliers who avoid toxins like Glyphosate, ensuring every product we make is as kind to the earth as it is to your skin. It’s not about saving the world; it’s about our family’s promise to create something honest, effective, and built to last for the next generation.
6. What challenges have you faced in building a sustainable brand?
Building Clean and Pure is like climbing a mountain with two big hurdles: “looking down” and “looking up.” Looking down is what we control—crafting pure, chemical-free skincare, obsessing over ingredients from suppliers who reject toxic chemicals like Glyphosate, employees, commercial space, design and scaling from ten units to over 100,000 monthly orders. That’s hard enough, but looking up is the real fight—things we don’t control, like access to retail space. In Australia, giant retailers own over 70% of channels like supermarkets, and two people—one in Sydney, one in Melbourne—decide which two or three brands get nationwide shelf space. They won’t risk their KPIs on a new brand like ours, no matter how pure or effective. Securing retail space has been a slog, and funding the scale-up while keeping our sense of humour has tested our grit. Export markets were our lifeline—other countries don’t have Australia’s gatekeepers, so we built our name overseas first, which, funnily enough, made us popular back home. Through it all, a customer’s message about our products solving a long-term skin issue puts the pep back in our step. That’s the fuel that keeps us fighting, reminding us why we do this: to make skincare that’s personal, honest, and worth the struggle.
7. What are you most proud of in your journey so far?
Running Clean and Pure has been the toughest business I’ve ever tackled, but it’s also the most rewarding. I could have stayed in engineering, helping large multi-national mining companies build new mines, but that wouldn’t have fed my soul. Instead, Clean and Pure has brought our family—my wife, kids, and me—together every day, building a legacy we’re proud of. Everyone who works with us isn’t just an employee; they’re a friend, part of our mission to create pure, effective skincare we’re proud to put our name on. No engineering project could ever compare to the joy of hearing a customer say our products changed their life. Success isn’t about sales—it’s about the time we spend as a family, the trust we’ve built with our team, and the impact we make. That’sWHAT makes Clean and Pure the greatest venture we have taken on.
8. Any tips for customers who want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle?
If you want to live more eco-friendly, start by ditching the faceless corporations and supporting small, local businesses like ours at Clean and Pure. In Australia, big retailers dominate, and their profits often vanish overseas to corporate bank accounts. Keep your cash in your town—buy from local companies who care about you, employ your neighbours, and build your community. That’s not just eco-friendly; it’s smart. Second, say no to chemical cocktails. Choose products free from toxic junk, like ours, made with pure, natural ingredients that prioritise your health over some corporation’s KPI. You don’t need to save the planet overnight—just start with your town, make choices that feel right, and you’ll make a difference without even trying.
9. Where can we find you or learn more about your work?
Want to join our mission for pure, chemical-free skincare? Head to www.cleanandpure.com.au—our family’s hub where you can explore our story, shop our products, and see what drives us. Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes peeks at how we craft skincare with heart, not the chemical junk corporate brands push. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop on what we’re doing, from new products to our fight for healthier skincare. Join our community, ditch the faceless corporations, and come say hi—we’d love to have you!
10. Finally, what does the future hold for your brand?
The future for Clean and Pure is about doubling down on what matters: making pure, chemical-free skincare that changes lives, not chasing corporate profits. We’re a family fighting to grow our community, bringing more people into our mission for honest, healthy products that ditch the toxic junk. We’re working to expand our range—new moisturisers, cleansers, and more, all crafted with the same care as our kitchen days. Our dream is to break through Australia’s retail barriers, getting our products onto more local shelves so every town can choose quality over faceless brands. Exports will keep growing, spreading our ethos globally while keeping our roots firmly Aussie. We’ll deepen our partnerships with local, sustainable suppliers and explore new ways to cut our footprint, like smarter packaging, without preaching. Most of all, we want Clean and Pure to be a legacy—my wife, kids, and our team of friends building something that outlives us, making skincare personal for generations. Join us at www.cleanandpure.com.au to be part of it!