Noella Gabriel: From Bandon to founder of global wellness brand

Cork woman Noella Gabriel has headed up the luxury skincare brand Elemis for over 30 years. Deirdre McArdle speaks to her as she 'brings the brand home' with a partnership with Northern Ireland spa Galgorm.

Noella Gabriel is global president and co-founder at luxury skin wellness brand ELEMIS, which recently announced a new partnership with Galgorm, Northern Ireland’s Premiere Spa Resort, offering an extensive range of high-performance products and treatments exclusive to Galgorm.

The first thing you notice when speaking with Noella Gabriel is how passionate she is about skincare. Well that, and her enviable complexion. For Gabriel, the co-founder and global president of the skincare brand Elemis, beauty is more than skin deep.

Gabriel was born in Bandon in Cork, and studied classical singing in the School of Music.

“Through singing, I discovered the importance of breath; I literally studied breathwork for 13 months at school. I became aware of how your whole body works together and affects what you see in the mirror. That’s where my passion for skincare was born.”

Gabriel went on to set up a health food shop called Acorn in Bandon with her older sister. “In a way, our shop was way before its time. We were focused on wellbeing and nutrition - I was studying nutrition at the time - and how what we do impacts our skin. We wanted to explore that idea a bit more.”

After 10 years running the shop, Gabriel moved to Dublin to become a beauty therapist, and then moved to New York to study aromatherapy. Three years after that Gabriel said she was ready to “take on the world”.

“I moved to London when I was in my late twenties and worked in Harvey Nichols. I absolutely loved it there. I found my home. It was like a real life Sex in the City. We were really leading in beauty innovation at the time and I extended my skill set there.”

It was here that the seed of Elemis was born. In 1990, entrepreneur and investor Linda Steiner approached Gabriel with a view to creating a skincare brand “as near to nature as possible”.

“Linda asked if I would be interested in being involved, and together with Sean Harrington, Oriele Frank, we founded Elemis. Sean, myself and Oriele are all still here today.”

The ethos of Elemis is also unchanged since its inception. “Every Elemis treatment starts with breathing. We’re a lifestyle brand and we believe that what you see in the mirror today is formed by the choices you made yesterday. That’s always been the mantra behind the brand,” Gabriel explains.

Now over 30 years old and in 111 countries worldwide, Elemis continues to stay true to its DNA. “It’s not always easy to do,” says Gabriel. “But our goal is to keep it simple and we never compromise on innovation. We don’t do gimmicks, and trends don’t phase us. Consumers can get confused if you jump on trends. And so we focus on the quality of our products.”

Texture and aromatics are an important part of the Elemis range, explains Gabriel, who says that over the years the brand has created “a texture library”.

“No two textures are the same. The skin is a sensory organ and we should stimulate it every day.” And when it comes to the aromatics, Gabriel says the scent of a product takes as long to sign off as the product itself.

But all that comes secondary to the clinical trial of each product. “The product must work. We have a big responsibility to the consumer who buys our products, they have to work.”

When it comes to hero products in the Elemis range, one product has stood the test of time. Its Pro Collagen Marine Cream was launched in 2003. This was Elemis’ first step into the anti-ageing space, and Gabriel was determined to make an impact.

“We wanted to disrupt the anti-ageing market. So we did our clinical trials and 56 samples later we signed off on our Pro Collagen Marine Cream.”

Then 10 years ago, the brand launched its Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm. These two products are the brand’s top two bestselling products, everywhere.

“The products are a favourite with two specific demographics. The balm appeals to the Gen Z market while the cream is popular with the more mature market,” explains Gabriel.

Galgorm, Northern Ireland’s Premiere Spa Resort.

In an increasingly competitive, and social media driven market, staying relevant is critical. “How and where the consumer shops are changing the skincare market. To stay relevant, we need to go to where our consumers are, and that’s TikTok, Instagram, YouTube,” says Gabriel.

But that doesn’t mean the Elemis products have changed. Instead, Gabriel says the brand has revamped its go-to-market strategy.

“Two years ago, the key was to be authentic, now you have to be relevant. Consumers have to see themselves in your products.” That’s where Elemis’ spa strategy has paid dividends. “Without a doubt, spas deliver our highest conversion rate for our products. A spa visit is an experience, and when people visit an Elemis spa, they fall in love with our brand, and they’re hooked on it for the rest of their lives.”

Elemis has recently announced a partnership with the world-renowned Galgorm spa in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. For Gabriel, bringing the Elemis brand to an Irish spa felt very much like bringing the brand home. “I am incredibly proud to be Irish. And this partnership stands out as one of the highlights of my career.” It’s been a long career full of standout moments. But Gabriel isn’t done yet.

“As long as I love what I’m doing, and I’m continuing to learn, I’ll be here. The skincare industry is a wonderful industry to be involved in. I love being involved in the creative side, and being hands-on with product development.” You can see Gabriel’s influence throughout the Elemis brand. She believes the secret to a good skincare routine is to be consistent.

“You don’t need loads of products, you can be consistent, but with very little. And it’s never too late to start a skincare routine. Your skin is a very rewarding organ that is just dying to respond.” For those of us in our late forties, Gabriel says oil becomes your best friend. “As your skin gets older, it gets drier. Oil is the secret sauce. A couple of drops of oil in the morning and evening will make a huge difference. You can spot people who have a serious skincare routine; they look ten years younger!” But Gabriel is quick to point out that self-care is also an important part of a good skincare routine.

“If you don’t take care of yourself, you’re no good to anyone. Take the time to look after yourself.” As it looks to the future, Elemis is doubling down on its spa strategy. Alongside the partnership with Galgorm, Gabriel says the brand is also re-imaging its future in the spa world. “We’re going high touch and high tech. Next year, we will be unveiling a new Elemis spa concept.”

After speaking with Gabriel for almost an hour, it’s clear that the Elemis brand is in safe hands. It’s hard to miss the passion this proud Cork woman has for skincare, and care in general.

• Noella Gabriel is global president and co-founder at luxury skin wellness brand ELEMIS, which recently announced a partnership with Northern Ireland Spa Resort, Galgorm, offering a range of high-performance products and treatments exclusive to the spa.