In April 2022, a team led by Year 3 NUS Philosophy student Aingeal Keong came ahead of more than eighty teams in the Green Track to get one stop closer to clinching a spot in the International Finals of L'Oréal Brandstorm 2022, a competition challenging anyone below the age of 30 to pitch ideas for a more inclusive, sustainable, and revolutionised beauty industry.

The team named ré: hydrate is hoping to garner enough votes so they can travel to Paris in May to represent Singapore on the global stage. We caught up recently with Aingeal, who is also the President of the Philosophy Interest Group at NUS, and asked her why and how her team came upon the idea of water-free skincare, and their thoughts on becoming one of only three teams (along with the winners of the Inclusivity and Tech tracks) to represent Singapore in the global semi-finals.

Congratulations on coming ahead of more than 80 other teams to clinch a spot in the International Semi-Finals! How do you and your team feel about being national champions?
We're extremely excited and grateful to have our ideas recognised amongst many capable teams! With this being my first case competition, it was a really eye-opening experience to be in a room full of talented and friendly people that I can get to know and learn from!

Tell us more about what your team, ré: hydrate, pitched.
Our idea revolves around re-inventing the way we use skincare. Traditionally, products like serums, creams, and body soaps contain 60-85% water — and that adds to the shipping freight cost as well as strains local water supply at manufacturing plants. We aim to make L'Oréal the leaders in water sustainability by pivoting the industry towards water-free skincare. This would mean powders, bars, and even tablets!

How did your team come up with this idea in the first place?
Many people talk about plastics and carbon emission when it comes to sustainability. However, there is more to sustainability than just that. We decided to work on an oft neglected part of the sustainability movement for the Green track—water scarcity!

What motivated you to enter the competition, and specifically the Green track?
I found out about the existence of case competitions just this year, actually! I've been working at a sustainability-focused corporate venture while studying this semester, and the idea of pitching a business idea revolving around sustainability really intrigued me. When I saw the call for submissions for L'Oréal Brandstorm, I just knew I wanted to try something completely new and different from what I usually do in Philosophy or at work.

On a more personal note, I'm very passionate about finding solutions to push industries towards adopting sustainability practices. With so much greenwashing going around, I'm eager to find ways to push for more impactful sustainable business practices. Sustainability is a holistic endeavour, and that means looking beyond carbon credits—we need to look at things like water and energy consumption that are often overlooked, but integral in everyday sustainability practices.

How will the International Semi-Finals be different, and do you feel that the team is prepared, both emotionally and mentally?
Previously, we were judged by our presentation, which consists of 10 slides. However, at the International Semi-Finals, we'll be judged based on our 1-minute video submission and a 1-page infographic. Also, there's a public voting element to it—so we'll definitely need to garner the support of our fellow Singaporeans to bring Singapore to the International Finals!

What do you think can be done to inspire others to think like you and work toward the same cause?
A lot of education, definitely! We need to bring forth awareness that sustainability is multi-faceted, and it requires us to make the push for solutions that can be adopted industry-wide. Businesses have the means and capabilities to make the shift, so it's in our interest to have them adopt solutions that are not only beneficial to them (monetarily speaking), but also have positive externalities on the world.

Is there anything more you'd like to share with us before you head off to Paris?
Look out for the voting window, which will open on 2 May 2022! We'll need everyone's support to bring Singapore all the way to the International Finals, so be sure to get your votes ready for Team ré: hydrate (Green Track), Team Translucent (Inclusivity Track), and Team WINx Tech (Tech Track) SG.

—Story by Yuki Koh