Q&A with Irene Forte

The Irene Forte skincare line perfects the balance between high-quality natural ingredients and scientifically proven formulations that are perfect for even the most sensitive of skin types.  

With the addition of 3 new products to the Irene Forte skincare line at greenlane, we found it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with Irene and find out more about the women behind the brand.

Please, can you tell us how the brand started, what was your main inspiration, and what were the most important factors for you when creating the brand?   

I had been working at Rocco Forte Hotels for almost a decade, overseeing their spa and wellness offerings, among a few other things. During that time and through my experience working with the spas, I saw the opportunity for natural and experiential formulations to be improved by scientific insight. I also wanted to create a business with sustainability at its core.

I had the perfect base from which to start a natural line with our organic farm in Sicily, but I knew that I needed a brilliant scientific mind to help me formulate. After a lot of research in Italy, I came across my formulator in early 2014: Dottoressa Francesca Ferri, who had started formulating clean cosmetics and food supplements over 35 years ago. Her philosophy lined up with mine, and I thought that she was the perfect fit to help me bring a ‘natural skincare line made better by the guidance of science’ to life.

After a number of years of development, as well as then trying and testing them with elite spa professionals in the Rocco Forte Spas, we created natural, plant-based (and certified vegan) formulations inspired by the Mediterranean diet, using ingredients grown at our organic farm in Sicily. They are guided by science and clinically proven. They have outstanding fragrance and feel, which is vital for the spa environment, but with low allergenic potential; we developed lab-formulated allergen-screened fragrances for our products and had them all clinically approved for sensitive skin. As a B Corp certified brand, I also built a business with sustainability at its core, which is incredibly important to me.

There is a lot of greenwashing in the clean beauty industry when it comes to sustainability, how do you make sure the Irene Forte brand is authentic?

We’ve built sustainability into our company’s DNA from its inception; it was not simply an afterthought, and we consider environmental and social impact with every decision we take. This is how we make it authentic.

I’ve listed some of my favorite sustainable beauty practices below:

• Ingredients: we grow ingredients on our organic farm in Sicily. Where ingredients cannot come from our organic farm, they come from local farmers in neighboring areas of Sicily or from reputable farmers in the Trentino region (where our lab is based). All of our ingredients are vegan. We have also integrated zero-waste upcycled ingredients made from nutrient-rich plant-based leftovers. 
• Packaging: all of our packaging is 100% made in Italy. Our outer boxes are made of paper with 100% recycled fibers, and we only use vegetable-based inks. The box liners are also made of 100% recycled fibers, and we have no plastic wrapping or extra paper inserts. Our bottles and jars are recyclable glass, where up to 31% of each glass product is made of PIR (post-industrial recycled material). All our 30ML and 50ML products are refillable, and the refill components can be recycled through our recycling program in partnership with First Mile, giving the components a second life. Our boxes have a QR code, which takes customers to a page explaining how to recycle the refill component. 
• Supporting local suppliers: just as we support local farmers, we also support local artisans who create our display materials, tools and special gift packaging. Sicilian ceramics are featured in all our luxury spas as well as displayed in our retail stores. These ceramics are all created by hand in Sciacca, a coastal town in Sicily that is a 15-minute drive from our organic farm. We use hand-plaited Sicilian 'coffee' as gift packaging, made from sustainable palm wood fibers and recycled fabrics. Sicilian hand-made bells start and end our spa treatments. We also use volcanic stones gathered from Sicily's Mount Etna in many of our treatments. The spatulas for our products are made by a carpenter in Puglia who uses sustainable local olive wood. The liners for our boxes are painted by a retired artist based in the North of Italy.
• Charitable partnerships: £1.50 of every Pomegranate Hand Cream sale globally is donated to the Lady Garden Foundation, a foundation that is committed to the prevention of all five gynecological cancers.
• Accreditations: other than packaging and ingredient accreditations, we are B Corp certified, as well as being certified by Positive Luxury for sustainable excellence.

What have been the biggest challenges for growing the brand?

I think my first big challenge was when I needed money at the beginning. Rocco Forte Hotels was interested in coming in, and if I had agreed to their initial terms, I would have lost the majority from the get-go. In hindsight, if I had agreed to these terms, it would have made it impossible for me to raise again, and the business would not have survived. While it was very tough to negotiate (especially with family involved), I didn’t undervalue the business and stood strong, and Rocco Forte Hotels has been a great minority shareholder since. 

But generally, there are challenges every day, especially with a start-up. I have learned to persevere, be resilient and never give up. I have also learned to have a team that I can trust and that complements my own skill set.

What are your favorite products, and do you have any tips for how to use them?

I love all the products for different reasons. However, if pressed, I would probably say the one product I cannot live without is the Hibiscus Night Cream. It is beautiful to apply; it's rich and smells delicious. Plus, it's efficacious.

At night, I love to pat the Phytomelatonin Rejuvenating Serum into the skin underneath the Hibiscus Night Cream. This product is a true breakthrough, and it took four years to develop. It’s extremely pure; it contains a patented extract of Phytomelatonin at 70% - an ingredient discovered by our Scientific Director that has been shown to triple skin cell vitality, regenerate and act as a super antioxidant, and 30% vitamin E. We have fantastic clinical trials on the final product, showing a reduction in all key signs of aging, as well as a soothing and calming effect on the skin.

What can we expect from the brand in the future? Are there any exciting new products coming soon?

We’ve had a very busy launch year, having introduced our trio of regenerating Phytomelatonin products (Phytomelatonin Rejuvenating Serum, Pistachio Face Oil and Pistachio Body Oil) as well as new body oils.

We’re working on some new breakthroughs for 2026 but cannot reveal much more yet.