As one of fashion’s leading voices in sustainability, Stella McCartney has shown a remarkable ability to lead by example through innovative methods such as the use of faux furs, plant-based leathers, and fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles in her collections. At the G7 summit in 2021, she even pleaded for world leaders to set policies to push the industry down an eco-conscious path. Now, the designer is ready to inject the same spirit into the beauty space. After two years of experimenting with the LVMH Beauty Division, McCartney is unveiling her first skincare line.
Consisting of a refillable cleanser, serum, and moisturizing cream, Alter-Care is rooted in vegan and natural-origin ingredients—the brand banned nearly 2,000 synthetics, including commonly used silicones and carbomers—for holistic alternatives to traditional cosmetics. Rich in unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, organic rock samphire delivers a similar effect as retinol; lingonberry extract is a superfood that boosts complexion; wild birch sap helps hydrate and rejuvenate firmness with minerals, sugars, and vitamin C.
Anyone familiar with McCartney’s clothing label will attest to her ability to provide substance without sacrificing style. The same can be said for her facial elixirs. In collaboration with French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, the products feature a custom scent that recalls the primordial landscape of her native Scotland. “Of all my early memories, none have the same unique freshness to them that my mind conjures up when I think of Scotland. The sea air circulating through the pine trees, falling off my horse when riding bareback into the bracken, that crack and the scratch—those are priceless moments in my memory bank,” she says. “And it’s all in these products.”
