Neada Deters and the Making of LESSE
*LESSE
*LESSE
Before she made skincare, Neada Deters learned how to read it. Years in daily publishing sharpened her eye for patterns that outlast trends. At DORÉ and later at VICE, she interviewed experts, tested extensively, and meticulously documented ingredients and potential formulas. This apprenticeship matters. It explains why LESSE feels edited rather than inflated, and why the brand is built on discernment.
LESSE began as a clear line in the sand. After struggling with cystic acne and extreme sensitivity for a decade, and following a dermatologist's urgent advice, Neada stepped away from the cycle of trying everything. She chose focus. The brand launched with just one essential serum, carefully developed for skin that needs calm. The intent was simple: fewer products, clear function, lasting results.
What appears as minimalism on the surface is actually a working method beneath. "Ritual over routine" isn't just a slogan—it's an invitation to approach the mirror with steadier energy and to measure progress by how skin feels, not by how quickly products accumulate. This emotional architecture is part of the formula.
The supply chain follows the same philosophy. Plants are grown or wild-harvested with care. Extraction happens on-site using solar power. Remaining self-funded protects standards when difficult decisions arise. You can trace a direct line from values to bottle without losing the thread.
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Credit: LESSE
Your journey began in Sydney with a strong Filipina-Australian heritage. How have those early cultural influences shaped your definition of beauty and informed your approach to skincare?
Those early years were foundational. I was always in the ocean and, so, makeup was never a consideration and we were taught to value skin care as an integral part of our health and overall wellbeing. After all, one in every two Australians are diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime, and I have visceral memories of being lathered in sunscreen from a young age. That constant proximity to nature also ingrained in me a deep appreciation of the power and potential of botanicals. Even as a child, I was aware that Calendula ointment could help ease the symptoms of eczema or that organic Aloe Vera would alleviate a burn.
My grandmother, who had emigrated from the Philippines, was also immensely influential in my way of thinking about beauty. She truly believed that beauty was the way you moved through the world, and shown through the compassion you imparted to others. But when it came to the practice of skin care, she had a very thoughtful ritual. As a mother of five, it was a moment, morning and night, when she could take time for herself, as she applied her oils and creams. As the eldest grandchild, she would let me sit quietly in the corner during this ritual, and I was always fascinated by how beautiful she looked in these moments of calm and connection.
You studied Literature and Art History before pivoting to media and eventually skincare. How do you see storytelling and aesthetics merging in your work with LESSE?
I hope we tell a story with every image we share but, most of all, I hope people feel a part of a larger story when they use our formulas. In a sense, we are building our own little universe with a defiantly new way of thinking about beauty—and every element of LESSE is very thoughtfully created in accordance with these values.
Credit: LESSE
Minimalism is central to your life philosophy. Can you describe the transformative moment during your backpacking trip across Asia that crystallized this value for you?
I have travelled extensively over the years but it was during a six-week trip in Asia that I realised all I needed was a small backpack. It might have weighed around six or eight kilograms. I believe I had one pair of shorts, a pair of linen trousers, one dress, a swimsuit, a few tops, and underwear. It was a seminal lesson in simplicity and living more for the experience of life than the objects that might weigh us down.
Despite years in beauty journalism, you still struggled to find products that truly worked for your skin. What emotional or professional tipping point pushed you to create your own line?
I had been struggling with cystic acne, hyperpigmentation and very sensitive skin for about a decade. But the tipping point was when I went to see a dermatologist and she told me I had some of the most sensitive skin she had ever treated, and that something had to change. I had exhausted every possible skin care line on the market in search of a solution, so hearing this was the push I needed to start LESSE and provide meaningful, efficacious solutions for those who had struggled just like me.
Credit: LESSE
You launched LESSE with a single product, the Ritual Serum. What was the intention behind this bold decision, and how did it reflect your resistance to industry excess?
The most important products in your skin care ritual are a serum and sunscreen. As I had been developing and testing the Ritual Serum, it had led to profound—truly transformative—results. I knew I wanted us to underline our focus on a slower and more intentional approach to beauty, so used this as a singular innovation through which to launch LESSE. Alongside our more recent Every Tone SPF 30, the Ritual Serum remains my most essential skin care hero.
How did your time at DORÉ and VICE shape your understanding of what was missing in the beauty market, and what needed to be reimagined?
As an editor at DORÉ, when it was truly a daily publication, I was interviewing beauty experts from around the world and testing every skin care product on the market. This was when my skin was truly struggling and so I was approaching my beauty features and reviews through both a personal and professional lens. I learned an immense amount and it was during that time that I also spent years researching and cataloguing ingredients and theorizing about potential formula innovations.
You often speak about skincare as ‘ritual over routine.’ How do you want your customers to feel when they use LESSE products, not just on their skin, but emotionally?
As someone who struggled for years with their own skin, I understand the pressure for perfection and the disappointment of feeling like your skin simply can’t ever get there. So often skin care becomes routine; a chore that we must perform morning and night. I want those who use LESSE to experience our products as a ritual—a moment for themselves, to reconnect and find appreciation for the person looking back at them in the mirror.
Credit: LESSE
In an industry that thrives on fast launches and endless newness, how do you maintain your discipline around intentional, slow product development?
It’s truly about focus and intent. We are very clear on our values and the change we want to bring about in the industry, and that is what continues to guide us forward—in every big and small decision.
You’ve been vocal about the industry’s failures in true representation and sustainable practices. How does LESSE seek to offer a deeper, more authentic alternative?
Of course we are here to create a viable business but, by remaining self-funded, we have removed any pressure to make decisions purely for profit or margin. We formulate for the needs of every skin type and diverse skin tones, we invest more in sustainable packaging and ethical practices. It’s inherent in everything that we do; our underlying business philosophy is simple: never compromise.
Credit: LESSE
Many of your ingredients are wild-harvested or grown by LESSE itself. What are the challenges and rewards of this vertical sourcing approach?
The rewards are numerous: we are close to the production, we are able to harvest for optimal efficacy at the perfect time, and we are able to minimise our footprint on the earth and create a more sustainable environment for ongoing cultivation of these plants. We even have an extraction facility on-site, which is 100% solar-powered. But it is of course more cost and time intensive.
As a self-funded founder, how have you protected the integrity of your vision while navigating growth and increasing visibility?
We believe that when you try to appeal to everyone, you connect with no one. There are so many overused playbooks for growth in the beauty industry and we refuse to subscribe to any. Instead, we believe there are countless people out there who might connect with our vision for skin care and, so, we simply stay true to that.
Looking ahead, how do you see LESSE continuing to challenge the norms of beauty, and what do you ultimately hope your legacy will be in this industry?
I hope we can begin to truly celebrate the infinite modes of beauty that compromise our diverse world today, and that skin care will become an industry of integrity. As far as any kind of legacy, I simply hope that we can provide a meaningful solution for those who, like me, have struggled over the years with their skin. I hope we can make people feel seen, supported, and beautiful in their own skin.
