Catalina Wilkinson – San Margo
Life Instyle chats with Catalina Wilkinson, Managing Director of San Margo to discuss the brand, how the idea first came about and her brands plan for the future.
Can you give us an insight into your retail brand's history and the journey that led to its creation?
I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, and my chances of conceiving were extremely low. I threw myself into research - combining IVF with nutrition, movement, supplements, sleep, and detoxing our home and personal care routines. Against the odds, our son Arthur arrived, and everything changed.
Along the way, I struggled to find products that were clean, effective, and intentionally packaged. San Margo was born from that journey: natural, high-performance skincare, haircare, and ingestibles that support wellbeing inside and out-with minimal impact on the planet. Made in New Zealand and inspired by our carbon-capture farmlette, it’s wellness built with integrity and heart.
What drew you to exhibit at Life Instyle this year, and how does the show reflect your brand’s ethos or aesthetic?
Life Instyle curates brands that value design, quality, and originality-making it the perfect place for retailers to discover San Margo. The show champions thoughtful creation, mirroring our approach to formulation, testing, and packaging. Retailers come seeking brands with depth and purpose, not just trends-so when San Margo won the New Breed Scholarship, it was an easy yes!
What gap in the market—or personal passion—sparked the creation of your brand?
San Margo fills a very real gap: women in their 30s and 40s navigating sensitive skin, fertility journeys, or early perimenopause-or all of the above-are underserved. Most brands force trade-offs: effectiveness or gentleness, beauty or sustainability, science or sensoriality.
We created a white space for high-performance, naturally based formulas that support skin, hair, and wellbeing through hormonal complexity-without compromising safety, sustainability, or elegance.
What do you believe sets your brand apart in today’s competitive retail space?
San Margo solves for sensitivity, sustainability, and luxury-without trade-offs.
Our formulas are fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested, science-backed, and designed for real concerns: aging, dryness, fine lines, thinning hair, scalp irritation, intimate dryness, gut and sleep challenges.
Our packaging is thoughtfully engineered to be recyclable curbside, with minimal pigments, no acrylics, and materials verified by APCO. Clean, effective, consciously packaged care-elegant, high-performance, and genuinely supportive at every life stage.
Could you share your personal favourite product, and why it holds significance?
The Bakuchiol Super Elixir Facial Oil. It was our first perfected formula and embodies everything San Margo stands for: gentle yet high-performing, backed by real testing. It delivers retinol-level results without irritation. It’s my desert-island product that I look forward to using every night.
What were some of the biggest hurdles in starting your brand, and how did you overcome them?
Packaging was a huge challenge-I refused to make sustainability claims I couldn’t back. Formulation took many iterations to balance performance with sensitive-skin suitability. And, of course, bootstrapping as a new mum required persistence, clarity, and countless late nights.
What feedback do your customers frequently give, and what do they appreciate most?
They tell us: “Finally - products that don’t irritate my skin but actually work.” They love the transparency, the gentle formulas, the recyclable packaging, and the results they can see.
How did you first get involved with Life Instyle, and how do events like this help?
I was lucky enough to be this years winner of the Life Instyle New Breed Scholarship. When I launched San Margo, Life Instyle instantly felt like the right place to meet thoughtful buyers and design-led stores. Events like this let us share our story in person - which creates connection in a way online can’t replicate.
Can you highlight some proud achievements or milestones?
Launching dermatologist-tested formulas from day one
APCO verification for packaging
Stocked in design-driven retailers
Features in Marie Claire and other publications
Customers sharing product results exceeding expectations
Winning the Life Instyle New Breed scholorship
Building a brand while raising a toddler-probably the biggest milestone!
Is there a piece of business advice that shaped your journey?
“Build the thing you wish existed - and be uncompromising about the details.”
It’s easy to get swept away by social media trends; it’s harder (and more longlasting) to build something genuine with integrity.
Any brands you admire or draw inspiration from?
I admire brands that blend science and soul - ones that obsess over the details, communicate with clarity, and don’t underestimate their customer’s intelligence. The ones who create a brand universe which you instantly feel a part of.
How do you stay in tune with what your customers want as trends evolve?
I’m constantly in conversation with them - DMs, email, early product testing, surveys, and real-world retail feedback. Sensitive-skin customers are incredibly honest and engaged; they tell you exactly what they need. I also track ingredient, formulation, and packaging innovations closely.
Core values that steer your brand?
Empowerment | Authentic community | Sustainability | Innovation | Expanded hope | Natural wellness | Joy & delight
What’s next for your brand-and what dreams are you chasing?
Expanding retail and distribution, growing our range with community feedback. Long-term, San Margo will be a trusted modern wellness brand-scientific, sustainable, beautiful, giving back 1% to the planet. Loved worldwide, proudly made in New Zealand.
Rapid Fire Questions
Personal motto or mantra?
Always strive to do better, be the best version of yourself, and realise your full potential.
Dinner with anybody?
Gwyneth Paltrow, Lacy Phillips, and Celeste Barber - each inspiring in very different ways!
A hobby people might be surprised by?
We live on a 50-acre farm; weekends are spent planting, lambing, and tracking carbon-capture trees.
Go-to pick-me-up song?
My Spotify algorithm’s hijacked by Blippi and The Wiggles, so I stick to Triple J, George FM, or podcasts.
Advice for someone starting their own journey?
Start today. Focus on your brand, know your customer, and take one step at a time. Stay true to your values, trust your skills, and lean on your network - your unique perspective is your superpower.
