The silk road to beauty
Seresilk is the only Australian cruelty-free silk-based skincare product in the world. The four-step night routine range uses only 24 ingredients and harnesses silk’s natural healing properties.
Segmento talks to the founder of Seresilk, Taylor Battistella, a young Italo-Australian who laid the foundation of his business when he was only 12.
Taylor Battistella was in Year Six when a school video about silkworms inspired his interest, prompting him to buy 100 eggs. His silkworms multiplied prolifically, and before long he had around 25,000 eggs on his hands. Seizing the opportunity, the future tycoon went online to start his first business. Initially selling them on eBay, he then launched his website, Everything Silkworms, evolving from retail to an education-focused business supplying schools across Australia. Using his parents’ home as his headquarters, Taylor took care of every aspect of the business, from packing and shipping to marketing and growing supplier relationships.
Taylor credits his entrepreneurial spirit to his Italian father, who, as a young immigrant to Australia, could not afford prosciutto, so he decided to produce it himself. “Start now” is the fundamental business tip that Taylor shares with us. “I did not have the pressure of paying rent and bills when I was 12, so, by the time I was 25, I had savings which I could put into my business and build an existing client base.”
In addition to his heritage, Italy played a significant role in the development of Seresilk. In 2017, he pursued a dual-degree program at Monash Business School, focusing on accounting and marketing. Concurrently, to honour his Italian roots, he pursued a diploma in Italian and participated in an exchange program at Università Bocconi in Milan. Taylor’s time in Milan provided him with an unexpected opportunity for business growth. While there, he encountered a woman interested in purchasing his silk for skin care. Silk’s therapeutic properties, known for millennia, stem from its 18 amino acids, which closely resemble those found in human skin, aiding in wrinkle reduction. Women working in Chinese silk farms are renowned for having incredibly soft hands due to the amino acids rubbing onto their hands as they handle the silk.
Taylor’s silk is highly sought-after due to the transparency of its supply chain and Australia’s ability to cultivate the highest quality silk thanks to its pristine environment. He emphasizes the importance of a healthy ecosystem, which promotes the well-being of mulberry trees—the primary food source for silkworms—resulting in healthier silkworms and superior silk production. Taylor ensures the natural life cycle of his silkworms, selling their eggs through his education business and repurposing silk waste into skincare products through hydrolysis. Seresilk’s exfoliators are crafted from clean cocoons, providing a natural and effective skincare solution.
Taylor delved into research, driven by his curiosity and his lifelong battle with acne. Despite lacking access to specialized facilities, he persisted, ultimately partnering with a lab chemist to develop hydrolyzed silk formulations. After extensive testing and refinement over 36 months, Seresilk was born. Taylor’s entrepreneurial journey, however, faced challenges, particularly in packaging design, where he meticulously oversaw every detail. Notably, Seresilk’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its use of recycled bottles sourced from China.
Merging centuries-old silk traditions with a modern approach, “Seresilk comes from combining my knowledge of silk with spotting an opportunity in the market to create demand for my supply, and hopefully generate the birth of an Australian silk industry,” Taylor explains. Silk’s inherent benefits, such as collagen stimulation and formulation stability, simplify skincare routines without sacrificing effectiveness. Seresilk’s product range—comprising cleanser, night serum, night cream, and exfoliator—features straightforward formulations with only 24 ingredients and no fragrances, in contrast to the up to 515 ingredients used daily by the average woman on her body. Tested on Taylor’s severe acne yet suitable for all skin types, Seresilk prioritizes night-time skincare to optimize skin regeneration and repair, enhanced by the inclusion of vitamin A, which is absent from day cream as it increases photosensitivity.
Seresilk focuses on refining skin texture, minimizing pores, reducing wrinkles, and nourishing and protecting the skin barrier for a radiant complexion.
During his time in Italy, Taylor resided with his cousins in Veneto, where he delved deeper into silk production. Veneto boasts a rich silk tradition dating back to the 12th century following Marco Polo’s Silk Road travels. While Italy is now known more for silk processing, efforts to revive traditional production methods are underway. Taylor visited silk-production facilities at CREA, the Council of Research in Agriculture and Analysis of Agricultural Economics, based in Padua, finding the experience invaluable for Seresilk’s development. Seresilk’s cocoon exfoliators use Veneto silk, ensuring transparency and quality. Taylor shares with a chuckle that the brand name Seresilk originated in Italy as well, blending Ancient Greek and modern elements to evoke the essence of silk: “I was talking about my business to this guy, Fasma, who’s a rapper, so he’s good with words and told me that the word sêres (Σῆρες), from Ancient Greek, means “land of silk”, referring to China. I liked that, and I incorporated the word silk into it, envisioning the intertwining S’s forming a strand of silk, which then became the brand’s logo.”
Taylor showcases his products at events like The MindBodySpirit Festival in Melbourne and shares his journey in various media outlets nationwide. Recognized for his talent, Taylor serves as an ambassador for the Financial Times Talent Program, uniting the most promising emerging business leaders globally for intensive three-day competitions, where he was the inaugural Australian finalist in 2020.
Looking ahead, Taylor envisions expanding beyond silk sales and exploring innovative uses for silkworms, such as in-ear implants, knee reconstructions, and sustainable fashion. He aims to utilize the entire silk lifecycle, minimizing waste by converting moth remains into bio-gas and fish food. With a blend of passion, perseverance, and a nod to his Italian roots, Taylor Battistella’s journey with Seresilk combines tradition and innovation, leading the way to a future where beauty and sustainability intertwine on the Silk Road to success.
Cover image: Taylor Battistella, Founder and CEO of Seresilk
