This beauty company lets fans submit ideas for products and vote on them - then it brings the best ones to life

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• The beauty and skincare world is known for having highly involved customers, but few companies so directly loop them into the product development process as Volition Beauty.
• Its model lets members submit their own product ideas, and if they receive enough support from fellow members, Volition will create and sell the products on its website and at Sephora.
• Cool user-generated beauty products include Turmeric Brightening Polish ($38) and Snow Mushroom Water Serum ($62). They're all made with clean ingredients and come with free shipping, returns, and a sample-sized tester.

In a world full of beauty and skincare products that hydrate, moisturize, illuminate, tighten, and exfoliate your face and body, sometimes you still can't find the one that will do exactly what you want.

Every great innovation starts with the question of "What if?" - which is exactly what the community members of Volition Beauty ask when thinking about the beauty products they need in their lives but don't see available on the shelves.

"What if blurring primers weren't just for your face?"

"What if your eyeshadow wasn't just for looks?"

"What if I could get the exact amount of sunscreen I needed daily?"

These are just a few of the real-life concerns members have that are soon going to be translated into actual products through Volition's democratic platform that connects beauty enthusiasts with experienced chemists, R&D teams, and labs.

The answers to the above questions, by the way, are a smooth and hydrating full body-friendly balm that fills in pores and fine lines; an eyeshadow containing Konjac root, which will retain moisture and reduce wrinkles on the eyes; and a non-greasy SPF 30 sunscreen in the form of small pre-dosed pearls.

Here's how Volition's process of ideation to shoppable product works:

1. Submit your idea: Volition's team reviews it for feasibility, brand fit and market potential.
2. Develop the prototype: If your idea is accepted, you'll work with the company to further develop the concept, product profile, campaign (where the idea can be voted on by fellow members), and prototype.
3. Post the campaign: It's now up to the community to decide whether your idea is a product they would actually buy and use.
4. See your product idea come to life: If it gets the necessary number of votes in a given time period, it will be made into a product to be sold on the site's shop.

Volition Beauty is every beauty and skincare enthusiast's dream company, not only for its unique involvement of members, but also for its clean formulation standards.

While it takes traditional beauty brands three to six months to bring a new product to market, Volition only takes three to six weeks. In this speedy process that involves a large network of development and manufacturing partners, it adheres to strict formulation guidelines. Shoppers are scrutinizing product labels with a thoroughness like never before, and Volition is listening to their concerns.

Its list of banned ingredients include sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, aluminum, BHA, and BHT. Its products are also certified cruelty-free. This level of care, balanced with high efficiency and shopper involvement, is rare in the beauty industry, and Volition's mastery of it all is a promising sign for the future of beauty.

Unsurprisingly, the final products are a hit.

I tried Volition's Turmeric Brightening Polish ($38, also available at Sephora) and Snow Mushroom Water Serum ($62, also available at Sephora).

The polish, containing turmeric, olive oil, sandalwood, and walnut shell, is an exfoliant that cleaned, softened, and brightened my skin without stripping it of moisture. I went through a period of time when I was using exfoliants that were too harsh and irritating on my skin, making me nervous to try the polish, but after easing into it and realizing how gentle it was, I became a bonafide fan.

The serum uses snow mushroom extract to deliver and lock in hydration. It left my skin unmistakably bouncy and plump every time I used it, and I noticed after a few weeks of consistent use that my skin was also softer.

You'll be happy to hear it's also easy to receive, try, and return Volition's products. It offers free US shipping, proof testers, and returns. With each product purchase, you'll get a sample size to try out first. If it works well, simply keep the full size. If not, you can return the unopened full size product for free.

Beauty brands often claim to be behind "the next big thing," but it's only at Volition where you can have a hand in the process and shop products with proven backing.

Submit or vote on an idea, and shop all beauty products at Volition Beauty here

Shop Volition Beauty products at Sephora here