Our time off in 2020 provided ample time for beauty lovers and even beauty novices to delve into our own bodies and figure out the routines that make us feel like the best versions of ourselves. Now that we are easing back into the hustle and bustle, skincare and beauty is not something you should plan on leaving behind. I sat down with the owner and creative force behind one skincare brand propelling the need for personalized routines and skincare products: Botnia Skincare‘s Justine Kahn.
How do you feel your experience as an esthetician helped in your transition into being a skincare business owner?
Whilst giving facials I didn’t feel as though the products met the personal standard of care that I aim to give, and there was a disconnect between what the bottles said and what my clients’ results were. Botnia was a 7-year process, which began as me wanting to heal my own client’s skin. I already had a background in the more medical and chemical side of skincare and ingredients. However, I wanted to explore a different avenue of skin treatment. So, I fell down a rabbit hole of learning about ingredients, chemical compositions, and cosmetic chemistry. I brought my research into my treatment room to see how specific ingredients performed on my client’s skin. I would say the process was a lot of taking my time and tracking results, and it was not an overnight process.
Discuss your background in holistic health and using your garden to influence your skincare line.
We nourish our bodies with plants and healthy substances, our skin is an extension of our bodies, therefore why not do the same for the skin? This led to us figuring out what plants and botanicals supply the vitamins the skin needs to get the chemical constituents from a healthier source. I would consider holistic beauty to be slow beauty. It is sometimes in the more chemically induced methods of skincare that we receive these quicker results. However, with quicker results there is a lot more room for adverse side effects, which is indicative of your body not being in alignment with the products used. Whereas, more holistic products produce results slower as the body begins to heal whilst supporting its physiological function.
In this age of aestheticized skin care, where skincare routines are heavily influenced by TikTok, Instagram, and visual aesthetics, how do you want consumers to incorporate your products into their routines and lives?
Well, I am in the beauty industry, so naturally I, along with most of us, want beautiful things on our countertop. Moreover, I do want to stress that our skincare routines are the only times of the day when we really give ourselves attention and self-love. So I think having an aesthetic routine and a beautiful countertop and space is great. What I will advise is to always consult an esthetician and receive your skin advice from a professional. That way, your routine is as beautiful as your skin.
You no doubt put your heart and soul into every product. However, I would like to know what your faves and must-haves are?
Right now, in my routine I use our Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which is our tried-and-true cleanser. It is a pH-balanced foaming cleanser that I use to really get that summer skin off. It has a lathery consistency, and we utilize chamomile extract from our garden as well as hydrosole. It’s made from our own garden and we make it as a team, which is a super-special factor for me. I also love to use our Hydrating Serum Hyaluronic Serum ,finished with our Daily Face Cream. At night, I love our Night Cream, which helps repair any summer sun damage and prepare the skin for the next day.
Discuss your packaging. I mentioned earlier about being in an age of emphasis on aesthetics in skincare, so what made you opt for a more clean-cut, simple look?
Initially Botnia packaging wasn’t so clean-cut. There would be a picture of the key botanical on the front of the product, and whilst I love flowers and, of course, botanicals are the main theme of my skincare line, I didn’t want to dictate what my clients’ bathrooms would look like – so that meant creating packaging that worked with every bathroom aesthetic. My packaging is overall more sleek and clean cut. However, for the personalized routines and products, we have a beautiful watercolour floral design on the front that can pull out, and it will have your prescription and how to use your products for maximum effect listed on it.
Speak to me about Botnia Atelier and Spa .
Well, our atelier is where all of our development is housed. It isn’t necessarily open to the public. We really love to approach skincare in a more hands-on fashion, so our atelier gives us that space to push our method of science forward.
In terms of Botnia Spa, we have 250 spas nationwide that are fully stocked with our products; we also supply the staff with training and education about the products and their composition. We believe that education is everything at Botnia – it is our foundation. It can be a lot to hold and support clients, especially through their skin. So, having consistent education is key for our estheticians to feel like they can give back to their community and do so holistically.
If you don’t mind, let me know your long-term goals and visions for Botnia.
Our main goal overall is to positively change the beauty industry. We want to create a line of skincare that treats the skin more specifically, which involves a global approach. We are taking baby steps because we recognize and want to embrace the ethical side of growing our business, but I will say that for 2024, we aim to expand to Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Then in 2025 we want to tackle the European market.
What is a valuable skincare tip you would personally give to clients?
Our environments affect our skin a lot more than we think. For example, New York is humid in the summer and dryer in the winter and that transition period can be a delicate time for people and cause breakouts. So, I would say skin cycling is popular and super helpful for combatting that. Of course, conversing and speaking to your esthetician is beneficial to understanding what products work best for your skin at what time, especially since they understand the environment and how to protect your skin from unnecessary negative effects.
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