The secret to soft, nourished skin may be at your nearest farm. Brent Ridge, MD, is the co-founder of the skincare brand Beekman 1802. He is also on the Board of the Farmer’s Museum, based in Cooperstown, NY. Dr. Ridge and his partner, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, were inspired to develop skincare products after moving to Beekman Farm in Sharon Springs, New York. This idyllic farm is home to over 100 goats, many of whom contribute Beekman 1802’s key ingredient: goat’s milk.
Beekman 1802 is at the forefront of the farm-to-skin movement. The founders are deeply involved in sourcing farm-based ingredients to use in their skincare and body care lines. I’ve used the brand’s Body Bar Soap, made with goat’s milk, to soothe my dry, flaky skin this past winter. I loved the creamy, moisturizing texture so much that it has become a staple in my home.
I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about Beekman 1802 from Dr. Brent Ridge. Kindness is at the center of Beekman 1802’s mission, and I think we can all agree the world can always use more kindness.
What is unique about Beekman 1802’s approach to product formulation?
Beekman 1802 is a skincare company based on two key ingredients: goat’s milk and Kindness. The company began when we took in a neighboring farmer who was losing his farm and placed a note in our mailbox asking if he could bring his goats to our property to graze. It’s that original act of Kindness that still infuses everything we do today. In the past 15 years, we’ve done over 326 clinical studies on goat’s milk and have identified 31 key components in the goat’s milk which play an important role in balancing the microbiome on the surface of the skin. Just recently, we were named the Skincare Brand of the Year by Ulta Beauty.
What inspired your research into goat’s milk as a skincare ingredient?
We were inspired to continue to research the properties of goat’s milk after users said it worked wonders on sensitive skin.
How does your approach support farmers?
At Beekman 1802, we say, “Kind to skin, Kind to animals, Kind to planet, and Kind to community.”
We currently work with 24 farms around the USA to source our most valuable ingredient. Each of these farms is certified by the Humane Society for their farming practices, making each of them leaders in animal welfare.
Additionally, the specific hydrolyzation process that we use makes for very efficient utilization of our most valuable ingredient, which means the volume and breeding demands on the animals will not be burdensome even as we scale.
How does your approach to agriculture help the environment?
Agriculture has long been the breeding ground (pun-intended) for technological advances. Right now we are really interested in cellular agriculture—utilizing microbes and the latest biotech fermentation processes to create bio-similar or even bio-identical products. We are working on a patented vegan goat’s milk. While we don’t anticipate this will supersede or replace our traditional goat’s milk ingredient, it may be useful in helping maintain the sustainable use of this precious product.
Any there any upcoming product innovations from Beekman 1802?
In August we are launching Ulta’s first-ever microbiome-safe, fragranced body care.
Shop Beekman 1802’s skincare products at the brand’s website or at Ulta.
