How It All Began (Part 2)

It’s one thing to dream up the perfect product. Getting it from inception to shelves is an entirely different story, and one that’s unique to each journey… (If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, read it here)

Our biochemist is an awarding-winning and exceptionally experienced formulator. From our first zoom call, we loved her. She understood the Beaut vision right from the start. By this point, we had done our fair share of research. We knew, from a customer’s perspective, what was a good product. And with our chemist on board, with her wealth of knowledge and years of experience, we knew she would take our brief and deliver spectacular results. We hounded her with tons of info, and ideas, and maybe too much enthusiasm, but she took it all in and began to unpack the formulations. Combining ingredients with a clear product vision, Beaut V.1 was coming to life.

The whole development process was so exciting but also excruciatingly slow. Lockdown did not help us in any way, and sourcing raw materials and compounds was a challenge that slowed us down. But with each version of the Beauts formulae, came with it much excitement. Video calls, before and after photos. Endless discussions around viscosity, weight, spreadability, scent, colour, texture, efficacy, and tackiness. We tweaked and tweaked the formulae. It took months of back and forth. But the enthusiasm grew, as did the team of Beauts (and the panel of opinions too), which kept our motivation going, and we continued our quest to create the perfect serums.

With our team of (now four) Beauts, all testing away, we quickly came around to the concept of scent. To add it or do without? Scent is totally emotional and subjective and unique to every person. And when it comes to skincare, the views are split between those with sensitive skin unable to tolerate scents, and those whose skin can handle it, so they don’t mind it. We spoke about a distinct Beaut scent or a unique identifier for each product. All of us had preferences that were not often common. Some of the first versions of the Beaut serums contained plant extracts that brought both pleasant scents and potentially beneficial properties. We were headstrong in that if an ingredient didn’t fulfil a function it didn’t make the cut. So the verdict was leaning towards zero scents from the start. Research also pointed out that most fragrances and oils were sensitizers that can cause irritation or unnecessary flare-ups. This didn’t sit well with our quest to create kind serums. We wanted to make easy-to-love products that worked, not something that just smells delicious. Your face is lovely, so the stuff you put on it should be too! So it was decided. No added scents. We didn’t want anyone to get stuck at the first hurdle: your emotive response to a product.

We rid our bathroom cabinets of all non-Beaut products. We were testing the Beauts for visible results with continued daily use. And so far, things were really, really good. We were happy with the formulas, so was our biochemist, and our belief in our products grew stronger. Naturally, this meant we wanted to take the next step and give the products to a handful of our friends and family to see what they thought of the products too. But we took it a step further and decided we needed to hear from some non-bias strangers too.

That’s when our focus group was born. A collection of 82 people all with a variety of skin types, colours and ages. We sent out products anonymously, based on each of their individual skin goals, and then we waited patiently for their feedback. We aimed at measuring our success on unfiltered, candid reviews. We knew that the serums worked on ourselves, and we expected a good response, but to be honest, the testimonials blew us away. Everyone had something positive to say about the products. Most of them saw clear changes to their skin and spoke highly of the experience and the efficacy of their Beaut product. We’re planning to release a report on the stats we gained from the focus group soon!

Once the focus group results were in, we had one step left. To give the green light on the production. We bottled our serums in Miron glass, a unique biophotonic glass made for natural products. The deep violet hue of the glass offers protection from the harmful effects that light has on the efficacy of a product. The glass increases its shelf life and protects the potency of active ingredients. It really is the best of the best.

Right now, I’m already planning Beaut V2! Creating these products has been a thrilling ride, a little addictive too, and one that I will never take for granted. What I love most about our products is that they are straight-talking by nature. They’re kind, easy to understand and easy to love. But most of all they work. Our idea was to simplify routines by creating products that offer great results in fewer steps, and that’s what we have achieved X 10 000! I can’t wait to see where Beaut will go. Now that we’ve launched, I want to let the brand grow into its own. Customer feedback has been a great driving force for our creative development. We plan to nurture and grow our focus group and keep working with the participants who have supported us from the start. This is only the beginning of what Beaut has to offer. We hope you join us for the ride.