As the beauty industry becomes more and more laden with fancy taglines and exaggerated claims, I sometimes sit in the Skin and Sy headquarters, surrounded by what I know to be the best product on the market and weep.
I'm currently so aware of being an endangered species. I still care about the product and the skin above all else, struggle with spending much time on socials, and as the world becomes more and more virtual, I feel less and less connected.
Many days dealing with inventory, down-sizing warehouses, saying good-bye to beloved employees, when I would beg all the Gods to make sure I was still on the right path.
Each time though, even when we had downsized to the point where I am the one doing our daily shipping, every time I pack one of those boxes, I freakin’ love it. I love knowing this is going into your world. Is worthy of it.
A few questions I’ve been asked along the way:
Q: So, have you thought about using a fulfillment center?
A: When I receive stuff from generic fulfillment centers, a single item, a bunch of filler, oversized box, no sign of a human being, it feels like just stuff. We want to be part of the magic.
*Our packaging filler is all the office paper and thin cardboard put through a shredder or misc. filler from packages we received. Our bubble wrap will biodegrade over time. Those little stones we include come from a source we trust wholeheartedly. And the extra little stuff we always include is from the heart + soul.
Q: So, wouldn’t it be easier to just use regular plastic bottles?
A: YES!! So much easier. So much easier! And cheaper. But, have you ever seen the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Have you ever seen how the single-use plastic is affecting the world? Have you seen sea creatures suffering from plastic waste?
About half of all the plastic ever produced has been within the last 13 years. Since 1950, we have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic, which is equal to about 25,000 Empire State Buildings.
That is a lot. Of course we still have plastic components like travel size and discovery kits. But even our tiny testers are refillable! I constantly refill mine and have one in every purse, every pocket.
Q: This seems expensive. $57?
A: This price is for 8oz of badass lotions + potions intended for use head-to-toe because personally, I have no desire to protect only my face and skin isn’t any different on your arms than your cheeks. Our formula is as (actually, more) effective than serums many are paying over $100 for a single oz. Our profit margin is considered very low by industry standards but we are focusing on directly to you versus through retailers so this pricing is close to wholesale. These formulas are also very concentrated, and most customers purchase refills every 2-4 months. Which means for around $19 a month, actually $38 if you’re doing the AM/PM regimen, you are slowing down your skin’s aging process, minimizing need for way more expensive treatments later, decreasing the amount of wasted packaging and getting to enjoy all the compliments of how soft your skin. Many of of clients/customers have been with us for many, many years, when we were a different company name but similar formulas. When I see them, many of them in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and older, and see how beautifully they’ve aged, how thankful they are for these formulas, it fills me with joy and validation.
Reality is, we probably need to increase our prices slightly, and imagine we will sometime in the Spring. I can assure you that every penny of this price has been spent correctly, and is focused on the right things. Your skin and the world.
Here’s a little random backstage tid-bit:
The cost we pay per ounce of our formulas is 3 times higher than Creme de la Mer and Skinceuticals, 5 times higher than Perricone or Strivectin and 10 times more than Neutrogena!
Our PM Creme is 350% more effective at slowing down skin’s biological aging than any of those based on actual data. The concentration of actives in our AM/PM Anti-Aging Formulas took more than 6 months just to figure out how to stabilize because the very fancy, very prominent lab that first helped us develop this had never worked with these concentrations (even though they manufacturer a lot of what you see in the industry).
We'll end with some reminders of what we are fully committed to:
-THE MOST EFFECTIVE, DATA-DRIVEN, PROVEN, AGE-DEFYING, SIMPLIFIED SKIN CARE AVAILABLE.
-PACKAGING THAT IS THE MOST SUSTAINABLE, CONSCIENTIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL POSSIBLE WHILE CONTINUING TO CREATE DEMAND FOR BETTER OPTIONS.
-THE MOST GOOD. THE VERY LEAST HARM.
-NO BULLSH*T MARKETING. ALL BRAINS, HEART, GRIT AND SOUL.
-A COMPANY STRUCTURE THAT IDEALLY BECOMES PROFITABLE, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF PEOPLE, PLACE, PLANET OR PARTNERSHIPS.
-MARKETING BUDGET FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING CREATIVE ENDEAVORS
-YOUR GLOWING SKIN. OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE UNIVERSE.
xx,
SSB Team