An Interview With Skinesque Founder Susie Yoon
Images via @skinesque
Whether you have a 10-step nighttime skin routine or your regimen consists of the products you can scrounge up in your medicine cabinet, our skin is an essential part of the way we feel and reflects how we take care of our bodies. Today, skincare is all the rage, as beauty tik tok moguls are on the rise (shoutout to the skincare god himself @skincarebyhyram). With more time at home and less interaction with others, people are swapping their bright eye shadows and bold lipsticks with cleansers, moisturizers, and sheet masks. Nevertheless, I am a huge (I am talking HUGGEE) advocate for skincare. It’s those extra five minutes of massaging, pampering, and lathering that truly brighten my day. That's why when FASTatUCLA partnered with Skinesque, a clean Korean skincare line, I couldn’t wait to learn more. Susie Yoon, beauty-lover, girl-boss, and founder of Skinesque, sat down with me (virtually, of course) to talk about all things skin, and boy do you want to hear this. We discussed: the start of Skinesque, her favorite Skinesque products, how to deal with mask acne, and so much more.
Check out our conversation below:
Interview: Susie Yoon
Tell me about the start of Skinesque.
Skinesque started close to five years ago. That's when we first launched the brand. However, in terms of the Skinesque inception (starting in my head), it's close to nine years ago. It took about four years of R and D traveling to South Korea on a very regular basis before I decided to launch the brand. Just kind of going back in my prior life, I was an attorney, transactional law, so completely different. As an attorney, I was based out of China, but I would travel to Korea as much as I could because I am South Korean as well. And so it was at that time that I got to really experience and immerse myself in Korean skincare. You know, before, I had heard about sheet masks and some of the different skincare products that are out there, but I'd never gotten to experience it [Korean skincare] on a regular basis. And at that time, it was very difficult to find Korean skincare here in the Western market. I mean, we forget that even three, four years ago, the sheet mask industry was not like the way it is currently, where you can find them at CVS or Target; it's very, very different five years ago. And so having experienced that, I really wanted to bring that to the Western market after seeing just how effective these products are for us, specifically sheet masks and cleansers. South Korea is all about prevention. It's not about fixing, and they're all about deep cleansing and hydration in order to keep your skin healthy and consistent on a daily basis. And so I love that mantra, you know, prevention, healthy, skincare, not being something that you should be embarrassed about. It's not about vanity. It's about taking care of yourself. And I love that mentality. It's after having lived there for one year and having experienced that myself when I came back to the States, it was always on the top of my mind, but I never thought to leave my profession in law. It was only after I was pregnant with my daughter and was put on bed rest for about four months where I was forced to just not work so I really got to think about what I wanted to do and pursue. I knew that it wasn't coming to be in the color [makeup] industry. And I knew that I wanted to focus on skincare, but I wanted to cater to the Western market and allow them to experience Korean skincare, but in a more Western approach. [In] the Korean skincare industry, there are about 10 to 13 steps. And it sounds very, very overwhelming, but for that society, because they've been doing that on a very regular basis, they don't think about it, you know? I wanted to create multi-functional clean products that were universal to all skin types, gender-neutral, young, and old. So if you notice in my regimen, I only have one product in each category. I have a cleanser and moisturizer, evening treatment, and a mask. And I purposely did it that way because I was traveling at the time. I was super, super busy. I did not have time to overwhelm myself with researching what the best products were, nor did I have the room in my vanity for several products in just one category. So from the very beginning, I knew exactly what I wanted to create and share. So we're multi-functional, travel-friendly, clean formulations that offer the same luxuries experience that you could experience with the many, many Korean products that are out there.
You touched on the American way vs. the Korean way, regarding skincare. Can you talk more about prevention and the importance of skincare vs. make-up?
You know what, the best makeup is actually skincare. If you have beautiful skin, you really don't need much. Less is more, but it always starts with good skincare. I think the American way of approaching skincare more so with makeup, is about covering up. I love makeup too. I love playing with colors, but I think after having experienced the flip side of prevention, less is more. I've learned to embrace that. Also, it’s better for my lifestyle and my lack of time when it comes to spreading myself so thin between motherhood, working, starting a business, and taking care of myself.
Skinesque is for the on-the-go person. It is easy to use, easy to travel with, but also is a luxurious process for the self-care enthusiast. Can you explain?
Correct. You know, our cleanser, or we call it the Enzyme Cleansing Powder is powder and texture. When you add water to it, it foams up. I don't want any abrasion on the skin. I think when you use exfoliation, people have this perception that you have to feel it, it has to feel like a scrub, or that it should hurt. That's the exact opposite of what I want from my cleanser. So that's why I didn’t call it an Enzyme Cleansing Powder exfoliant because I don't want people to think of it as an exfoliating treatment. It's a cleanser that you can use every single day, day and night. My daughter, who is nine, has eczema, but I have her use it every night to take off the sunscreen. [It’s] so gentle, made out of papaya enzymes, which in itself has natural exfoliants. So that's how you remove the dead skin cells. It's travel-friendly because it's a powder, the size is perfectly fine for you to travel with via plane. It's very, very easy to use. And people just have so much fun with it because a little goes a long way, and it’s a powder turned into a cleanser.
Traveling always messes with my skincare routine, because I am using any testers I have on hand and not my normal products. Do you have any advice for this?
When you travel, you should not disrupt your skincare regimen. That's the last thing you want to do when you travel because you're stressed and you’re busy. Traveling is when you most need to prioritize taking care of your skin. So going back to that yet, you need to take your favorites- your necessities- when you travel.
Tell me more about Skinesque’s other products.
Our moisturizer takes you from AM to PM. It's not only a moisturizer, I call it the Moisture-Lock Cream because it actually locks in the hydration for 24 hours. So it'll take you from AM to PM. Again, no fragrance, no color. So I am comfortable applying it to both of my children and my husband as well. We have a Deep Sleep Overnight Mask, which is an overnight treatment. I call it my mochi mask because of this special texture. You apply it over your skin as the very last step of your regimen and just go to bed; it's like a sleeping mask. It's probably one of our favorite products because it's so versatile. In the mornings, I actually put it under my eyes for about five minutes as I'm brushing my teeth or making breakfast and then I'll wipe it off. And then when I put on concealer, I see a visible difference. There is no sinking in between the fine lines. There's no cracked skin. It’s just the little things that make a very noticeable difference.
How has COVID-19, being at home, changed the skincare game?
I feel very blessed to be able to answer this so positively; we've been doing really, really well. This past year I was very, very concerned, not just globally for our world, but you know, on the personal front for my business when this pandemic hit, just because I wasn't quite sure how we would be able to respond. We had to shut down our office and everyone is now working from home, which actually is working out pretty well because we are an e-commerce business, to begin with, and all of our employees are very tech-savvy. But what we've found is people have been shying away from color [makeup] and really focusing on their skin. [People] focus on their eyes and eyebrows, which makes sense, because the bottom half of their face is covered. But I think because people are constantly on Zoom and they see their skin, they've really taken a shift towards finding the right products that work for them. People are home too, so they have more time to figure out what works for their skin. So we have seen a big uptick in our sales when it comes to our regimen, because like I mentioned, our regimen only consists of four products. With only four products, you have the entire regimen, and it's a very reasonable price as well. Whereas before the pandemic, people would typically [only] buy a cleanser or moisturizer. But during the pandemic, I've actually seen an uptick in our set; people want to experience the entire regimen because with one set, they have all four products; they have covered their AM and PM routine.
I sometimes am using too many products from too many brands, and my skin breaks out or gets irritated, so I really appreciate a brand that focuses on the basics.
I think you hit the point that I wanted to address: just focus on the basics. I think when we're trying out so many brands all at once, you can’t pinpoint which product or brand is causing which problem.
Let’s talk about mask acne, acne that is located on the area of the face that is covered by masks. What are some tips that you would suggest and what Skinesque product would help combat mask acne?
Less is more for us. We have a very simple routine, but the root of acne comes from bacteria residue that should not be in your skin. So cleansing, I tell people over and over, I think cleansing is the most important step in your skincare regimen. And it's not just meant for AM and PM. We’re wearing masks all day- breathing out everything into that little area. So we need to cleanse this area. I actually cleanse my face a couple of times a day. So every time I come back [from wearing a mask], I always just wash my face. [For makeup] I will just wear mascara and under-eye concealer, and that's about it. That way, when I take off my mask, I can just wash my face. The Enzyme Cleansing Powder truly has been our holy grail in combating acne, small bumps, or eczema around the chin. So I just do a little bit of powder, make it into a nice cleansing foam and just rub it on the bottom of my face. It's a slight exfoliation without any abrasion, so it's been wonderful in combating acne. People think that if you have acne you shouldn’t be moisturizing, but it's actually the opposite. When your skin is dry, it sends a message, and then it starts producing more oil and that's what's actually going to cause acne light moisturizer, like our Moisture-Lock Cream which is fragrance-free and dye-free, is actually going to help.
What is your favorite Skinesque product right now?
Enzyme Cleansing Powder, to consistently have clean skin. I'm with kids and I'm with my job, so even if I'm not going out, the residue does build up. There is this misconception that cleansing is not as important. It is the most important step in your skincare regimen, so Enzyme Cleansing Powder has made the biggest difference on my skin.
Walk me through your skincare routine both AM and PM.
I don't want to over-dry my skin at this age. At the same time, I have to consistently moisturize right after I cleanse. So for my routine, I use my Enzyme Cleansing Powder in the morning to cleanse my face. In the evening, if I wear any kind of makeup, I use cleansing water or cleansing oil from a brand called Tatcha, a Japanese brand, that I love and support. Then throughout the day, if I come back from the supermarket or Costco, I feel like I really need to clean this area up, I'll just wash my face slightly down there [where the mask covers]. I don't even bother with the top. Then, I do a little moisturizer and tap it onto the bottom half of my skin.
Our newest launch is called the Wake Up & Makeup Prep Sheet Mask. People have this perception that masks are only used for special events. This sheet mask is one that you can use every single day. It's a flash mask. So this mask is a toner serum and primer all-in-one. So you put this on your face and just tap it on easily. You could take it off after 60 seconds. In Korea, people kind of just put it [cotton swabs soaked in toner] on their face and leave it on the face so the toner gets really deep into the face. We've seen people do that in Korea so we're like, you know what? That's so inconvenient. Let's make that into a mask. I actually leave it on my face for about 30-60 seconds. I'll brush my teeth, wake up my kids. Then I take the mask off, and I’m done with my toner and primer. And then, I will moisturize lightly. Then, of course, my Supergroup Sunscreen. So that's my 4-step AM regimen. My PM regimen, I do my Enzyme Cleansing Powder. I do my moisturizer, and then I do my Deep Sleep Overnight Mask. This is such a great product to lather all over your face because it's very, very refreshing to the touch. I call it my mochi mask. You can even refrigerate this mask so it puffs deep instantly. In the morning, it actually boosts the areas that you need extra collagen, like the under-eye. This is a product that you'll actually see the most, visual effects.
Want to learn more about Skinesque?
@skinesque
https://www.skinesque.com/
-Nicolina Duhs