Yet another celebrity skincare line has just debuted . . . Kim Kardashian, we’re looking at you! It feels like celebrities and social media beauty influencers are dropping new beauty lines every month. Scrolling through your social feeds, you might find the latest skincare layering hack (toner before serum or serum before toner?) or the can’t-live-without products for summer. But honestly, who are these people that are giving you advice? We’re sharing our candid thoughts on celebrity skincare lines, beauty influencers, and why you should trust your esthetician instead! 

It’s all marketing

This question always pops into our minds when we see another celebrity launching new beauty products: “What’s your background in skincare?” 

99.9% of the time, the answer is probably, “None.” 

Using any celebrity as the face of a product is always a marketing tactic, designed to influence you to buy products you might not need. What were they using before they created this new skincare line, and how was their skin before the debut? We’re betting that they weren’t using products they created on their own and probably have a team consisting of a dermatologist, esthetician, and makeup artist on hand! 

Another thing to watch out for is buzzwords used to describe the products. While ScarJo’s new line might have a vegan collagen serum, the word “vegan” is used here as a marketing tool to capture your attention. Digging into the ingredients list of said product, off the bat we see a lot of ingredients, many that are synthetically derived and probably not great for your skin in the long run. We’re always inspecting the labels of new products, and if the list is long . . . run away! For those who love to dig into decoding ingredients, see our guide here.

Beauty influencers and vloggers are a little different. We know that watching product reviews and unboxing videos is addicting! The thing to remember when seeing these is to make sure they aren’t sponsored by the skincare company themselves. Are the influencer’s intentions really to give you the skin of your dreams or are they looking for more likes, followers, and hoping they go viral? Many influencers are paid for their influence, reviews, and use of products whether it’s a monetary payment or trade by offering free products. It’s why we don’t use influencers to sell our products: they might not be honest reviews!

Professionals in skincare

So, who DO you trust when it comes to real skincare advice? 

The experts! 

At Botnia, we’re super picky about the spa partners we work with, making sure they fit all of the qualifications that align with our values and mission. Every single spa partner who carries our skincare has been vetted and trained by our very own founder, Justine. And we take the time to educate our partners on all of our products, how to use them in the treatment room, and also how to recommend the perfect products that fit their clients’ unique skin needs.

Our holistic estheticians:
-Are trained professionally in esthetics and must have a license in esthetics
-Are trained by Botnia to use our back bar in the treatment room
-Are trained by Botnia to recommend each retail product for specific skin conditions/skin types
-Work daily with people who have different skin types and skin conditions
-Have proven results using the skincare they recommend
-Receive continued education with our masterclasses and annual workshop

Does Kim K. have any training in skincare? We highly doubt it.

The questions to ask

How can you know if a celebrity skincare line or product is legit? Ask questions. 

The first thing we typically do is check out the ingredients in the products. If we see synthetic products, we always look them up to find the research behind those ingredients. EWG is a great source for beginners. INCI Decoder is also a fun resource! If you see “fragrance” in the list, ask the company if they can specify exactly what they use for this ingredient. 

If we see ingredients that are natural, the next question we ask is where they source their ingredients. You’ll be happy to know that we have vetted all of our vendors, making sure they’re organic and have sustainable practices in their business. We also try to always buy local if possible, or at least US-made and ask for flow charts and certificates of analysis from our green laboratories. 

Next, you’ll want to know how the products are made. Are they produced in factories? By machine or by hand? In small or large batches? Is it made in the States or outside the country and shipped in? We make all of our products in our Sausalito lab, handmade in small batches by our manufacturing team! The skincare you’re using from Botnia is always made with care and love. 

As for packaging, really take a look at how sustainable it is. Are the bottles and jars made with plastic, recycled plastic, glass, aluminum, or other materials? Are refills offered? While we’re currently upleveling our packaging to be more sustainable (and hope to share it with you in early 2023!), we’re always researching the best options that make the lowest impact on the earth and continue to evolve them as we find new options.

Here’s a list of questions to ask skincare companies:

-Where do you source your ingredients?
-Are they organic?
-Are there synthetic ingredients used?
-What are the synthetic ingredients derived from?
-Are your practices sustainable?
-How is your skincare made? In small batches? In a factory? By hand?
-Who formulates your products? 
-Where is your packaging sourced from?
-What is your packaging made from? (Plastic, recycled materials, glass, aluminum, etc.)
-Do you have refillable options?

A list of questions to ask beauty influencers:

-What’s your background in beauty and skincare? Is this your profession?
-How long have you been in the industry?
-Have you been sponsored by companies to post product reviews?
-How long have you been actually using the product?

Rest assured that the skincare you use from Botnia is always organic, natural, and beneficial for the long-term health of your skin. You’ll never see us use influencers or celebrities to market our brand. We’re backed by our holistic spa partners across the nation who use our products in the treatment room with proven results on clients. And you can always tell us what you love or don’t love about our line–we promise, it won’t hurt our feelings! We believe there’s a huge opportunity for growth through constructive feedback and conversation. We’d love to hear from you!

Xo,
Botnia