The future is most defintely female and never has it been more evident than in the multi million euro world of cosmetics and skincare. The pandemic saw a massive rise in skincare sales and we cannot think of a bigger aficionado when it comes to skin than The Skin Nerd herself.
Tell us a bit about you.
I am Jennifer Rock, also known as The Skin Nerd! I’m the CEO and founder of the multi-award winning Skingredients® skincare range, The Cleanse off Mitt makeup removal tool, The Skin Nerd® educational skin platform and Skin Nerd Network® online skin consultations and store. I’m also a skin tutor, dermal facialist, author of two best-selling skincare books and mother to my 18-year-old son, Matthew.
My passion for skin care began as an acne-prone teenager. I was given a facial as a birthday treat from my mother and the experience opened my eyes to the world of skincare. I was filled with questions for my facialist and left the salon inspired by the relationship between your skin and self-confidence. I worked for free at a salon whilst I was still at school, and this motivated me to commit myself to working in the industry. After becoming a facialist and working in the sector, my desire to learn motivated me to empower others via education. I began teaching my clients the simplicity of active skincare. My passion for education coupled with my recognition of a consumer need for clarity and guidance in the quest for skin health became the catalysts for starting both of my businesses.
Tell us about your business.
Skingredients® is a results-driven, active skincare range that we feel meets every hooman’s® skin needs. Our philosophy is that your skincare should be like a balanced dinner plate, with Skingredients serving your skin the nutrition it needs to function healthily. We believe that just like your body, your skin needs good nutrition such as vegetables, essential fatty acids and protein on a daily basis to be healthy. Our capsule KeyFour range aims to provide this nutrition to your skin externally, with products including our award-winning Skingredients Skin Veg – a pro-ageing pre-serum and penetrant enhancer. Skin Veg is like super juice for the skin! Just as we need to eat our 5-a-day of fruit and vegetables, our skin requires the same goodness. Skin Veg delivers essential skin nutrition thanks to hydrating hyaluronic acid which utilizes its humectant abilities to attract and lock in moisture, as well as fruit, vegetable and botanical extracts which have antioxidant properties to defend the skin from free radical damage. To accompany the Key Four, we also have our Match + Mix range, to target your individual needs and to help you to achieve your skin goals.
The Skin Nerd® is an educational skincare hub and was the first of its kind, designed to provide specialist skin advice and a personalised skincare routine to hoomans® worldwide. Our goal is to provide education on how to care for skin, with the aim of empowering hoomans and help them to achieve skintentment. The Skin Nerd Network® is an online skin consultation membership programme with over 50,000 “Skin Nerd Networkers” across the globe! We also have a skincare store which stocks over 30 carefully selected brands that mirror our skin philosophy.
Who is your target customer?
Skingredients target clients are hoomans aged 32-36, who seek education and simplified yet results-driven skincare. This consumer is committed to skincare but not always confident about the ingredients to use to reach their skin goals. This is where we step in!
What problem do you solve for them?
The skincare market can be a confusing place to navigate, and consumers can suffer from information overload. We aim to enlighten our consumers via our expert team of Nerds (skincare professionals) who provide skincare guidance alongside a fully personalised regimen bespoke to each client’s level of commitment and budget.
Skingredients helps consumers to understand what different products do, how the ingredients work and how to create their right skincare regime for them via our numbered system. This combined with our results-driven, active ingredients and easy to use products empowers our consumers to achieve their best skin and feel confident in the product choices they are making.
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
I have always had good observational skills and noticing a gap in the market motivated me to want to run my business to cater for this. Whilst working as a trainer for other brands, I would think about how I would love to combine a lot of the concepts and select key ingredients at the correct efficacious levels to create my own active skincare line. I’ve always prioritised listening closely to my clients to find niches in the skin world and this has fueled the fire to bring my ideas to fruition.
Where did the idea for your business come from?
Working as a facialist allowed me to gain a varied insight into the skincare industry, where I witnessed clients’ needs first-hand. I could see that the consumer was attracted by branding rather than the science of how a product worked and the “know how” needed to challenge the skin and ensure that optimum skin health was the goal. This inspired me to create the Skin Nerd Network® which provides online skin consultations and educates clients on how to take care of their skin. I pride myself and the team of Nerds for working alongside many qualified doctors and nutritionists to provide reputable, well-sourced information.
Skingredients® was born after listening to my clients and recognising their needs for a results-driven, capsule collection of skincare. Truthfully, my greatest “why” is enlightening “hoomans” and guiding them in how to take care of the organ that is our skin.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in growing your business?
I am inspired by many hoomans but to name a few; Sara Blakely has inspired me as an inventor and a woman who saw a need and fulfilled it. Both her relentless determination and innovative approach are so inspiring. Janna Ronert from IMAGE Skincare, for her vision to create a brand from a skin goal and concern that she felt was not being met by the industry and Dr Vanessa Creaven and her co-founder sister for the oral education they give to their sector.
What do you love most about having your own business?
I relish the communication aspect of my work and being in the position to be able to relay information to help hoomans feel confident in their skin. I adore my job and because it is my lifelong goal, I am continuously motivated to drive the brands forward.
If any, what challenges have you experienced as a woman in business during your overall career?
Knowing who to turn to for advice is hard as it’s not a path traveled by many. This is especially true as we create and formulate each product ourselves. It’s not an easy process but one we are proud of.
What are the most important things to progressing as the owner of a business?
It is important to identify your values and morals and to always keep these at the core and forefront of your decision-making.
What has been the most significant thing you have done to grow your business?
I am most motivated by learning and one of the biggest lessons that I have learnt is to constantly work on being the best version of myself. To me, the best leaders are those that possess the ability to self-reflect and grow and for that reason, I believe in investing in my own and others’ personal growth via education. I believe that challenging yourself and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone gives us the opportunity to grow.
What have been some make or break moments in your career?
When I started the Cleanse Off Mitt, I did not have contracts, legalities or really understand how to run a business and this led to me treating it more like a hobby. This was a challenging time but taught me to make sure that I have everything behind the scenes in order and up to date.
What is your number one tip for anyone struggling to overcome entrepreneurial overwhelm and keep going?
A sentiment that rings true to me is that ‘you can’t pour from an empty glass.’ In the past, I have suffered from perfectionism and felt like I had to work constantly to be successful. Not only was this exhausting, but it was also an unsustainable way of working. Taking time to rest is not optional and making a commitment to some ‘me-time’ away from work is incredibly important. Prioritising this time also gives you the mental space to regroup and remind yourself of your goals and priorities. Personally, I practice breathwork, stretching and like to squeeze in a daily beach walk to help me unwind.
