BeautyTalks with Kayla Bertagna and Lisa Ballstaedt, Soon Skincare Co-founders

How does Soon Skincare incorporate the culture of Korean skincare?

The philosophy behind Korean skin care is all about getting your skin to its most healthy place, so then you don’t need as much make up to cover up imperfections. It’s about consistency, innovation, and unique effective ingredients, which are core principles behind our company. 

What are Soon Skincare’s hero ingredients? 

Marine Collagen is definitely at the top of this list. There are various forms of collagen in skincare products but the Marine Collagen that we use in our products has been blasted down to a small enough particle size (a molecular weight of 200 daltons), so it can actually penetrate the skin and make a difference. We also love ingredients like Niacinamide, Arbutin, and Adenosine that are found in nature and make an incredible difference in getting your skin a healthy glow.

What’s the inspiration behind the name Soon Skincare? 

Lisa: Soon in Korean means, “clean and pure.” It’s my middle name, and my grandmother’s name. It just seemed meant-to-be to name the company Soon.

Can you share some skincare tips you’ve learned from your grandma? 

Lisa: The best beauty advice I've received wasn't spoken, it was observed by watching my grandma. For any birthday or holiday gift she would ask her kids to jointly buy her favorite skincare products. She would rather get one high quality product, than a few ones that weren't as effective. She was also very good about staying out of the sun, and it showed! As she aged, she did so gracefully, right up until she passed away. I know she would be thrilled to have a skincare line named after her. My grandpa once told me that when he misses her, he just looks at me and he sees her in me. If I look half as good in my 60s as she did, I'll be happy!

“Countless trips to Korea later, we’ve created a line of products that unites accessible skincare with visible results.”

What are your go-to Soon Skincare products? 

Kayla: Because of all the research and work that goes into each product, it is hard to pick a favorite. I love our Biocellulose Face Masks and how unique they are. We spent so much time getting the shape just right and making sure that our masks would give results people would see, and they do! Our Mermaid Collagen Serum is another favorite of mine because of the results it gives. Also, because skin cancer runs in my family, I'm very particular about my sunscreen protection. Our Clear Day Broad Spectrum SPF 50 stick and All Day Broad Spectrum SPF 50 are two of the products I’m most proud of and can’t live without. 

Run us through your night-time routine! 

Kayla: At night, I first use a very gentle cleanser to remove any makeup, which I do with our makeup removal cloths, especially because they are so gentle on my skin and effective at preserving my eyelashes when removing my mascara. I then use our exfoliating mitt to wash my face with the same gentle cleanser. I lightly use the exfoliating mitt in a circular motion, which helps keep my skin clear of blemishes. I then do a quick and short wash with my Clarisonic face brush to ensure that all my pores are clean. I then apply my toner and depending on the day I will use one of our masks (I like to mask three times a week), and then I add a special cream to my eyes and my rotating serum to my face. I rotate between our Mermaid Collagen Serum and Niacinamide/VitaminB+ Serum. As a final step, I sometimes finish with a tretinoin product.

How did a friendship turn into the formation of an amazing conscious beauty brand?

It happened very organically! We had been friends for a little while before even thinking about starting a business together. We heard about Korean skincare, and after Kayla brought some on a girls trip and we had a subpar experience with the products. We knew we could do better and that women wanted more from their masks. After continuing to research, Kayla paired her ingredients know-how and personal experiences to come up with Soon Skincare. Korean skincare is on the forefront of innovation and with family ties to the region Lisa was immediately on board. Countless trips to Korea later, we’ve created a line of products that unites accessible skincare with visible results.  

“We make sure we always use clean and high quality ingredients that will be effective in your routine.”

We love the packaging, could you tell us more about it? 

Our packaging is inspired by the brushstrokes in Korean calligraphy. We wanted our products to be beautiful, and something that you want to reach for either for personal use or to give as a gift. 

Tell us about a few of your best-sellers!

Our Mermaid Collagen Serum is definitely a customer favorite. It is made of 46% Marine Collagen and is clinically proven to decrease fine lines and wrinkles. Another is our Biocellulose Brightening Mask. Its main purpose is to brighten and even skin tone with ingredients that help to fade discoloration and hyperpigmentation. Also helps with visible pore size. Also, our Peony Foot Masks are an essential for getting your feet smooth and ready for sandal season.

What Soon Skincare products would you recommend to people with oily skin? 

First and foremost our Broad Spectrum SPF collection is oil free, and is incredible for all skin types but is an especially good option for people with oily skin and are prone to break outs. Also our Mermaid Collagen Serum is a great way to hydrate skin effectively. Sometimes people don’t know that their skin is oily because it isn’t being hydrated and the oil glands are overproducing to make up for it. 

How does Soon Skincare source their ingredients?

Ingredients are a core focus of our company. We make sure we always use clean and high quality ingredients that will be effective in your routine. There are often less expensive options for some of our ingredients, but you definitely lose quality and efficacy. And to us, that is not worth saving a little bit of money. 

What does the future look like for Soon Skincare? 

Our focus for Soon Skincare is to always create effective products that will make a difference for our customers. The fact that we love them and then get to add them to our own regimens is the best kind of added bonus.

Besides Soon Skincare, what are you passionate about? 

We both love travel, eating amazing meals, and spending time with our kids.