Episode 13: Co-Founder of Ellen DeGeneres Beauty Brand On Product Development
In this episode, WWD Voices co-host chats with Victoria Jackson, co-founder of Ellen DeGeneres of beauty brand Kind Science. Jackson describes the brand as a line of products that is kind to the skin, animals, and the planet — and it’s also a brand with a purpose and one that touts age positivity.
The skincare line includes a hydration cream, firming serum, radiance oil, eye cream, neck treatment, and a gentle cleanser. Jackson said there’s no target customer per se, and noted that it can be used by anyone of any age who simply wants better skin.
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Here’s a brief excerpt from the episode:
Arthur Zaczkiewicz: Before we get into the brand’s ethos, can you just tell us a little bit about the products, the brand, and also how you met Ellen?
Victoria Jackson: Well, Ellen and I have been good friends for a long time. It’s been at least 13, 14 years. And it was basically one of our nights of having a little bit of wine and talking, and I think I may have been doing that little, where you kind of start messing with your face a little, pulling it back a little. And we were talking and laughing and said ‘we should make a product line.’ Because she’s struggled with redness in her skin, being on the air for so long, constant makeup changes, and getting older. But we also talked about embracing our laugh lines, yet still wanting to look the best that we can.
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So it was really important to us that we made a line that was going to be kind to animals, kind to the planet, kind to your skin, and it had to really work, and also be kind to your wallet. But really the emphasis is that it had to work. We also wanted to talk about and think about how we approach aging and the fact that everything is all about anti-aging. We’re very age-positive as women in our 60s and having taken care of our skin for so long now and tried so many different things.
I was, and I still own, the trademark of “No Makeup Makeup.” So in the late eighties and all through the nineties, I had the number one infomercial for looking better, feeling better about yourself with these peach, pink and red color coordinated kits. So my background has always been as a goodwill ambassador for women to look better and feel better, but with a “less is more” kind of feeling. And I’ve always been conscious of my skin and taking care of it, so I wanted to bring that expertise too. And as a creator, I’ve now created over 600 beauty products.
Here’s the episode:
Courtesy image.
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