As far back as I can remember, I have been obsessed with skin and its function and how it makes us feel. I grew up watching my mom icing her face religiously every morning and she had and still has amazing skin to this day. I can still remember watching her moisturize with creams and oil; she always looked calm, rested and satisfied. It honestly seemed to me like the best ritual anyone can have. I was so fascinated by this ritual and though I was not allowed to put anything on my face, I was putting all the lotions on my body every time I was out of the shower. I was obsessed with scent and would get all my favorite scented lotions at bath & body works and at times I would have reactions to it or get headaches but I would ignore it because my love and need to moisturize was huge and as a stubborn child, there was no way anyone was going to take away my aromatic ritual. When I was finally allowed to put things on my face, I was petrified of getting pimples so for some reason that I don’t understand I proceeded to make oatmeal masks every SINGLE day for an entire summer going from seventh to eight grade. I thought that would keep them far away from me and so I felt safe by the time fall came around and my obsession with skincare turned more shimmery; I’m talking smackers in all their flavors (I had a whole backpack of them) and I also recall getting a glitter tube to put on my chest and well, let’s just say that turned red really fast! By the time I was in high school, my attention went to other activities but whenever I found myself alone, I was scouring through magazines and I would read the recs like it was my religion!

I did break out in my teenage years eventually but it was not as bad as I thought it be. When it really got bad was when I became an adult. What? Why? No one told me this was possible (I thought I was an isolated case). Guess what I resorted to? The magazines! Yes, I was going through them, only this time I was doing more than just looking, I was buying and trying. And guess what? My skin kept getting worse. I personally did not think the products were at fault, I thought I was the problem. I felt so alone in that place and I felt shame of my skin. No one had ever told me that my lifestyle and harsh actives could be the culript of my problems. At 23 I experienced my first or really my second rash of eczema, but from that age on, it became a yearly thing. By the time I reached 27/28 my hormonal acne had me feeling at my lowest and the eczema rashes had me feeling helpless. I had tried high and low “clean” and not clean and my skin was not getting better. So I began doing research, I was already very knowledgable in individual ingredients, I was one of those consumers that could read a label and know most of what’s in it so then I thought to myself, what if I try to help myself? I researched and researched with this in mind; Can I create products for myself that will help restore and keep my skin balanced without fear of reacting? Can I make products that move with me through the seasons? Can I create my own “skin safe haven”? Can I make something that looks beautiful in my vanity, feels good on my skin and helps me feel confident? It took many iterations, I failed more times than I can count but I kept going because I realized I could do it and I love it and I do not trust anyone more than I trust myself. I accomplished my goal, I am living my dream.

As I was using my products, family and friends began to ask and well I started passing it around and they haven’t stopped asking since. I remember someone telling me that I should create my own line of skincare and though at the time I just laughed it off, it’s now my reality. I never would have thought i’d be here today writing something like this but that’s life, full of twists and turns and many surprises that in retrospect make a lot of sense. I created Actual Skin out of need, a need to care for my skin, a need for safe skincare I can trust to treat my sensitive skin because after so long I realized that I could not use aromatherapy in my delicate skin but I still wanted that luxurious experience in my ritual. I did not want to be sidelined in skincare because of my delicacy and I couldn’t find what I needed or wanted anywhere else (believe me, I tried). In my research I discovered that about 71% of the population identifies with having some kind of skin sensitivity. The numbers astonished me and 61% of women describe their skin as sensitive. It took that long for me to see that I was not alone but it made me happy to see what I created for myself and now i’m sharing that with all of you. I hope these products become your home as much as they’ve become mine. Actual Skin is skincare for Actual Skin and all our formulas are made with the utmost care and with safety and efficacy at the top of mind.

I’m sure soon i’ll go deeper into my history with acne and eczema. How I manage it and how I handle when things don’t go the way I hope. I have learned so much through my journey and have A LOT more control over it and much less fear around it. Building trust in your skin and its own abilities is also a fundamental need that we all need to acquire in our skin journey. For now welcome to Actual Skin, the home to sensitive skin. Talk soon.

XoXo

Karina

Founder