5 minutes with Balance Me co-founders Clare & Rebecca Hopkins
We’ve collaborated with the incredible sister duo to feature their BHA Exfoliating Concentrate in the limited edition Female Founders Edit. As Rebecca explains “It will give you the glowiest skin, adding firmness and evening out texture, but without making it feel tight and dry – and it is great for all skin types, even very sensitive skin and can be used every day. What’s not to love?’
We decided to start our brand because… we were leading really stressful lives in our 20s so our whole wellbeing was out of balance, including our skin. And I think that's really what inspired us on our natural skincare journey. We got really interested in the power of natural ingredients, and seeing how we could bring our skin back into balance, but without creating new problems. [Rebecca]
The secret of our success is… that we’ve always tried to make the brand as accessible as possible because there's no point having a fantastic skincare product if you can't use it every day. [Clare]
We’re able to run a company together as sisters because… we can both be really honest with each other, and we trust each other. We both have different skill sets but we have the same overall vision so we complement each other well. [Clare]
The thing we’re proudest of is…. when we can make a real difference to people’s skin concerns. If someone's got, say, blemish prone or hormonal skin, we've got ingredients we know can really help calm the skin. That’s the most satisfying part. We help to balance skin! [Rebecca]
The advice we’d give to anyone setting up a business is… it’s very competitive, so if your product isn't great, don't bother. You work really, really hard, so you've got to know it's not your hobby and you can actually make money out of it. And do skill swaps - if you have friends who are experts in different fields, don’t be afraid to ask for help. [Clare]
The best thing about being a founder is.. we can decide ourselves which path we want to take and I think that's really empowering. We can bring things to market probably quicker than you can in a large organisation, and we’re very much in control. I think the hard thing is, we're self funded and just managing the daily running of a business means you can’t be the creative visionary every single day. [Rebecca]
Something that keeps us inspired… is seeing how skin’s needs change over time. Over the last few years of running the brand, we've aged, we’ve gone through perimenopause, Rebecca's children are now teenagers, mine are growing up too, and our customers tell us about their issues too. Seeing how skincare can work for all those ages is amazing, and it drives us to keep developing products. [Clare]
Beautiful skin is all about… being skin positive. It’s about dialling up the glow, making the best of what you've got, looking after it, and feeling really proud of it. It’s about ageing with confidence in the skin you're in, rather than feeling like you've got to look like you did in your 20s. [Clare]
To get a balance between boss life and home life… it’s about making sure to build in those relaxing moments. So we've both become really keen cold water swimmers, and we do lots of yoga. [Clare]
One beauty tip we swear by is… less is more with as you get older. So pared back make-up but with a rosy blusher, good lashes and groomed brows. NARS is a favourite brand for both of us. [Clare]
The best beauty treatment to destress is… a massage from an independent therapist. I think if they’re working for themselves, nine times out of ten they're going to be really good. A lot of the time I'm disappointed if I go to a spa hotel. [Rebecca]
One thing that keeps us at the top of our game is… hormone therapy. We’re perimenopausal and it’s been a game-changer for us. The fact that people talk about menopause now, and we've got such lovely role models is so empowering. At this age we’re not old, we are having a glorious midlife! [Clare]
Want to read more about the Balance Me BHA Exfoliating Concentrate? Click here to see the full reveal >