Mom, partner, and ICU physician, Dr. Heather Smith was inspired to introduce bareLUXE Skincare at the height of the pandemic. Part passion, part enterprise, and part coping, she began work to transform her extract oil blends into refined and luxurious formulations. Emphasizing corporate ethics and sustainability, the bareLUXE™ brand is set to become a disruptive innovator and push the plastic-free movement into the premium skincare market.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I’ve always loved learning new things and, when I find something that brings me joy, I tend to immerse myself into it very deeply. This has been true both personally and professionally. I started my career as a nurse in the intensive care unit in 1999. Since 2013, I have been practicing as a Critical Care physician after a long period of returning to school.

I often joke that I’m a compulsive hobby starter. Being on the learning curve and practicing new skills keeps me happy and productive. This has taken me through many things ranging from photography, art, quilting, and skincare. The timing of taking up something new often matches the timing of a stressful life event. Severe post-partum anxiety got me into quilting. COVID got me into entrepreneurship.

What inspired you to start your business?

I experimented with DIY cosmetic formulations at home for a long time. It all started when my boys were born. My first has rashes, eczema, and sensitivities. He also has a sensory component where he hates the feeling of creams and lotions. Challenge accepted! I used my science knowledge to research ingredients and formulations and started inventing solutions that worked for him. That’s when I also began to fall in love with green beauty as a philosophy.

When COVID hit, my need to find peace and simplicity was heightened. So too, was my need to sink myself very deep into something non-medical where I could find joy and a sense of control over something. So, I began to turn the hobby into something bigger. I filled up a portion of our basement with lab equipment and ingredient samples. My first project was tackling my own skin problems that developed from wearing masks intensely.

I realized I was on to something and had products that were worth perfecting and bringing to market. That’s when I started to think about ways to move forward more seriously.

Where is your business based?

I’m based in Winnipeg, Canada. bareLUXE Skincare is an online e-commerce beauty brand that ships free to both Canada and USA. I haven’t ruled out a storefront option, but the in-person shopping component isn’t currently part of my plan.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

My inspiration to move forward with starting a business hit when I found some innovative, sustainable packaging materials. Before that, I was very discouraged by the amount of plastic waste I was generating. I just couldn’t bring myself to become yet another manufacturer of items in cheap plastic containers.

Once I decided to launch a brand, my next step was to get help from experienced cosmetics chemists and formulators. While I love the little lab I’ve set up in my basement, I didn’t want to sell homemade products (I have too many cats and messy kids to create a sterile environment).

Besides being properly manufactured, I wanted them to be refined and luxurious, so I needed some help.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

So far, I think optimizing my written content and getting google to notice me. I’ve been doing some paid advertising and working with social media influencers. However, increasing my web traffic organically seems to be the most significant driver of traffic right now. Plus, writing my blog is a lot of fun for me, so it’s a win-win.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I was doubting myself and feeling like an imposter. One of the main reasons to start my own business is controlling my own success or failure. Yet, in the beginning, I kept ignoring my gut and assuming the “expert advice” I was getting about some things had to be correct. This was a costly mistake for me a few times. I have limits and do need expert help with some things, but automatically dismissing my own gut instincts is something I’ve learned to stop doing.

How do you stay focused?

A bit the opposite. Staying focused isn’t my problem. I need to actively put things down: stop analyzing stats, stop posting on social media, take a break from writing the next blog post, or the next product release. It all matters, but I get wrapped up in it and overly focused. I think this is where the mental health/coping aspects play into it for me. COVID overwhelmingly runs my medical and professional life. It’s stressful. I feel powerless. I feel sad. Focusing on my business is my escape, and it rejuvenates me. However, I need to be cautious not to let other essential parts of my life get taken over by it too.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

bareLUXE has three main distinguishing features. First, the green beauty products are elevated using performance botanicals that work. That’s “marketing speak” for the use of botanical actives that are still natural but more effective than simple carrier oils alone.

Second, marketing transparency is a priority. Marketing is essential for consumers to find the products they’re looking for; I talk a lot about marketing ethics and honesty in my blog. bareLUXE is a green, clean, plant-based brand. I tell you why the ingredients are chosen and what the product is designed to do. I refuse to put on my white Doctor’s lab coat and use fear-mongering about toxins or oversell the potential effectiveness of these cosmetics.

The third way bareLUXE stands out is our plan to be a disruptive innovator in the anti-plastic packaging world. It’s hard as a start-up indie brand. Still, we will work to push novel materials and plastic alternatives into the mainstream market as we grow. We challenge big brands to step up and do the same. We also give back a significant portion of our sales to environmental causes like ocean-bound plastic waste cleanup and mangrove tree planting.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

We have only just launched, and I’m working to determine the best strategy. We’re still in the trust-building phase, so I think establishing our visibility is most important for now.

What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Just start. Having a plan is essential but holding yourself back can be never-ending because you never truly feel ready. Make calculated decisions, take intelligent risks, always move your ideas forward.

What’s your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Well, I’m a mom of 2 spirited boys, so I’ve been pretty deep into How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen and The Whole Brain Child.

I’m still searching for apps that will help streamline my life from a business standpoint. For content creation, nothing beats Canva.

What’s your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Semrush. It’s taken me a while to figure out how best to use all its features. Still, it’s been invaluable as I work to do my own search engine optimization.

Who is your business role model? Why?

I look up to so many outstanding women leaders, each for different reasons. I’m going to go with Greta Thunberg because she singlehandedly changed the global narrative on climate change.

How do you balance work and life?

I think balance is an impossible term – at least on a day-to-day basis. I compartmentalize a lot. A good friend once told me that I juggle ten balls, but only a couple of them are glass, so the rest can drop. Learning to let go of things that don’t truly matter has been helpful. I also have worked hard to absolve myself of guilt when I make a choice that’s best for my kids or family but isn’t what some people think is right.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I need alone time if I’m feeling overwhelmed. Bubble bath, a glass of wine, trashy TV, silly game on my phone. Just a couple of hours with nobody else around.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Now that the brand is launched, the next six months are focused on gaining visibility, web traffic, and consumer trust. I have 2-3 new products to launch later this year, but focusing on what I have right now and getting our footing is the first step.

How can our readers connect with you?

bareLUXE Skincare Website: https://www.bareluxe.ca

Sustainable Beauty Blog: https://www.bareluxe.ca/blogs/elevated-simplicity

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bareluxe.skin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bareLUXE.skin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bareluxe_skin

Pinterest: https://gr.pinterest.com/bareLUXE_skin/_shop