Barefaced is one of my favorite skincare brands that I’ve been using recently.
The resuable eye pads are briliant. Amazing actually. The toning pads are something I’m always stocked with and I use them a few times a week. The way they’re helping my hyperpigmentation – I can’t believe it. They’re full of antioxidants, hydrating, fight dullness, improve skin texture and I fully recommend trying them.
But this post isn’t about skincare, per se. Today, Jordan Harper, the founder and CEO of Barefaced is here to tell us all about how she started her brand and why.
As a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, mother of four, entrepreneur and overall incredible person, I’m so excited for you to learn how and why she started her business, Barefaced’s mission and favorite products.
Whether you’re looking for some new skincare products, ready to start a new venture or a mom with a business idea, this post is for you.
With that, let’s welcome Jordan to the blog.
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Introduce yourself to The Skinny Confidential audience.
Jordan Harper: A Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, mother of four, and Founder/CEO of Barefaced, a results-driven skincare company, I wear many hats and because of this I’ve become an expert at optimizing time and efficiency. My passion is ‘Less but Better’, and after treating thousands of patients as a Nurse Practitioner, I created Barefaced around that philosophy. Because the world doesn’t need more skincare, it needs better. Barefaced was founded in 2020 in response to a common theme among my patients—they were feeling overwhelmed and confused about skincare and unsure how to select the best products for their skin.
No matter what stage of life you’re in, I believe that you deserve to feel confident in your skin. I created Barefaced as a place to bring the best advice, clinical research, and products together to help you find a long-term, results-driven skincare routine you can trust, so you can go on living life.
Tell us your founder story. How and why did you start Barefaced?
JH: I started Barefaced almost on…accident? What I mean by that is I never set out to have a skincare brand, it happened after treating thousands of patients in-office as a Nurse Practitioner and recognizing a sense of overwhelm and confusion among my patients when it came to curating their everyday skincare routines.
While they were willing to invest in expensive in-office treatments, they didn’t know which skincare products were best suited for their daily routines, or when and how to use them to achieve optimal skin health. Just as you wouldn’t expect to have healthy teeth if you only went to the dentist once a year without brushing your teeth everyday, we cannot expect to have healthy skin without following a daily skincare routine.
Long-term skin health is achieved through consistently using high-quality, results-driven products that are tailored to your unique skin type and concerns. Providing a solution to this gap in the skincare industry became the birthplace of Barefaced. Today, our approach, mission, and philosophy remains the same: Less but Better.
What has been a key moment or milestone since starting your business?
JH: Barefaced has quickly taken on a life of its own and today we have now sold over a million units since launching 4 years ago while maintaining a 90% returning customer rate (industry standard is less than 30%). Our returning customer rate is something I’m extremely proud of.
Being a bootstrapped company, I believe the main reason why we’ve continued to grow is that we focus our efforts towards serving our customers. We are anticipating needs, listening, and responding. Our product line will always remain lean, but mighty, because our guiding philosophy is: Less but Better. As I said, the world doesn’t need more skincare, it needs better skincare. So with that as our mission, we only bring products into the market that are innovative or best-in-class.
Every product we bring to market is formulated to work better together offering you the maximum amount of benefits so you get the most out of your investment. We are devoted to helping you create a tried and true personalized skincare routine. Our first-of-its-kind AI Skin Quiz and team of Barefaced Skincare Specialists provide customers with a white glove service that helps them along their skincare journey. We take the guesswork out of skincare, so you know exactly what to use, when, and how.
What struggles are you proud to have overcome, business-wise?
JH: Prior to starting Barefaced, I had no previous business experience so every aspect of building this business has been self-taught. Along the way, almost everything has been new to me. From bringing innovative products into the skincare industry, building a team, managing the finances of it all…you name it, I’ve done it.
Of course, I’ve made mistakes along the way but the defining moment isn’t in the mistake but in how you overcome it. I’ve learned the importance of trusting my gut in all aspects of the business. When a product doesn’t feel 100% ready, or like it could be better, I will pull it from production to protect the integrity of our promise to our customers: to only bring best-in-class products into the industry. I’m proud that we are able to do that!
What tips would you give young entrepreneurs wanting to get into the skincare/wellness space?
JH: Listen as much as possible and lead with integrity! People are actively searching for solutions to their problems so if you can listen & genuinely meet those needs, you will be successful. I see so many brands today lead with fear mongering, while over-promising results, and chasing trends. In my opinion, this approach doesn’t have longevity.
The skincare/wellness space is extremely saturated, so it’s vital that your business brings something tried and true not only to stand out but also to stand the test of time. The integrity of your products and being able to truly deliver on your promises is what will bring customers back time and again. The focus for many business owners is oftentimes on how to get new customers but figuring out how to serve/retain your current customers is what we focus on. I believe that customers come back when you are able to add value to their lives and offer them products they see real results from.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are the top products you’re bringing?
JH: Outside of SPF, I’m bringing Barefaced Overachiever. Hands down. When dreaming up this product I wanted a serum to do the most and that’s exactly what it does. It’s 10 serums in one. Also, Barefaced Hydrating Lotion because I don’t want to be a dried up red raisin out there. Hydrating Lotion is an antiaging moisturizer that also helps to reduce redness and fine lines.
Can’t forget The Skinny Confidential Ice Roller, I look forward to using it every morning! Ok and a must would be electrolytes– I’ve been drinking Relyte Unflavored Electrolytes and feel so much more hydrated when I have them in my water.
Lauryn is obsessed with Barefaced reusable eye pads. Tell us more about how they work and HOW they last a whole year!?
JH: The under eye area is some of the thinnest skin on the body and also one of the most challenging to treat. I wanted to bring a product that could be used daily to help maximize any treatments applied to under the eyes and smooth fine lines. I knew eye patches would be ideal for locking in creams and serums, but I always found myself saving my disposable eye patches for special occasions, which meant I was rarely using them.
That’s why I created reusable eye patches with medical grade silicone that can be used on a daily basis…for up to a year+! We obsessed over the design of these patches down to the millimeter. We actually went back to the drawing board right before launching them because we felt there was still room for improvement, and we’ve made a commitment as a brand to only bring best-in-class products into the industry.
Our reusable eye patches are made with medical-grade silicone, which also increases absorption of any product that is layered underneath. When you use them you’re getting a mini eye treatment. They are perfect for stomach and side sleepers to soften the sleep lines you get under the eyes. To keep the quality of the eye patches intact, gently wash them with soap and water and lay them out to dry. Even after one use, you’ll notice a difference in the appearance of your fine lines.
What’s a book, podcast or resource you recommend that helped you build your business?
JH: At the start of every new year I re-read the same two books: Atomic Habits and Essentialism. I recently read The Almanak of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness – add this to your reading list immediately. It’s so good. My goal is to live an intentional life and to do that I have to be hyper-focused on how I spend my time, my mindset, who I share my life with, and how every choice is shaping my life. These books allow me to zoom out and get a bird’s eye view of these things, while also getting granular on each decision that affects my daily life.
One thing I started doing 3 years ago that has been transformative for my productivity is time blocking. I have a weekly schedule that is time blocked down to the minute. Of course, this can vary depending on kids, travel, etc., but for the majority of the time it’s the same. I’ve found this helps eliminate decision fatigue and also allows me to be more present in my day to day because I know I have all my bases covered. This also allows me to see exactly how I’m spending my days and make sure that I’m investing time in the right areas. Our motto at Barefaced is “Less but Better” and this is the same philosophy I like to apply to my life. Over the years I’ve become much more invested in what adds quality to my life over quantity.
Where can everyone find you? Pimp yourself out!
JH: www.barefaced.com
Instagram @jordanharper_NP @barefaced
Tiktok: @jordanharpernp @barefacedskin
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Start with the toning pads and resusable eye masks and use code SKINNY for 15% off your first purchase. Hope you all loved this post.
x, Lauryn
+ Check out these tips for female entrepreneurs.
++ 7 books successful people read.
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