The Minimalist Approach to Skincare with Berlin Skin

BEAUTY BRAND SPOTLIGHT: Berlin Skin

Monica Watson is the boss babe behind Berlin Skin, a plant-based skincare company based in San Diego! Her line of products are all clean, modern, and minimal, using ingredients like sandalwood, aloe, hyaluranoic acid, and jojoba oil.

I immediately felt drawn to Monica not only because she’s absolutely gorgeous and has a beautiful brand, but I was amazed to find out that she also struggled with adult cystic acne in her life. I connected with part of her story and I love that her own experience with skin issues fueled her passion for helping other with similar battles.

Interested in the minimalist approach to skin care? Grab a cup of coffee and keep reading for my interview with the boss babe behind Berlin Skin!

1. Your Vision page shares that Berlin Skin was born out of your own skin issues frustration to find answers. Can you share a bit more about your journey and what inspired you to go from a consumer to launching your own company in the clean, non-toxic beauty industry?

I wasn’t finding the answers I needed for my skin from a traditional dermatologist, so I spent years researching skin and internal health in an effort to clear up my cystic acne. Eventually I did find the answers I was looking for, and this ignited a passion to help other people with similar battles. Never in a million years did I envision myself starting a skincare brand, and yet now I can’t imagine my life any other way. I’m deeply passionate about what I do and feel so lucky to have met so many amazing, like-minded people along the way.

2. What values were most important to you when you decided to launch your own indie beauty brand?

Sustainability, beauty, and effectiveness. I desired a line that was clean, modern, and minimal (which is our tagline). I wanted to take the fuss out of a skin care ritual – and this was at a time where a 12-step routine was the popular thing. Our products are focused on being multi-use and mixable, which makes them suitable for several different skin types and means that you can multitask with them. I was also really intentional when it came to making decisions about ingredient sourcing, using glass packaging, and making sure that we were working with trusted vendors who held similar values. From the very beginning we also committed to giving back, even when we weren’t making a profit. Generosity is at the core of my ethos and company: I believe that those of us who run businesses have this incredible opportunity and responsibility to make a difference in our community and around the world.

3. Tell us about your day-to-day life as the boss-babe behind Berlin Skin!

This is something I’m still figuring out as I actually have a brand new 6 month old baby boy! Becoming a mom has truly been the greatest joy of my life and my husband and little guy will always come first before my career. So with the big life change, I’m learning to balance in a new way but I’m having fun along the way. That being said, I absolutely love my work! Even though we might look like a big brand, we’re actually a small, family-owned company. So, I still ship out the orders, do the marketing and events, manage wholesale relationships, and work on product development. It might sound like a lot, but I’m almost 3 years in and a most of it feels like second nature, now. Between being a mom and my work, the hours can fly by – but I count the day a success if I am able to go on a walk to the beach each evening and sit down with my husband for dinner. Balance and a healthy lifestyle is way more important to me than business or money.

4. What’s your best skin care tip?

Ha, do I only get to chose one? It’s really important to remove your makeup and/or sunscreen at night with a damp, warm facial cloth. Then you can apply your cleanser. If you skip this first step, you’re just rubbing the excess grime from the day back in and not getting the best from those ingredients in your cleanser.

5. What are your three beauty products that you can’t live without? (whether its cosmetics, skin, hair, or body products)

Our cocoa eye butter, black spruce body oil, and Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation.