Interview: Kristin Cavallari makes her mark on clean skincare with Uncommon Beauty.
We’re admittedly a little obsessed with Kristin Cavallari. Whether she’s giving us real life peeks into her life as a mom of three, posting drool-worthy recipes from her cookbooks, sharing her effortlessly chic outfits, or posting IG stories where she’s drinking wine and singing with her besties, she’s one of those celebs that we really just want to be friends with.
But let’s not forget that the reality-star-author-mom is also a serious entrepreneur. She started what was then a fledging jewelry line, Uncommon James, in 2017. Flash forward just a few years and the brand has exploded, launching new jewelry collections several times per year. There’s also Uncommon James Home, a line of kitchen and home accessories, and Little James, Cavallari’s baby and kids’ clothing line. And let’s not forget the brick-and-mortar Uncommon James stores in Nashville, Chicago, and now Dallas.
Cavallari’s latest venture is Uncommon Beauty, which launches on May 13. During production, Cavallari and her team were hyper-focused on finding nontoxic, effective ingredients and didn’t settle until they created products she would be satisfied using on herself (and her kids). The result: A curated, clean skincare collection that includes only five daily essentials: a lightweight moisturizer, a customizable powder cleanser, a hydrating eye cream, a peptide and vitamin C serum, and a creamy mango lip balm.
Read More: 5 Things To Know When Transitioning To A Clean Beauty Routine
We hopped on a Zoom with with Cavallari ahead of the brand’s launch to hear more about the products, what inspired the line, and pick her brain for beauty tips. Spoiler alert: She was just as fun and cool as we hoped, and now we really want to be friends with her.
Q: Why did you decide to create a skincare line?
A: I was always being asked ‘What is your skincare routine?’ So when I started thinking about creating a skincare line, I had all of the products I was using sent to a lab to be analyzed. I thought I was using relatively clean products, but they all came back as being full of silicones and chemicals and things that age us and aren’t good for our skin. So I wanted to come up with a line that was really clean and just had the staple things everyone could use day to day.
Q: How did you come up with the five products that are in the Uncommon Beauty line, and are there any plans to expand?
A: I wanted to strip it down. The goal with Uncommon Beauty was to create products that each check a lot of different boxes. I didn’t want to do three different face washes, so instead I did our Daily Foaming Powder Cleanser, which you can control and customize. I don’t wear makeup unless I’m going into the office or am going to be on camera, so most days I usually just use a little bit with a lot of water. If I’m wearing makeup, I’ll use more of the cleanser with less water so that it’s more of an exfoliator that can really get everything off.
The Pineapple Peptide Nectar is another good example of how the products are multifunctional. Instead of doing a vitamin C serum and a peptide serum, I combined both ingredients in one formula—and it turns out they actually work better together. It’s hard to pick, but that’s my favorite product in the line because it really does everything. And even though I wanted to start with just these five core products, eventually we’ll launch some fun add-ons. But we’re going to stick with skincare for now, I don’t have any plans to be launching tons of other product lines.
Q: You talked about the importance of this being a clean skincare line. What does “clean” mean to you?
A: For me, clean beauty products are any that I would be comfortable putting on my own kids. Or if they raided my bathroom and got into my moisturizer, I’d be totally fine with that. I do feel like it’s important, too, for people to take that the time to learn about what’s in their products and what the ingredients do to your skin. And we follow a set list of ingredients that don’t go into any of our products. [Editor’s note: Uncommon James Beauty follows the Credo Dirty List, which bans over 2,7000 ingredients.] But I still wanted everything to be effective. If I’m taking the time to have a thorough skincare routine, I want the products to work.
Q: What’s your go-to beauty secret?
A: Well, my mom always told me you’re never too young to start moisturizing. I think she first told me that in middle school, and I think it’s a great piece of advice. And I guess it’s not really a secret, but I love dermaplaning. I first had it done during a facial 10 years ago and the facialist told me that I should keep doing it and that I could basically just shave my face. And so that’s what I did. I’ve now graduated to using one of those small, dermaplane blades meant for this kind of thing, but for while I was just straight up shaving my face with an actual razor like you’d use for your legs.
Q: How has your perception of beauty changed over the years?
A: Oh it’s completely changed. I really do think beauty comes from within and so much of it is about being comfortable in your own skin. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that you can’t please everyone and you really just need to live your life for you. No one else is a part of my daily life but me, so I have to do what makes me happy, and that’s the place where beauty comes from.
Uncommon Beauty by Kristin Cavallari launches on May 13. In the meantime, you can sign up for updates here.
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