Founded by the dermatological team behind the personalised prescription skincare authorities, Skin + Me, And Begin is a brand whose purpose it is “to champion midlife women whilst perfectly meeting their skincare needs.”
“The skin needs of midlife women are absolutely distinct,” comments Malvina Cunningham, Consultant Dermatologist MBPHD, MRCP (Derm). “As we studied the habits and feedback of hundreds of thousands of Skin + Me consumers, we acknowledged that despite getting great results from their prescription ingredients, midlife women need more from their formulation,” explains Cunningham, of the catalyst for creating And Begin. “It became clear that they want the superior skin benefits of prescription ingredients, such as Tretinoin and Azelaic Acid in a personalised product tailored to her life stage.”
The key learnings: women in midlife are also looking for a wider scope of effective ingredients alongside their prescription ones, plus the deeper hydration and nourishment they traditionally find in premium skincare. “The triumvirate of goals we defined are lines and wrinkles, textural issues and hyperpigmentation. All in a beautifully hydrating cream.” Sophie van Ettinger, Chief Marketing Officer, And Begin adds: “The challenge we kept focused on was: how can we deliver this woman a product that really gives her skin it all?”.
And Begin’s hero product “The Revolution” is a nightly Serum-in-a-Cream that harnesses the brand’s proprietary 1,2,3 Age Management System, an intelligent new way to formulate that succinctly and effectively addresses midlife skin goals. The Revolution’s name spells out the brand’s intention of a new way of doing things. The three components of its 1,2,3 Age Management System work in synergy with one another to elicit a tangible and progressive change in midlife skin. “Our consumer is informed about skincare ingredients and wants transparency, efficacy and visible results, albeit with luxurious self-care and indulgence,” summarises van Ettinger.
The And Begin journey starts with a free online Skin Consultation that questions beyond the obvious to gain the insights that matter to prescribing better. Reflective of the brand’s authority in age management and midlife, the Skin Consultation does not ask women questions that are (at best) obvious or (at worse) meaningless and patronising.
“What forty-something woman wants to be asked if she has noticed lines or wants better luminosity?” declares van Ettinger.
“All of the And Begin Dermatology Team are authorities in midlife skin. They know how it physiologically changes and understand the very best combination of ingredients to manage the ageing process,” says Cunningham.
Already in the pipeline are a host of other products honed to deliver for midlife skin. “As a default, every And Begin product will address the universal concerns of lines, luminosity, pigmentation and firmness as a baseline function. We take an edit of the very best ingredients that work synergistically, holistically and specifically for midlife skin. All at clinically proven efficacious levels.”
Customers who sign up for auto-replenishment automatically become an And Begin Member who have first access to products, a say in building the brand, exclusive access to And Begin events and more.
