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| Suki Kramer |
Nature’s Basin: How and when did Suki start and what's the concept behind it?
Suki: Suki® incorporated in 2002 & now sells over 65 products in 800 stores around the world. I own 100% of the company, which now employs hundreds of people, 98% of whom at our headquarters are women. Suki® is the first & only brand with clinically-proven formulas that quantifiably demonstrate significant improvement to the skin, 100% synthetic-free. I founded the brand with the aim to create results-driven, clean, & sophisticated sensual products. I always had a passion for high-end personal care products, but could not use most formulas because of my sensitive skin, skin problems & allergies. I started out by developing basic formulas for family & friends & later studied independently & with chemists from companies such as revlon & estée lauder. The results of my hard work are products that contain high percentages of cosmeceutical actives in 100% synthetic free bases that are unmatched in the industry.
Nature’s Basin: What makes suki® special? How do you think it is different from other natural/organic products?
Suki: Suki® is unique because it truly bridges the gap between a scientific dermabrand that is filled with synthetics & a green brand that makes skin feel good but does not provide the kinds of clinical, visible results found with this brand. I always wanted to create products that were really unique - clinically proven, effective, & results driven, while utilizing the most organic content possible. a truly different brand on many levels: from formulation integrity, created to treat all skin types to environmental responsibility. One major point of differentiation is that the heart of each suki® formula contains a nutrient rich base made from slowly boiling down & triple filtering whole organic botanicals. This organic high potency botanic concentrate is then infused with pharmaceutical grade & clinically tested standardized botanical actives. the botanicals are standardized by isolating the most powerful part of a plant & refining it to a consistent potency. For instance, the salicylic acid that we use as an anti-inflammatory is derived from white willow bark. We isolate the white willow salicins from the bark & standardize them to a 15% potency for maximum efficacy. These powerful standardized white willow salicins, combined with the organic botanic concentrate treat acne & any condition of inflammation. Results-driven actives such as these salicins, combined with the organic high potency botanic concentrate, is what truly sets Suki® apart from any other natural or organic company. Additionally, suki® offers some of the most allergy friendly skin care products available on the market. The products are gluten free; while some products use rice & oat these are refined ingredients without gluten. The vitamin e (tocopherol) is derived from soy & is allergen free.
Of course, all products are completely safe for pregnant women, nursing moms & babies!
a tremendous point of differentiation is ingredient sourcing. local, organic, biodynamic, & food grade are key. Our manufacturing process emits as little carbon output as possible & products are shipped at the site of production right from pouring, guaranteeing the highest level of quality & freshness. Suki® packaging is composed of mainly glass & aluminum containers replacing the usual toxic plastic.Vegetable inks, recycled & recyclable materials are used for shipping & packaging. All of Suki® products are truly cruelty free. Suki® never tests on animals & makes each of our suppliers certify that they do not perform animal testing. Many products are vegan but the ones that contain beeswax are from apiaries that do not harm bees or burn hives. The Suki® philosophy is rooted in ethics & environmental stewardship.
Nature’s Basin: What has been the accomplishment you are most proud of (with regards to Suki of course) so far?
Suki: The multitudes of feedback the company, & I personally, receive from fans. These amazing responses & touching success stories are the things that inspire me to continue working on growing the company & sharing my education with the public everyday. Among the most moving are letters from cancer survivors or people in treatment who say that Suki® products are the only things that helped them feel better when they had adverse reactions to prescription medications & treatment. Additionally people with rashes who have tried everything, moms with babies suffering from eczema, & others struggling with skin conditions have all given similar feedback. knowing I have helped people heal is the most rewarding feeling.
Nature’s Basin: Are you seeing a growing trend towards organic and natural skin care products? And if so, why do you think that's happening?
Suki: Absolutely! people are more & more aware of ingredients, what they do to the body over the long & short term, which makes them seek out pure products. however people are still most concerned with effectiveness. Sadly many products don’t cover either concern.
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| Bio-Resurfacing Facial Peel |
Suki: Today, clients have increasingly higher expectations as to how their skin should look & feel. suki® is the first to perfect uncompromising, advanced skin care products that incorporate truly 100% pure bases with powerful concentrations of cosmecueticals to produce visible results, which people are looking for in any brand. Suki® products work in unison with the body’s natural biological processes.
Nature’s Basin: What's your favorite Suki product and why?
Suki: That is so hard for me to answer. I couldn’t live without the exfoliate foaming cleanser or the renewal bio-resurfacing facial peel since I have issues with blemishing in my T-zone of course, I also have smooth skin specifically because I use my exfoliate foaming body cleanser. I use my lip repair butter every day as well as my butter cream salve all over. for my moisturizer, I use the pure facial moisture - balancing as well as my facial lift ultimate firming cream for the area around my eyes and forehead.
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| Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser |
Suki: Suki® is the only company using truly advanced actives that are clinically proven to produce results while remaining 100% pure. for my anti-acne line, I use for instance, white willow salicins (salicylic acid standardized for 15% potency), not synthetic salicylic acid which causes irritation, peeling & redness, to reduce blemishes, inflammation, redness, etc. We use natural alpha hydroxy acids in the form of organic sugar, glycolic acid & apple juice - the list goes on! in our clinical trials a third party laboratory tested the efficacy of the balancing regimen, geared toward people with blemishing skin & acne. In the eight week trial with 21 female & nine male participants 73% agreed that suki® improved the overall appearance of their skin, 82% saw a decrease in redness, 88% reported less scarring & scar darkness, & 77% noticed diminished skin inflammation.
Nature’s Basin: Similarly, how are your anti-ageing products different from other brands in natural/organic category?
Suki: Unlike any other green brands, we have quantifiable proof that our formulations produce REAL, VISIBLE results. Again, we are unique in that we utilize high potency actives in each formulation. in the Suki® mature skin regimen I use high performance antioxidants like standardized olive leaf, green tea (10x more potent than vitamin e) & the most important ingredient, resveratrol (think red wine benefits but for the skin!), an exceptional free radical scavenger, & one of the most complex & beneficial natural anti-aging ingredients available. I use polypeptide liposomes like vitamin C, & natural retinol which solve skin issues without side effects short or long term. an independent lab tested & evaluated the efficacy of our mature skin care products & in an eight week study of 32 women between the ages of 41 & 60, 84 % of our participants agreed that suki® improved the overall appearance of their skin by evaluating the products ability to reduce the appearance of fine lines & skin clarity. I encourage readers to visit www.sukiskincare.com to view pictures from the study & learn more about the results!
Nature’s Basin: What's the Suki product that has received the best reviews so far and why do your customers like it so much?
Suki: The Suki® exfoliate foaming cleanser with lemongrass & organic sugar smells delicious & makes the skin look & feel amazing! It is the number one best seller & has won several awards. this product deeply cleanses & purifies pores, enhances skin tone clarity, unclogs, exfoliates dead cells, smoothes dryness, lines & wrinkles, & reveals fresh new skin. My renewal bio-resurfacing facial peel with cranberry glycolic & pumpkin enzymes has also received rave reviews & the ICMAD (independent cosmetic manufacturers & distributors) cosmetic innovation of the year award. This product transforms the skin completely, revealing a visibly smoother, more refined complexion. It exfoliates damaged cells (in a nonabrasive way), decongests pores, provides potent anti-inflammatory benefits, accelerates collagen production & enhances clarity.
Nature’s Basin: How does it feel to be the woman behind a successful brand like Suki? Is it easy being a female in the business world? What is your message for other women entrepreneurs?
Suki: Of course, after years of struggle & personal risk, it feels amazing. I am actually proud of this accomplishment but mostly I feel rewarded by the personal connections I have made through this, helping people feel & look great. it’s a much more incredible feeling than looking back on success, which I rarely do. I’m really always looking forward to what I’d like to do next sometimes that’s a good thing & sometimes I need to take more time to revel I guess?. I honestly find being a woman in the business world sometimes a bit frustrating. I have been underestimated on more than one occasion, but that makes the successes all the more satisfying. The thing is, more women go create their own companies because of the lack of truly infinite growth that can occur for us in traditional business settings. I would say for anyone attempting their own business, go in with your eyes wide open. it’s NOT like the tv ads (all the free time you want & make a million)in fact, I never had so little time to myself in my life. You must be completely committed to what you want to do & give it the time it needs to develop. You cannot switch gears after a few months to try something else & think it’s going to work. through the hardship, self-doubt & sacrifice, allow yourself to be afraid & keep on keeping on! don’t give up!
Nature’s Basin: What do you personally bring to the brand?
Suki: Mostly my tenacity & determination (some might say stubbornness ?) I think. These qualities made me seek out strangers to study chemistry with, advisors to study business with, keep going despite everything I had against me (no money, no background, the most competitive industry imaginable). My background with skin problems, I never thought would be a good thing for me, but turned out to be a primary motivation for creating a product that actually worked! my experience as a journalist gave me great researching skills that I utilize every day to bring the latest information to people. &, I think my sensitivity & spirituality help me stay grounded, wary of greed & shortcuts.
Nature’s Basin: What have you gained the most from Suki experience?
Suki: This company has forced me to grow in ways that I would have never dreamed of constantly pushing me outside of my comfort zone, now challenging me in this next stage to be more public which I’m deeply shy of, & has challenged me personally & professionally at every turn. I’ve definitely become a more self assured, confident person & the whole experience has impacted my life in a tremendously positive way!
Nature’s Basin: Lastly, what would be your brand's lasting message to its customers?
Suki: "Know your beauty®" is my philosophy of self acceptance & self love if you will. It means that we must respect ourselves enough to take charge of our own lives, health & well-being since no one else will do it for us. Defining what beauty means for ourselves & embracing our individuality is so important, especially seeing how beauty & being perfect have become so important to this culture. "Know your beauty®" encourages everyone to be savvy & discerning, to demand the best for ourselves from the companies WE SUPPORT, & most importantly, to think critically.
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