Journal 01

Asking KiTing Kolar what was still missing from the crowded skincare market (until now)
Asking KiTing Kolar what was still missing from the crowded skincare market (until now)

BY: NATASHA STAGG

At this point, no one isn’t aware of skincare. Buzzy new formulations tried out by influencers have everyone becoming an armchair expert on scientific terms that most of us hadn’t heard of until relatively recently—hyaluronic acid, glycerin, retinol, peptides—and plenty of mixtures with made-up names.

The more products go viral, though, the further we’re lost in the beauty industry’s machinations, bound to continuously learn about yet another active ingredient, another supposed quick fix, another way to spend our money, possibly waste our time, and maybe even damage our skin. 

But we’re not talking about makeup or clothing, which are predicated on trends. Yes, different textures and tan levels come into style, but that doesn’t mean we should be burning off layers, disrupting microbiomes, and letting mystery materials seep into our pores at night.

Instead, the chemicals and compounds we’re using should be particular to our consistent, unique, deeper selves, and they should provide health benefits that revitalize our cells. It’s called skincare, after all.

When we look at the countless beauty brands advertised to us daily, we must wonder: what is really being sold? It’s not the face of someone too young to need anti-aging products, anyway. “Proprietary” has become ubiquitous. “Dermatologist approved” has lost its meaning, too. This is an industry far less regulated than big pharma, and we know how that system of checks and balances is going.

Speaking with KiTing Kolar about skincare is like taking a breath of fresh air after a claustrophobic trip to the big box store. As an avid consumer, she gets it—and wants nothing to do with what’s already been done.

Her brand, AUBURN ROWE, clearly isn’t a cash grab (she’s not using a celebrity name, nor is she courting investors) but an answer to her own frustrations with all that was being offered: mainly, the structure of the scheme, which encourages outrageous markups, empty promises, and a leveling off of quality.

  • Natasha Stagg: If our biggest problem is too many options, why add another?

    KiTing Kolar: It definitely was not to get my own name out there! AUBURN ROWE started out very personal. Then it became much bigger than just a pet project. Now, it feels not only needed but necessary. 

    As a curious consumer who has tried thousands of skincare products at every possible price point, when I started experimenting on my own, I was mostly seeking clarity: 
    Why doesn’t anyone account for every skin type on the globally recognized Fitzpatrick Scale (which defines unique needs based on UV reactions)? 

    Are these products truly attuned to our circadian rhythms and how our bodies absorb or deflect differently at different times of day?

    Who can I trust out there, and why is everything so overpriced?

    I began, for fun, to formulate—first for myself, and then for my family, who are a real mix of ages and ethnicities, all over the Fitzpatrick Scale of skin type classifications. This became my obsession: finding what is most effective for everyone close to me.

    NS: Aren’t all the new products mostly marketing? Is there really anything innovative about newer formulations being pushed?

    KK: The short answer is: yes, innovations are still being made in skin science. And not everyone has access to them, either because they are not being applied to all skin types, or because they are being egregiously marked up, simply because that’s the status quo of the beauty industry.

    After I moved my science obsession to a real lab facility, studied the same research dermatologists use, then started working with experts in cellular biology, regenerative stem cell research, toxicology, and formulation chemistry, we found actual untapped potential that is especially applicable to the market’s lesser addressed skin tones.

    We also found out a lot about chronobiology and how skin should be treated differently at different times of day, hence the day and night serums. All of this wasn’t as expensive as you would likely think. I feel more strongly than ever that it is possible for everyone to maintain healthier skin, easily and affordably.

  • NS: And is another product the best way to show that?

    KK: The skincare offer is oversaturated, but—stay with me—that’s exactly why AUBURN ROWE came about. In my opinion, we need an industry reset, to raise standards, lower price points, and change the way we think about premium skincare. 
    Great skin is not as out of reach as we’re being told. Recent advancements in bioengineered ingredients are incredible. They deserve to be available to everyone and tailored to all skin types.

    AUBURN ROWE’s intention is to make excellence an essential. These products are made and priced to be constants, not one-time fixes. They are not trend-driven or overselling buzzy actives. If used correctly, over time, they truly nourish, revitalize, and strengthen one’s skin.

    NS: I’m interested in what you said earlier about everything being overpriced. 

    KK: I’m well acquainted with luxury skincare, even if I’ve never believed the most expensive products were worth it, in terms of raw materials. Still, if I wanted the best skin, I always thought: what option do I have?

    An aha moment came at a counter promoting a product line for $1,000—down from $5,000. I thought: Oh, they’re lying.

    Of course I knew that I’d been paying for a name, but I wondered, How much does that name really cost? I’ve since found out, and am frankly appalled. You would be, too. 
    I decided then that the entire endeavor of getting healthy skin was due for a big change. 
    Societally, we’re getting better educated on the science behind skincare, learning to look past the buzzwords and brand ambassadors. Something’s still off, though. So many products are upsold simply to create a luxury category.

    Personally, I wanted those same actives and ingredients, not because of what they signify, but for what they actually do, and at an appropriate price. So, I made my own version, fit for everyone.

“Skincare should be particular to our unique selves and revitalize our cells. Most brands formulate as if all skin is the same. It’s not.”

That in itself is the win, and why I did this. The challenge was to see if something extremely effective and excellent at the luxury level could be developed, produced, and sold for less. The results are in, and they’re better than expected in every way.