Conscious Beauty And Beautiful Minds: Interview w/ Hannah Kim of Botanical Republic
When Hannah Kim turned 40, the skincare products she used daily stopped working for her. Benzoyl peroxide, retinol, hydroquinone 2%, and other common ingredients seemed to lose their effect over time. When that stopped working, she moved to stronger treatments. Almost as if she became immune to the ingredients. No matter what she put on her face, nothing helped to firm up her skin, and it continued to lose its elasticity.
One day, she was visiting a close friend of hers who was pregnant. Her face was glowing with no signs of large pores or fine wrinkles. The first thing Hannah asked was what type of facial treatment she received. She learned that her friend spent days conducting massive research in finding a skincare product that was safe for pregnant women and that led her to use natural skincare products. However, the price of the natural skincare products was a bit overwhelming. 1 oz of facial oil costed over $100. This led Hannah to begin her journey as a natural skincare formulator by creating a skincare product that will help hydrate and fight premature aging. She began researching carrier oils, extracts, and essential oils for anti-aging.
What was the first beauty routine you adopted as a child or teenager? Which emotions do you connect with this memory?
I was more of a tomboy as a child. I spent many hours playing outside exposed to the sun. Whenever I came home with a sunburn, my mother would slice fresh cucumbers thinly and apply them on my face to calm the redness and soothe irritation. This method helped alleviate my sunburn on my face. I still use this method today. Instead of applying the face mask sheets, I prefer to slice cucumber and apply it to my face. Not only will this soothe irritation, it also helps hydrate my face.
CONSCIOUS BEAUTY — What meaning do you give this term?
To me, conscious beauty is about:
(a) Using natural, plant-based products that focus on sustainability.
The benefits of using natural, plant-based skincare products is that you’re using ingredients that are derived from natural sources, avoiding man-made synthetic ingredients.(b) Simplifying the skincare routine.
Less skincare routine steps mean the use of less skincare products. Which means less waste for our planet.
Which aspects of sustainability in beauty are especially important to you?
Plastic waste and usage of water. These two aspects of sustainability in beauty are very important to me. I was utterly shocked to find out that every year, the beauty industry creates more than 120 billion units of packaging waste. Choosing skincare products in glass packaging is one big step you can take to make the planet greener. While plastics can be recycled, I believe only less than 31% of the plastic packaging is actually being recycled.
If you check nearly any cosmetic skincare product, you will see “water” listed as one of the first three ingredients. Note that the word “aqua” is used. Many brands will use water as the main ingredients. According to the United Nations, water scarcity will be exacerbated due to increasing demand, climate change, and global pollution. We prepared ahead and try not to use water as a solvent. Instead, we use hydrosols also called distillates. Hydrosols are made by steam distillations of flowers, plants, and fruits.
When do you consciously feel beautiful?
I’ve learned that self-awareness is the stepping stone and the foundation to consciously feel beautiful. For both morning and night routine when you’re feeling in the moment and present, saying the words of gratitude to start and to end the day. Being thankful for what I have and what I’m all about. Trying to focus only on the good and treating my body as a temple.
Did your approach to beauty change within the last 1–2 years?
Yes, absolutely. I became more aware of what’s inside (ingredients) of the skincare products. There are many brands out in the market today that are heavily focused on chemical components to help fight anti-aging. I’ve learned that you can achieve the same results solely from using natural ingredients. No products can remove wrinkles right away. It may take longer than synthetic ingredients. However, using natural ingredients will deliver more nutrients to your skin.
How would you like to see the image of beauty change within the next 5 years?
Within the next five years, I’d like to see the beauty industry focus more on sustainability and clean ingredients. Presently, many brands focus on mass production to keep costs low. However, I do hope many brands focus more on the value rather than the quantity, regardless of price point.
What or who inspires your beauty routine?
A Korean Actress named Hyun Jung Go. She recently turned 50, but her skin is flawless with zero wrinkles. She published her skincare routine in 2011 titled, “Go Hyun Jung’s Texture” in which she shares her beauty secrets. She treats her skin from the inside out by avoiding salty and spicy foods. She came up with a 20 minute skincare routine. Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury to spend 20 minutes applying skincare on my face. However, I respect her for her dedication and for treating her body like a temple.
What is your best beauty advice to others?
a) Self-awareness, self-confidence, feeling beautiful inside goes a long way.
b) Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse. It is very important to cleanse your skin to remove dirt, dust, pollution, and makeup from your face. Our skin builds up germs and bacteria throughout the day. Properly cleansing your face daily will help avoid breakouts, dehydration, and aging.
c) Protect your skin from dry heat. Avoid heaters and/or fireplace. The heater tends to dry out and damage your skin. No matter how cold the weather gets, I avoid turning on the heater.
Is there anything you would like to share that we have not asked you here?
COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for many of us and taught us a valuable lesson to focus more on living a healthier and sustainable lifestyle. When it comes to skincare products, I hope many consumers become more conscious about what they apply to the skin by searching for safer and sustainable products. The skincare routine now has become a self-care routine by practicing one’s own well-being and happiness. What people don’t realize is that our skin is the human body’s biggest organ and plays an important role in our body. Yet, we’re focused more on the cosmetic benefits. What about the health benefits? When you begin to treat your skin as an organ, I am sure you will begin paying attention to the ingredient list of a skincare product. I am discovering more natural ingredients that can help our skin both cosmetically and therapeutically.
THANK YOU!
Follow Hannah’s skincare brand Botanical Republic on Instagram.
Demee Koch about the MEDIUM interview series on CONSCIOUS BEAUTY:
Hello! I am a serial entrepreneur with more than 2 decades of experience in the health & beauty industry. This interview series is intended to create awareness about the movement of Conscious Beauty.
We are in a beautiful time of Conscious Beauty — you may have heard of this term, but what does Conscious Beauty mean, and why does it matter?
For us, beauty is a way to love — it is about self-care, art, nutrition, exercise, life, self-love. I invite you to become part of a movement that re-defines beauty. Let’s empower beautiful minds.
Thank you for being the change. I’m looking forward to learn from you. Reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Demee ❤︎
