The one-size-fits-all concept is as outdated in beauty as it is in fashion, and bespoke items are the new norm. In that spirit, niche skincare brands are cultivating their products and ingredients for special skin types, and there just might be a line devoted specifically to your needs. Read on to find your perfect brand.
Select Your Skin Type:
For Menopausal Skin: Pause Well-Aging
Don’t let it freak you out, but menopause can cause the body’s hormones to fluctuate like crazy as early as 10 years before your periods completely stop. This means that as early as your 40s—gulp—your skin can start to change due to decreased collagen production and less estrogen: think dryness, sagging, uneven tone, and acne. After Pause Well-Aging's founder Rochelle Weitzner’s first hot flash, she started her brand, not simply to help women adjust to these new symptoms, but to embrace the more positive goal of “well-aging” versus “anti-aging.”
For Melanin-Rich Skin: Epara
There are luxury skincare lines, and there are ranges created for women of color, but Epara—which means “to cocoon oneself” in Ebira, the language of an ethno-linguistic group in Nigeria—is one of the few brands that’s both. Founder Ozohu Adoh, who grew up in Nigeria, creates all her products with ingredients mainly sourced from Africa that treat the concerns women with dark skin typically have, such as hyperpigmentation.
For Eczema-Prone Skin: Skinfix
Skinfix got its start when founder (and eczema sufferer) Amy Risley discovered a balm—created in 1870 by a Yorkshire, England, pharmacist—that had been healing locals for years. She bought the rights to the formula, updated it, then used it as the inspiration for a range of products to treat issues like eczema and rosacea without additives (synthetic fragrance, for one) that can aggravate already sensitive skin.
For Allergenic Skin: Pai
If you’re allergy-prone, you might be familiar with urticaria, itchy hives that can spring up when you’re exposed to a trigger. But even if your skin isn’t mid-flare-up, it can feel sensitive. Pai founder Sarah Brown, who suffers from chronic urticaria, created this brand to help people manage the side effects of allergies and nourish sensitive skin without potential irritants.
For Cancer-Affected Skin: Lindi Skin
Many common skincare ingredients aren't compatible with cancer treatments. For example, drying acids can dehydrate compromised skin and cause infection-prone cracks, and certain antioxidants may inhibit the effects of particular cancer-cell-killing drugs. Lindi Skin, founded by cancer survivor Lindy Snyder, avoids these potentially harmful ingredients and concentrates on treatment-specific solutions, like a cooling wrap that soothes discomfort from radiation burns and body lotion which rehydrates skin made dryer by cancer treatments.
For Expectant Mothers: Mama Mio
Created in 2004 by four moms, Mama Mio has developed a cult following by caring for pregnant women who want to take care of their skin. TummyRub Butter was the catalyst for the line's popularity—it's packed with nourishing butters and oils to improve elasticity in the stomach, breasts, and hips—but the rest of the line caters to the specific needs of pregnant women, which are often ignored by mainstream brands. Women can shop for their needs by trimester, or check out the postpartum products that address issues such as slack skin on the thighs and sore nipples from breastfeeding.
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