The mistake that made booming skincare brand legendary
No one could have guessed that a simple truth would lead to the founding of a billion dollar business.
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With roughly 50 years in the beauty industry, Paula Begoun, of Paula’s Choice fame, knows a thing or two about skincare.
The 71-year-old founded her eponymous brand in 1995 but her journey with skincare and the myths behind the beauty industry started 20 years prior when Paula was working at a cosmetics counter job and was now famously fired.
“I got caught telling a customer that astringents can’t close pores among other facts,” she tells news.com.au checkout.
“I wasn’t willing to bend the truth to make a sale — a principle I carried into building Paula’s Choice.”
Clearly, this principle has held her in good stead. The brand was sold in 2021 to Unilever in a deal rumoured to be worth close to US$2 billion.
SHOP PAULA’S CHOICE BESTSELLERS HERE
Sells every six seconds
Paula’s Choice number one bestseller is the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant which Paula calls a “transformative product”.
Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, $49 at Paula’s Choice
Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Selling a bottle every six seconds, Paula says the 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant works by gently sloughing off dead skin on the surface and penetrating deeper into the skin.
“It makes a world of difference to rejuvenate your complexion,” she says.
Her other favourite products include the Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment and the Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser.
In terms of other bestsellers, the Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment is the top-ranked retinol in Sephora globally so if you want to try something you know will work, it’s the way to go.
The C15 Super Booster and Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster are two other best-selling buys that I’ve personally been trying for the past month. The C15 Super Booster contains 15 per cent Vitamin C and leaves your skin seriously glowy. I’ve had countless compliments from colleagues at work wondering if I’m wearing any new makeup. But it’s just the Vitamin C. It’s also super lightweight and sinks into your skin so well.
The Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster is far from your average hydrating serum. It works to properly rebuild and strengthen the skin at a deeper level thanks to a multitude of peptides in the ingredients. I found it super soothing and loved how well it repaired my skin after going too hard on the actives.
“I needed to do something about it”
“My skin issues started very young. Eczema flared up in childhood, then puberty brought the unwelcome addition of acne. It was a nightmare,” Paula says.
“Frustrated, I delved into scientific research on skin and ingredients.
“Eventually, my constant discomfort and disappointment fuelled my passion to write books about what I learned, and then eventually led me to create my Paula’s Choice products.”
Creating Paula’s Choice she says was a “pragmatic step”. At this point in her career, she had already self-published her best-selling book, Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal, and had appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show where Oprah had given her the nickname ‘The Cosmetics Cop’.
“I didn’t want to write any more books on skincare and makeup, and I knew I could take everything I learned and put it into creating truly effective formulas that could live up to their claims,” she says.
“I didn’t want other women to go through the same frustrations I went through in my skincare journey, and I needed to do something more about it. So I did, by creating Paula’s Choice Skincare.”
Almost thirty years later, Paula’s Choice is a household name with products that truly “deliver results”, says Paula.
‘Misinformation is more rampant now than ever before’
For Paula, her battle with misinformation is still a core part of who she is. She notes the misinformation around skincare has worsened since her days at the cosmetic counter, thanks largely in part to social media.
“It is so difficult for me to see people being misled in this way,” she tells news.com.au checkout.
“Misinformation is more rampant now than ever before. Shining a light on the truth is crucial for informed choices. It’s not always popular – people crave miracle cures – but arming consumers with facts has been my mission from the very beginning.”
While we all love to follow a trend that we see delivers instant results on social media, Paula says that following these trends is “problematic”.
“They may sound good or fun (but) you are being a guinea pig for fads that could damage your skin.
“Proven ingredients with established results are always the best bet, no matter your skin concern.”
And the trends that she thinks are a waste of money?
“Sheet masks, pointless roller tools, and expensive anti-ageing creams that come in fancy jars (spoiler alert: that type of packaging doesn’t keep key ingredients stable).”
Paula’s Choice Bestselling Products
C15 Super Booster
Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster
Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment
Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment
Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser.
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