SKIN DEEP : Hippie Skin’s Natural Skin Care
by Ted Scheffler
Bethany Forest started her business, Hippie Skin, in part out of necessity. Hippie Skin is a 100% natural skin care and cosmetics line with an emphasis on organic, sustainable, cruelty-free products. Her motivation was partly economical: “I was paying over $60 for organic skin care cream that wasn’t even organic and was full of fillers. I decided there had to be a better, more affordable approach to skin care and through research and development, I found what I was looking for. It was then that I decided to make it more accessible to the masses,” says Forest.
She describes Hippie Skin this way: “Most of our products are vegan and all are gluten-free. We pride ourselves on creating quality skin care products while reducing our carbon footprint. We love all hippies. We love our community and we love the planet.”
Prior to starting Hippie Skin, Forest was working in the insurance industry “to pay the bills,” she says, “but my passion was and continues to be instructing yoga and finding balance in life and health utilizing natural methods.” The idea for her business occurred to her in a place where many great ideas spring forth. She explains, “I was in the shower one day and thought to myself, ‘I should market this.’ Then I went back and forth a lot until my boyfriend convinced me to go for it!”
Describing Hippie Skins’ marketplace niche, Forest says “We are skin care on a mission. We aim to empower Hippies to Love Their Faces and to find true love of self by breaking the boundaries of beauty. At Hippie Skin, we keep it REAL: Our models are real people, with real skin and no airbrushing. We strive to innovate and empower social change – Love Your Face!”
Being a Utah-based business, Forest strives to use as many local Utah ingredients as possible in her Hippie Skin products. She says, “We source as many local ingredients as we can! One of our favorites is our Hippie Honey, which is made with raw honey from the Honey Jar in Honeyville. I believe that utilizing local vendors whenever possible not only supports our local economy, but it contributes to healthier skin – providing products from our environment can reduce skin allergies and irritations and contribute to a more balanced constitution overall.”
When asked if any individuals were especially supportive in helping to get Hippie Skin off the ground, Forest says “Definitely my now-husband and business partner, Taylor. He continues to be my biggest cheerleader, problem-solver, and he’s my go-to whenever I need to be talked off the ledge that we often face as business owners. I am also super grateful to the Ogden community for welcoming us and supporting us from the kitchen to our new commercial studio downtown.”
Looking toward the future, Forest says “We envision Hippie Skin as an easily recognizable national brand with a strong natural, sustainable focus. Our customers are loyal to our culture and brand, and through them, we will create waves in the beauty as well as natural sector, setting a standard for what beauty SHOULD be.”
Any advice for other would-be entrepreneurs? “Do it. Don’t hesitate. Don’t worry. Don’t doubt yourself. As long as you’re willing to work, you can make it work,” advises Forest.
Bethany Forest’s Hippie Skin products can be found at hippieskin.com and “at several small retailers who carry our products throughout the states.” There’s even a really great video on her website with Bethany outlining how to use the Hippie Skin System.