Aged between six and 12 years, Australia has over 2.3 million tweens, who account for 15 per cent of the total population and control $1.35 billion in annual income. By their mid-teens, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 40 per cent of adolescents have acne or acne scarring, which can severely affect self-esteem.
It’s these facts and statistics that continue to motivate 14-year-old Isabella Dymalovski to grow and develop her youthful skincare line Luv Ur Skin. Despite still being in school, the young entrepreneur has seen her line of products – developed specifically for tweens – go from strength to strength. It is now stocked in over 400 Priceline stores across the country. Here Dymalovski shares her story, including why she’s decided to stay in school.
Beauty beginnings
I started Luv Ur Skin when I was eight years old (although I didn’t have a brand name back then). I was wearing make up for dance concerts and my mum wouldn’t let me use her products to clean my skin so I asked her if I could make my own and she said yes! She had me work with chemists to formulate some products that I gave to my friends to test in different focus groups. I had no plans to actually sell them until my friends started asking where they could buy the products! Once I started giving out some samples, it was amazing to see that they were really excited to have an all-natural product, that also helps them to develop a healthy skincare routine. It took six years of working on the formulas, packaging and branding before I finally decided on Luv Ur Skin and launched the range.
Understanding the audience
It’s important for girls to start getting into a natural and healthy skincare routine from an early age, as this will benefit them leading into their teen years.
My formulations are specifically created for the needs of young, delicate skin - based on my own experiences within the skincare market. My product formulations are completely natural and Australian-made, help to control oil, unclog pores and clean without stripping any extra moisture that leads to breakouts. I also made sure the face wash is pH balanced which means after you clean your face, you don’t need to use a toner.
My overall inspiration for the design of my products and branding came from wanting to create a brand that was young, bright and all about the benefits of natural ingredients for young skin. I wanted to keep the packaging fun yet still professional and easy to store/travel with. My Mini Trio Face and Body sets are perfect for traveling - they fit easy in your luggage and the storage tin is useful to keep other products such as hair ties and clips when on the move! My overall goal was to prove products can be designed to be fun and attractive to young girls, whilst being beneficial for the skin and loved by parents!
“I stay motivated as I never give up on anything I have started, even though school can be very stressful, I believe all my hardwork will pay off one day!"
Back to school
I still believe that an education is extremely important to build my future, even though I have a business already! There are things I learn everyday such as business accounting, maths and even in chemistry, that I can use in my business. I stay motivated as I never give up on anything I have started, even though school can be very stressful, I believe all my hardwork will pay off one day! Another way I stay motivated is by setting myself goals for every new school year to make sure I stay on track when I’ve noticed that I’m losing interest, this keeps me grounded and focused on why I need to do.
My family provide me with a lot of support with the business, especially since I’m still trying to juggle my schoolwork and other activities. I can always turn to them for opinions on future product developments, designing and my overall branding, as I know they will be completely honest and upfront with me. My mum also has a lot of experience in the skincare industry, so this has helped me to gain an inside view of the market and what works and what doesn’t. In saying that, they completely leave the creation of the brand and products entirely up to me, so the brand is authentic and created for girls by someone who understands the needs of girls.
Finding inspiration
I have meet a lot of inspirational people in the beauty industry who have given amazing advice, that has helped me to be where I am now. One person that had a real impact was Gillian Franklin, from The Heat Group, she is an amazing woman that has built a real empire. After appearing on Sharktank, Andrew Banks (one of the Sharks) introduced us and Gillian has been an incredible mentor ever since. There are so many inspirational people in this industry who have created amazing brands from nothing and I hope my story inspires other girls to follow their dreams, no matter what they are.
My advice would be if you’re looking to break into the beauty industry - just start today no matter where you are! I hear from many younger girls that wish they could start doing something in beauty and skincare, but just don’t know where to begin. I would suggest start today by first identifying what is you actually want to make and then learn as much as you can about that chosen category. Keep up-to-date on beauty news and always think about who you customer will be and what they will want to buy... then you can start to work on hard part, actually making some samples. It is possible, but you need to dedicate a lot a time to it and stick with it, don’t give up, especially when it gets hard.
Visit the listing to find out more.