Our latest Beauty Boss is Celeste Hilling, Founder and CEO of Skin Authority—a clean performance skincare line that offers results-driven products, expert coaching and guidance, and accessible price points. The company’s passion for optimal skin health and beauty is authentically derived from hands-on experiences in medical skin clinics and top wellness destinations, and their innovative products improve overall health of skin without fragrances, dyes, parabens or animal testing.

Hilling has applied her background in technology to develop a new category of health-inspired skincare formulations with the goal of enhancing and protecting skin’s protective barrier from environmental damage, as well as stimulating its ability to renew and regenerate surface cells to transform the appearance of skin. She is a recurring guest expert for health and beauty media segments and works with celebrities, fashion icons, beauty editors and consumers to instill a passion for leading a healthy skin lifestyle.

During COVID-19, Hilling has continued to innovate the business to offer new products and technologies that deliver a spa experience and professional at-home results. These include:

• Facial Club is a subscription skincare box that provides customers with the opportunity to engage virtually with professional estheticians and receive personalized advice on their skin

• New spa protocols to help spa partners including The Beverly Hills Hotel perfect a combination of transforming skin formulations and simple at-home skin care routines to produce immediately visible and lasting changes in the appearance of skin. Spa partners attend comprehensive training and receive continuing education in areas relating to skin health, product knowledge, treatment techniques, and motivation.

• Wellness Beauty Movement: Hilling regularly partners with her local immunotherapy business to create patented ingredients and delivery systems for remarkable results such as, SGF-4 Technology™ Growth Factors, Beauty Infusion™ Topical Superfoods and VitaD Fortified™ Formulations.

We chatted with Hilling, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, favorite products and wellness tips, secrets to success, and more.

When was Skin Authority founded and what does the name mean?

Skin Authority was founded in 2005. We named it Skin Authority because we wanted to empower every person to be an ambassador for their own skin health, which means we needed to educate them with all the tools and the resources they needed to understand the importance of the daily habits and having healthy skin. In the end, we wanted to be that resource or that authority that people came to when they wanted to be empowered with knowledge on how to live a healthier skin lifestyle. 

What inspired the creation of the brand?

The inspiration for the brand was a combination of personal experience and professional experience coming together. I was the Vice President of Compaq Computer Worldwide at the time and we were the number one manufacturer of mobile devices in the world. I was head of the consumer division, which made devices for people in the home. Everything was going wireless and mobile, and we were designing all of that technology.

I became obsessed with how to stay healthy in a digital world where you’re being bombarded with light from your devices. Fast-forward to today and who knew we’d be zooming all the time due to COVID-19? That was really the professional side, which made me really intrigued to see what we could do to protect the skin from this bombardment of environmental exposure, including the sun. 

My personal journey was that I’ve had skin cancer, but also one of my closest friends died of skin cancer.  I’ve been surrounded by cancer with my parents, my family, and myself. I really became obsessed with how important skin is to your immune system functioning properly because it makes amazing resources like vitamin D. I felt that if I didn’t know as much about that then probably the average consumer didn’t either.

We started the company with the inspiration to provide not only great products and tools to protect and nurture the skin, but also to act as a defense mechanism for the body while also keeping you cosmetically beautiful— but to also empower you with the knowledge through coaching. 

Do you have a hero product?

Absolutely. If you just talked about the number of units sold it would definitely be our Dramatic Eye Lift, because it’s a miracle at lifting and firming that eye area, and just waking you up every day to look amazing cosmetically. But like all of our products, it also has matrix proteins which remodel the cell to protect itself in a stronger, healthier way without the use of fragrances, dyes or parabens. Also, coaching is our other top product. It’s that free, certified skin professional giving you live advice, not just through a chat or email lines.

What’s your favorite product from the brand? 

That’s like asking who’s your favorite child, but definitely I love the Youthful Skin Kit because in it are six products for your AM and PM routine that keep you together, because as we always say, healthy habits are the key to reducing 80% of aging. Studies from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that if you’re doing the right routine every day in the right order it can really offset a lot of extra aging that causes you to not look as youthful. For me that’s important. 

Where are your products sold?

Our products are sold through beauty retailers around the U.S. and Europe. We’re also sold through licensed professionals all around the world. Not only do they sell Skin Authority products, but they also do professional treatments where you can experience our brand through a stress-reducing service. You can also find us on our website. 

Future plans for the brand?

I’m super excited about waterless technology. We actually launched our first waterless product SkinSuit Lip last year. No water is used in the making of the product at all. In 2021, we are looking to launch more of our minus water collection in the latter part of this year. For every one million units shipped, we save over half a million gallons of water. I love that we can love your skin by providing clean performance skin care, but also love the earth in the same way. 

What inspires you?

Every working woman in the world inspires me because being a mom, an entrepreneur, an owner of a company, and on the boards of companies both profit and nonprofit, I realize it takes a village to get the job done. I admire every person who gets up in the morning and holds their family together, holds their business and their employees together in the same way. I’m really inspired by women everywhere. 

Secret to success?

The secret to success is showing up and putting one foot in front of the other every single day and being transparent. I think it’s so important to be able to be vulnerable and not only show all of your strengths, but also to acknowledge your weak points. We all need to ask for help, because people really want to help you and your consumers want to support you. We’ve been so blessed with raving fans who just move us forward all around the globe. But also, an amazing team that comes together in good times and bad to help me, support me, and be the wind under my wings.

Beauty secrets?

Clearly it is about practicing what you preach. Every single day, the biggest beauty secret is having a daily routine of good, healthy skin habits and sticking with it. That for me is the most important thing. Also SkinSuit, because it’s really about protecting your skin from all forms of light in the environment because that is 80% of aging: the light exposure, and I don’t mean just sunlight, but our devices and our wireless technologies can really age us. I love it all and I want it all, so at the end of the day protecting ourselves from that is the biggest thing. And frankly, wearing a smile because when you’re positive you just radiate from within. 

Wellness tips?

As for wellness tips: move, move, move, move. That’s my tip. Eating well is so important, but also moving. We’re so blessed to have the ability to move and to be healthy. Having a daily commitment to ensure that you’re going outdoors. That you’re breathing fresh air and you’re walking and moving. Keeping your body in motion is probably the biggest thing to staying well. It’s a great stress reducer and it’s also weight. You’re carrying the weight of your body, so I love that. I’m definitely a Peloton person, so I love all the high-intensity pieces, but I also love the moments of silence when you walk outdoors with maybe just a great book playing in your audio. 

Best advice?

The best advice that I’ve ever been given is to be kind. Be kind to others and be kind to yourself, because things are going to be hard, you’re not always going to be perfect, and neither is anyone else. You’ve got to forgive, love, and always put forward what you would love to see for yourself. Kindness is huge and in this world we’re in today, I don’t know that that’s ever been truer. Also, embrace difference. Different is good. Different points of view are what make you better and stronger if you’re open to it, so I love the idea of being open and pulling that in. 

How do you like to relax?

As far as relaxing, anything outdoors. I live on the ocean in San Diego in a little town that is just the perfect little beachside community. There’s nothing like watching the dolphins and whales, and hearing the tide that brings you back to the reality that we’re so small compared to the world. Also, just spending time with my family. My husband and my daughter are my rocks, they’re my loves, and when you’re with people you love it just lights up your life. 

For more information, visit skinauthority.com and follow on Instagram: @skinauthority

[Images courtesy of Skin Authority]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk