Kiramoon Is a Gorgeous Skincare Line That’s About Glowing Skin AND Supporting Mental Health
Lately, we've been obsessed with the beauty brand Kiramoon, not just because their incredible skincare products bring us joy twice a day in our beauty routines, but because the packaging itself never fails to bring a smile to our faces.
Kiramoon simply makes some of the prettiest products on the market, and after becoming hooked on their offerings, we had to find out the story behind them. It turns out that Kiramoon'ss founder Lindsey Martin has a pretty powerful story to tell.
Every aspect of Kiramoon, from the great ingredients to the stunning packaging, are designed to bring joy, and even enhance the connection between skincare routines and mental health. That's also why a portion of every purchase is donated to the mental health non-profit Bring Change to Mind. We got to ask Lindsey about what Kiramoon means to her, and so much more, in the interview below.
Sweety High: What inspired you to create Kiramoon as a brand?
Lindsey Martin: Kiramoon was inspired by my own connection between skincare and mental health. During a difficult chapter in my life, my skincare routine became a magical, five-minute escape that was just for me. Unfortunately, my most effective and beloved skincare products didn't look the way they made me feel; they were clinical, minimal and boring. Where was the magic, the joy?
I knew something was missing in the industry and I felt called to create it. We believe that self-care is essential to an individual's well-being and that our beauty rituals can play an enormous role in the way we start and end our day, so why not bookend our days with joy, affirmations and playfulness? Kiramoon creates skincare that is as effective as it is cute, and encourages our customers to use it as part of a self-love ritual, what we call: "working your magic."
SH: What would you say are the most important aspects that go in every time you're creating a new product?
LM: When developing products, our goal is to create holy grail, effective, yet approachable formulas and deliver them in unique (and cuter than average) packaging. So, the most important aspects are: Did all of our product testers love this formula or only the majority? Does our customer already have something like this on their shelf? We also poll our audience on social media and design products based on what our customers are asking for, which is why we released our latest product, Silkie Rinse Gentle Hydrating Cleanser.
SH: What are the "musts" for Kiramoon products? What are the things you avoid at all costs?
LM: When creating a new product, there must be something about it that feels unique compared to other products on the market. Typically we achieve that with packaging, but we also aim to achieve that with product names and formulations.
We collect a lot of feedback from community members and product testers and if there isn't a 100% obsession rate, we go back and adjust. As a small business, we don't have the capital to create several new SKUs a year, so our product releases must be a home run every time. And we believe our customers deserve that.
Other general musts: cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, no synthetic fragrance.
SH: What would you say the brand's mission statement is?
LM: Our mission is to inspire joy in skincare by bridging the gap between effective and cute.
SH: What does the name "Kiramoon" mean?
LM: I knew I didn't want the brand name to sound clinical, or even like skincare, to match our belief that skincare is so much more than bottles on a shelf. I wanted the brand name to evoke a feeling or a vibe: magical, whimsical, playful, joyful. Kira kira in Japanese means sparkly or glittery, which is a nod to our over-the-top branding. Moon is a subtle nod to the luminosity or glow of the skin. And together, they make Kiramoon!
SH: The packaging for Kiramoon products is absolutely beautiful. How did you come up with the look and color scheme, and how do you make sure that every new product in the collection is just as gorgeous as the last?
LM: First of all, thank you!
To achieve our mission, I knew the visual branding was going to be super important. Before I even hired a designer, I knew the color palette would be pink, purple and red. Something about this trio of colors felt happy, joyful and opposed a lot of the clinical boring skincare on the market. I once heard a piece of advice on a podcast that said "identify what makes your brand unique, and double down on that," and I believe that's what we've done with our visual branding.
In terms of selecting the actual packaging and bottles, our goal is for them to feel recognizable but different. With each new product, we ask ourselves "Is there already a mask/serum/cleanser/etc. on the market in this type of bottle?" This can be a tricky task without the budget for custom molded packaging, but I feel we've done a great job with colors, fonts and product names to make our packaging feel very unique and custom.
SH: How do you hope a Kiramoon skin routine makes customers feel?
LM: The simple answer: happy! Of course, our goal as a skincare brand is to make incredible formulas that improve our customers' skin health, but our mission to inspire joy in self-care is equally important.
SH: For every Kiramoon purchase, a donation is made to Bring Change to Mind. Why is ending stigma around mental health so important to you?
LM: I was diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) after my mom passed away in 2017 and I was shocked by the way some of my friends and family reacted to my diagnosis. I thought, "I am suffering from a perfectly natural and common condition set on by a perfectly natural and common life experience, and I've been diagnosed by a doctor, so why do I feel like people are judging me?" It was heartbreaking to think how many individuals aren't asking for help because of the stigma around these incredibly common mental illnesses.
This all happened around the same time my skincare became such a cherished ritual, and after I made the personal connection between skincare and mental health, I knew a give-back effort would be woven into the DNA of the brand. If we aim to inspire joy in self-care and advocate for mental health, it only makes sense to share part of our proceeds with a group that has a common mission and can make a big impact.
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
LM: I'm just so grateful to be approaching Kiramoon's first birthday, reflecting back on the year is beyond surreal. Our mission to inspire joy in skincare (and self-care) is so authentic and special to me and the fact that we're able to make a customer smile even if just for a moment of their day, really feels like a superpower. We hope anyone reading this takes a moment to love on themselves today!
All about the intersection between beauty and self-care? Click HERE to check out our favorite pampering bath and beauty gifts of 2021—including two lovely Kiramoon goodies.