Through years of fascination and beauty routine mishaps, Lori Harvey has always been curious about skincare.
“[Skincare] has been something that I've been in love with since I was a little girl,” Harvey tells Teen Vogue. “From watching my mom do her skincare routine in the mirror, I wanted to recreate her, look like how her skin was because her skin was always so glowy.”
But like most of us, Harvey has had some skin troubles — she has rosacea, which made her relationship with her complexion a little rocky. “As I was getting older, I was using products that were super harsh on my skin or honestly made my condition worse,” she said.
This is the personal experience that inspired Harvey to start her own beauty company called SKN by LH. Launched on October 22, the 5-step skincare routine is full of natural ingredients that are meant to prevent issues and rejuvenate all skin types. The skincare system features products with glycerin, a blend of natural surfactants, hyaluronic acid, goji berry extract, and pomegranate fruit extract. The line includes a Vitamin C Serum, Goji Berry Cleanser, Peptide Eye Complex, White Tea Toner, and Niacinamide Cream.
“Prevention is always better than correction,” Harvey says, recalling her mom’s most important beauty philosophy. The brand launched with a Hollywood event where Harvey’s family and friends celebrated her achievement. We caught up with Harvey to talk about how she fell back in love with her SKN, uses boyfriend Michael B. Jordan as her best skincare tester, and her biggest beauty secret.
Teen Vogue: What inspired you to take on your skincare business and journey?
Lori Harvey: I have a skin condition called rosacea, which makes your skin super red. [My skin is] super sensitive and can get irritated by any little thing. It causes acne-like bumps, so as I was getting older, I was using products that were super harsh on my skin or honestly made my condition worse. I was just going through terrible breakouts. I was doing what you're not supposed to do, which is picking my pimples. I was scarring really bad. I had really bad, dark marks, hyperpigmentation, and when I got into the modeling world. I had makeup being constantly put on my face. My skin was just really going through it, and I was using so many different products to try to just get my skin back healthy and glowing. I felt like there has got to be a simpler way for me to do this. I also felt like I wasn't the only person that was going through this. There had to be other people that felt like me that wanted something simpler that they could use to get their skin back to being healthy. That was really what planted the seed for me to start my own skincare line.
TV: How was your official launch into the beauty world?
LH: It was incredible. It was such a surreal moment because I've been working on this line for what feels like a lifetime. So, when you're working so hard on something, it feels like sometimes, “when is it going to come out? It's never going to happen. It's never going to happen.” So finally, to get to that moment to be at the day that I've been working so hard on was just so surreal.
TV: How does SKN differentiate itself from other skincare brands?
LH: I think [the defining factor is] that we're clean. We're vegan. We don't have any sulfates, no parabens, no petroleums, no synthetic dyes or fragrance or coloring. So all the good stuff. And, we're also suitable for all skin types, but we especially cater to sensitive skin. That was extremely important to me because, like I said, I have extremely sensitive skin and finding products that really worked for me and my skin. Also, we launched with a five step routine. It's a full regimen that people can use day and night if they choose and just really wanted to simplify skincare for people.
TV: What products can people expect with your first SKN care line?
LH: The five products that we launched with are a cleanser — my goji berry cleanser, my white tea toner, my vitamin C serum, my peptide eye complex, and my niacinamide cream. They are labeled step-by-step. So step one is the cleanser. Step two is a toner. Step three is to use the serum. Step four is the eye cream, and step five is the moisturizer. So it's super simple and they all work perfectly hand in hand. They complement each other to really keep your skin healthy and glowing.
TV: Which product formula is specifically your favorite?
LH: I always am a fanatic for eye cream. I think eye cream has been something that my mom has preached to me since I was a little girl. You know, as you get older, make sure you're diligent with your eye cream morning and night because bags and dark circles are hereditary in my family. She would always say, “prevention is better than correction,” so make sure you start early and never, ever skip it.
TV: What is your skincare glow secret?
LH: My SKN by LH.
TV: What are your larger dreams for diving into the skincare world?
LH: As we continue to grow, [I’m hoping] for a range of different products from face masks and sheet masks, exfoliants, lip masks, and scrubs, and body lotions and wash. I really want skin by LH to become a one-stop shop for all skincare related needs.
TV: What was your relationship with your skin growing up?
LH: I've always been in love with having glowing skin but when I was younger, I didn't really understand what all goes into it. Having a great skincare regimen is super important for optimizing the look and feel of your skin. But what you put into your body is just as important as what you put on it. And that's why, as I've gotten older, I've gotten so big on making sure I'll do my green juices in the morning, I drink lots of water. I try to include vitamin C and antioxidants and veggies in my diet and just try to overall keep as clean as possible of a diet. I know ... dairy is not good for my skin. It makes me break out. So, I just try to pay attention as much as possible to what I'm putting in my body as what I'm putting on my skin.
TV: What is one beauty trick your fans need to know?
LH: I love to have these little ice spheres in my freezer. I use those in the morning, sometimes kind of just to wake me up, like roll it over my face. It's super cold, but it tightens everything. It tightens your skin. If I'm having eye bags, I'll run it over them. It just tightens everything. So I would say that's a really good beauty trick.
TV: Outside of your skincare, how has opening up yourself to the world more been for you?
LH: Honestly, I think it kind of came more natural. I think I've naturally always been more of a private person. Definitely, I'm entering a new phase in my life where I'm opening myself up more and starting to let people get to know me on a personal level. So it's definitely new for me, but I'm enjoying it and I'm learning a lot.
TV: How have you been sharing your skincare routine with your boyfriend, MBJ?
LH: Since I've been in the early formulation phases, I've been testing it out on myself, but also him as well because I wanted to see how the products did on male skin. He's been loving it as it's grown and as I've gone through every round of formulas, he's kind of gotten to see the journey and see all the different phases and honestly learn a lot about skincare himself. So he actually really loves having a skincare routine now and taking care of his skin.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: TikTok's New Beauty Trend Is Using Lube as a Makeup Primer
