To celebrate this Mother’s Day weekend we chatted about skincare, beauty and self-love with Lauren, our founder, and her mom, Stella. Keep reading to learn how Stella’s self-care practices have influenced Laurens’ view on self-care and self-love.
“Growing up my mom taught me that taking care of myself was a form of self-respect. She modeled the importance of a skincare regimen and showed me how to actively recognize what my skin needs. This lesson in self-care from my mom went beyond skincare. It was her way of teaching me to be cognizant of all my needs and address them accordingly.”
- Lauren Jin, CLE founder
We asked Lauren and her mom a few questions!
Briefly introduce yourself to our audience!
Stella: I am a mother of 4 beautiful and loud children. I was born in Daejeon, but grew up in Seoul. After getting married, my husband and I immigrated to California in 1989. I've now lived in California for 31 years. When I'm not giving my youngest a ride back and forth from school, I like to practice my dance steps to impress my peers at my dance class.
Lauren: Hello, my name is Lauren Jin and I am the founder of CLE Cosmetics. I live in Los Angeles, California with my dog Mori! After living abroad in London to pursue my Masters Degree, I decided to come back to California to officially start CLE Cosmetics in 2016. Even though educationally I studied womenswear fashion design, I have always loved cosmetics and skincare. While developing my concept of the modern woman, I realized that self-care and creating a ritual for the self needed to be emphasized more and decided to create CLE.
What rituals are a part of your self-care?
Stella: I like mixing and making my own shampoo and face masks from natural ingredients. Sometimes I force my kids to put these face masks on with me, because I’ve made too much! But the process of researching and making them and even the fermentation process is very exciting. The main DIY skincare ingredients I use is produce that is readily available in our refrigerator, like apples, vinegar, cucumber, seaweed, or onions. Most foods post fermentation have lots of antibacterial and soothing qualities to them. The key to beauty and skincare routines is to be simple, yet considered and effective.
Lauren: My morning and evening skincare routine are an essential part of my life. Every morning I stretch, wash my face with water, moisturize, apply a thick layer of sunblock and finish with the CCC Cream. In the evenings I wind down with a shower and soak in a hot bath. I double cleanse and follow up with the Lifting Mist, Vitamin C Elixir, and Multi Cream.
Skincare tip from Lauren – apply a thin layer of coconut oil in the evening on areas that are prone to wrinkles (forehead, smile line and under eyes).
Stella: My favorite is the CCC Cream in Warm Light. My skin looks flawless and light weight when I use it.
Lauren: This is always such a hard question, as I am constantly using all CLE products. But one product I do not think I can live without would be the Lifting Mist.
What advice would you give to someone who is just embarking on their own journey of self-care and self-love?
Stella: Beauty and self-love go hand in hand for me. On days I feel like my makeup is nice, I feel more happy and confident. I always give thanks to myself and acknowledge the thanks on a conscious level. It is key to acknowledge one’s self and give yourself compliments. By consistently saying these things to one’s self, naturally you will build confidence in yourself. You should be your biggest cheerleader. Another thing I always do to build my confidence is by constantly looking into the mirror, smiling and saying these things to myself.
Lauren: It may be because I grew up seeing my mom do mirror work, although I didn’t know that was a thing until I was talking about it with a friend. I always like to think of something negative I recently thought of myself and then right away tell myself the opposite thing or turn the negative idea into a positive attribute. For example, growing up I hated my curvy hips and so when I do mirror work, I tell myself, “these hips are what makes me look more feminine and feel more sensual. My hips are what makes my waist look smaller.” By taking your “weakness” and “flaws” and turning them into your power, I think it’s a great way to love yourself more and build confidence.
Taking care of your inner-self is key to healthy skin. A balanced diet with nutrient-dense foods will do wonders for your skin.
CLE was born from Lauren witnessing her mom’s strong dedication to caring for herself.
Lauren saw in her own mother the importance of self-care and it inspired her to create products that would help other women discover and form their own self-care rituals.
