Feminine hygiene isn’t something to be ashamed about – that’s the ethos of Adele Young, who founded body care range Skntone, a beautifully branded set of products aimed at addressing intimate skin and body issues such as hyperpigmentation, strawberry legs and even unbalanced vaginal pH.
Here Adele talks about what sparked the creation of Skntone, how she gets past the challenges of feminine hygiene taboos, and dishes her skincare secrets.
What ignited your passion for body care?
Personal insecurities, specifically in intimate areas. Dealing with skin concerns with a lack of specific products on the market really made me passionate about beginning with intimate body care specifically.
Feminine hygiene can feel like a taboo subject for many women. Was this a challenge when launching Skntone and establishing your audience?
I would say yes and no. The challenging part has definitely been getting picture or video reviews, as most of our products are for use in the intimate area and, understandably, not many people would feel comfortable taking progress pictures of their private parts for the world to see.
But luckily, we have still been able to establish such a loyal and open audience. We have found that speaking about such taboo subjects has really got the conversation going, and we have managed to help boost the confidence of so many men and women.
What are your tips for women who are concerned about their feminine hygiene, but don’t know where to start?
Firstly, not everybody had the right teachings growing up as young women, so don’t be ashamed of not knowing certain things. In regards to dealing with ingrown hairs and dark marks, etc., in the bikini area, all you need is a routine. Just like the face, it’s skin and it needs a consistent routine.
Once you have a non scented, pH balanced wash for your vagina, an oil to combat ingrown hairs, razor bumps and itchiness and a blemish butter to target the stubborn dark marks and blemishes. You’re already on your way to having your confidence restored. Keep it simple but keep it consistent!
For those who don’t have the budget for lasering, what’s the secret to eliminating skin discolouration?
Exfoliation, moisturise and sunscreen. Honestly, wether you physically exfoliate or chemically exfoliate (with something like our ingrown remedy) this will help eliminate ingrown hairs which then reduces the occurrence of ingrown hair scarring. It’s also important to keep the skin moisturised, even the skin in your intimate areas as this helps stop dry skin and reduces dark areas. Lastly, without the use of sunscreen, the sun will contribute to further darkening of your skin discolouration.
What is Skntone’s ‘hero product’ and how would you use it?
Hands down, that’ll be our ingrown remedy. This is our bestseller and we receive nothing but success stories from this product. It’s an oil based, salicylic acid powered exfoliator in a dropper bottle which can be applied anywhere hair grows, where you experience razor bumps, ingrown hairs, irritation. Begin applying every other day and build towards daily application.
Ingrown hairs, razor burn and nicks are just a few of the issues we have to deal with when shaving sensitive areas. What’s the best shaving routine and techniques to support skin health?
We recommend waxing or sugaring, but in the event you do shave, definitely exfoliate, apply shaving cream/gel and shave in the direction your hair grows to minimise the occurrence of razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
Aftercare is very important with hair removal, which is where our products come into play. I would recommend implementing our ingrown blemish duo to keep ingrown hairs and any current dark marks at bay.
Over the years we’ve seen celebrities proudly showing visible body hair on the red carpet and in photoshoots. What’s your stance on visible body hair? Should we feel empowered by it?
I’m definitely a supporter in people being unapologetically themselves, so if that’s what someone stands for then I love that for them! But personally I like to be smooth as a babies bottom, lol!
What’s the perfect combination of skincare products to achieve a head-turning glow?
There’s no doubt about it – I’d have to say a moisturising body cream/butter paired with a light scented body oil. You cannot go wrong with this combination. Once you spray your scent of the day on top. You’ll be smelling amazing and glowing all day long!
Shop Skntone at yourskntone.com
