LAUNE x Emmeline Skin
Meet Emmeline Skin! Emmeline Skin was born from a shared passion for skincare and a deep bond between two best friends turned co-founders, Alex Vergara and Sydney Kofron. As future sisters-in-law, they embarked on a journey fueled by a common vision: to create high-quality, natural skincare products that celebrate the beauty and strength of every woman. Their vision is to empower the modern woman to prioritize her self-care to help her feel confident and beautiful every day. With their innovative, natural skincare products, they strive to inspire women to indulge in a little luxury hydrating their skin and enhancing their natural beauty.
Alex and Sydney have such an amazing friendship and story and it radiates through Emmeline Skin. Learn more about the dynamic duo, skincare essentials, and more below!
1. Tell me about Emmeline Skin? How was it created?
Alex and Sydney first bonded over skincare on a family trip with our future in-laws. We have been with our significant others (who are brothers) for seven plus years and would always prioritize girl time and getting ready together. We both are ingredient-obsessed and are always looking for natural, clean ingredients that have an elevated feel. We both have our own digital marketing company and have had many jobs & shared clients over the last six years. We would always talk about having our own company in the skincare industry and started a Pinterest board for branding ideas. In 2022, we decided to stop wondering “what if” and start building the business we always dreamed of, where working women can add a touch of luxury to their everyday lives without breaking the bank.
After two years of testing products, studying ingredients, and curating our brand, we finally found a partner in the industry who helped us bring our vision to life. It was essential for us to work with female dermatologists who understood our brand & used high-quality, natural ingredients that felt luxurious. Our brand was then born! We named our company Emmeline because of its meaning - it’s associated with “work” and “bravery.” We loved the femininity of the name and how it aligned with hardworking women aspiring to be the best version of themselves. Inspired by the European origin of the name, we feature a toile wallpaper on our boxes that features the women who shaped us – our late grandmothers, our mothers, and our future mother-in-law.
2. How did the two of you meet?
We met eight years ago when we were sophomores in college. Sydney was dating her now fiancé. Alex was good friends with him and his older brother who she eventually started dating. A few years later, at their older sister's wedding, we bonded over our love for self-care and randomly, our obsession with the game, Sims (lol). Our friends always laugh at us for playing this game and we thought it was so funny we both had a shared love for it.
After we graduated college, we worked countless marketing jobs together. We’re always referred to as “the dream team” by our clients as we offer digital marketing services that complement each other (Sydney with SEO and social and Alex with email and advertising) and found ourselves spending hours on the phone debriefing our days, confiding in each other, even having sleepovers as we navigated life in a new city and as working women.
We eventually decided to move into an apartment together with our two boyfriends in Rocklin, CA — we four have pretty much been a family ever since.
3. What is the LAUNE (mood) of Emmeline Skin?
Emmeline’s mood is all about confidence and authenticity. We sought inspiration from women who are unapologetically themselves - icons like Lana Del Ray, Princess Diana, Carrie Bradshaw, Sade Adu, and Beabadoobee.
4. What made you fall in love with skincare?
Alex - I am the youngest of 4 and I remember my older sister Ashley getting ready in the morning. I would sit in the bathroom and watch her use all her toners and moisturizers. I admired that she always took the time to practice self-care. She always appeared so confident after she finished her morning skin routine, and I remember being like “Wow, I want that confidence.”
Sydney -I struggled immensely with acne when I was in middle & high school. It was a huge insecurity of mine and something I struggled to fix. I saw multiple dermatologists and couldn’t find anything to help regulate my skin. I was put on birth control at a very young age to help fix my acne, but I wanted to find a routine that worked for me and wasn’t dependent on a pill. It was the YouTube era back then and I would obsessively watch videos on skincare routines, study different ingredients, and started to become extremely mindful of what I was putting on my face. I’ve been passionate about skincare ever since!
5. What inspires you?
The women in our lives. Both of us have such close relationships with our mothers and late grandmothers, and so much of our work ethic and love for self-care was born from watching these women carry all the responsibilities of working women and still prioritizing moments of luxury for themselves. Additionally, we are both obsessed with music! We knew when we started our brand that we wanted to make inspirational playlists that our customers could listen to when their day was feeling lackluster.
6. What are three staple products that every skincare routine should have and why?
Hydrating Toners - We layer on the toners in the morning. Both of us are adamant about cleansing, applying an exfoliating toner like Paula’s Choice or First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads, and then going in with a Licorice Root Toner and The Dew Spray. It creates the perfect base for the rest of your skincare routine.
SPF - Specifically, a non-irritating SPF. It can be challenging to find a great SPF that you actually want to put on your skin since so many have a strong smell or can be irritating to the eyes. We’re obsessed with TIZO2 Facial Primer Non-Tinted as it feels more like a primer than an SPF despite its high UV Protection.
Products That Stimulate Collagen Production - As we age, collagen production decreases, leading to wrinkles, sagging skin, and texture. Products that stimulate collagen help reduce signs of aging, enhance skin elasticity & hydration, and help protect the skin from environmental damage. Additionally, we both have careers in marketing where we spent countless hours in front of the screen. Collagen products help protect your skin from blue light and other stressors.
7. What’s next for Emmeline Skin?
We are still in the early stages of our business, so growing our customer base is our number one goal right now. Getting into boutique hotels and small boutiques is another goal of ours. Our products are very personal and intentional, and we want to share these products with like-minded businesses that value customer experience and details. Plans to expand our line of products are also in the works!
Rapid Fire:
1. Favorite Emmeline Skin product?
Alex - The Dew Spray
Sydney - The Collagen Creme
2. What product could you not live without?
Alex - A hydrating mist. I love the way it can reset my mindset when I am feeling unmotivated
Sydney - Toners. I layer on multiple toners after cleansing my skin. I always go in with an exfoliating toner and two hydrating toners to give my skin everything it needs.
3. AM or PM skincare?
Alex - Such a hard one, but I think AM. I am not a morning person and after I do my AM skincare routine I feel like I can take over the world lol.
Sydney - While I obsessively do both, there is just something so special about a nighttime skincare routine! I love to steam my face, use a Tretinoin, and a heavy night cream so I wake up with a glow.
4. Describe your style in three words.
Alex - BOHO and vintage and super laid back - I’m in flip flops 90% of the time.
Sydney - Timeless. Feminine. Casual.
5. Favorite brand?
Alex - Amanda Uprichard and Djerf Avenue
Sydney - SKIMS. I am obsessed with their marketing and all of the collaborations they do. So much thought & attention to detail.
6. Dream collab?
Alex - Emily Lafitte (So inspired by her) or Danielle Slavsky
Sydney - Robyn DelMonte aka GirlBossTown - Love that she’s in PR/marketing and always keeping it real.
7. Favorite place?
Alex - Hawaii! I have so many fond memories with my family and boyfriend there.
Sydney - Santorini, Greece - Went here with my fiance to celebrate our engagement and I’ve never been somewhere so beautiful.
8. Favorite style icon?
Alex - Matilda Djerf, Emily Lafitte, Sade Adu, Carrie Bradshaw
Sydney - I have so many - Morgan Stewart, Princess Diana, Hailey Bieber, Lauren Tiby, Olivia Jade
9. Favorite movie?
Alex - Uptown Girls
Sydney - The Parent Trap
10. What are you loving right now?
Alex - Double cleansing and making food TikToks.
Sydney - Natural body oils on top of body lotion after showering. The best hydration in your life!
