Trained aesthetician, brand consultant, skin blogger and best-selling author Caroline Hiron’s doesn’t promote unrealistic beauty ideals. This no-nonsense approach has helped her amass an army of loyal and trusted followers. “If you don’t need it, don’t spend the money if your skin isn’t going to benefit from it.”
Entirely self-funded, in 2022 she launched her Skin Rocks app and skincare line, both within the space of six months. The Skin Rocks Rich Cream is quite simply something every woman should own.
The idea behind her Skin Rocks app was to create a basic catalogue of products that would allow people to look something up and know immediately what was in it, whether it was suitable for their skin type — “you know, all the questions I get asked all the time”.
Caroline Hirons at the launch of her flagship Skin Rocks beauty counter in Liberty London
What’s your advice to anyone looking to start their own business?
Be tough and prepared to work. It's hard work, but you know, it's not worth doing if it is not hard work, right?
Never spend your VAT. Someone told me that at the very beginning and I am so glad they did because you think you have 20% more money than you do. Put it to one side. HMRC don’t wait.
Never expect your team to work as hard as you do. You will have people that do…but ultimately, it’s all yours. You can’t expect the same from other people. Equally, there isn’t a bin the building I won’t empty or a dish washer I won’t load…
No one raised their eyebrows when you launched your own skin care line, but how did it all come about?
I found notes that I had made on my phone in 2014 about what my skin care line would look like. I had my exfoliator on my list and that was 11 years ago. So, I have always known it was going to be there. But I think I just got to the point that I was ready. Everything happens for a reason, doesn’t it?
I started on the beauty counter in 1997and began a beauty therapy course in 2000 but I kept having kids…and they were like, ‘you’re pregnant… again…are you going to finish this course?’ After that worked for Chantecaille before becoming a brand consultant. I started blogging in 2010. When the financial crash happened in 2008 a lot of US brands that launched here were struggling. Space NK said do you mind if we put in touch with some of our brands and they asked me to look after them while all this is going on. That kick started me as a consultant.
But then as the blog got bigger the odd brand I consulted for would expect me to cover it as part of our deal. But I’ve always kept them completely separate. Obviously if they wanted to give me an exclusive to talk about something new that was fine, but I wasn’t just going to give them a promo because it was year end and they needed to make money.
I’ve always joked with the Freaks (Caroline’s 145,000 strong Facebook group) that if I ever do a face wipe add you know I need to pay the mortgage so just buy it! But the crunch point came. I knew I would have to drop the consulting, and that was terrifying. I had to turn down a regular income and concentrate on the blog. And that was scary because I was the bread winner. It was me, my husband, and our kids.
When you are ready I think the universe aligns. I got the book deal. I got a slot on This Morning. It all slotted into place. It would have been easy to just keep blogging, having opinions about everyone else's product. It was about time to put myself on my own turf.
Your success is based hugely on the trust of your followers, how do you retain your integrity?
You very rarely get a second chance at trust. I have never written about a product I wouldn’t back. Very early on in the blog I turned down double digits from places like Clarisonic. I told them, ‘If I say I love this now my followers are going to think I have lost my mind. Because I have said all along you don’t need it - shouldn’t use it - and it will bring you out in spots. And they said ‘well we don’t mind’ so I had to say, ‘well I mind!’. The money I have turned down is excessive but there was never any doubt. If I had done even one paid job I wouldn’t have been as successful as I am, because I wouldn’t have been as trusted. You have to be honest with people. All the beauty counters in Liberty love us, because I am always taking people over to them saying, ‘I love this eye cream, we haven’t got one yet, but even when we do I’ll still love this.’
What are you wearing for your launch?
Everyone thought I would wear something else but I chose my uniform. I am shop floor through and through. If you cut me in half I bleed a till!. I’m one of the team.
Your biggest lessons?
Patience. And don’t expect everyone else to work as hard as you. Patience has been a lesson — and not letting myself get frustrated by other people’s failures. I mean, when people disappoint you, there’s always a lesson in that.
Most surprising thing about starting your own business?
I know this industry inside out, so they weren’t really surprises. But other people’s bad behaviour. I consider myself to be quite ethical so when other people are openly lying, stealing, not crediting you… it’s not even surprising, it’s just disappointing. As long as you accept that people will never care as much about your business as you do.
What keeps you in the game, what do you still love about the beauty industry?
When people say you really helped me with my skin. They will say things like, ‘I was utterly miserable and you have really helped me.’ That is why we do it.
Was Liberty always the dream?
Yes, because I worked here 30 years ago. I did the store induction. I was the Saturday/Sunday temp and worked all over the store. I ended up in the haberdashery. It was quite entertaining. The kept me up there because I have long arms and I can measure a metre of material without a stick…Then Liberty had a concession in Harrods so I moved there as I was pregnant with my second son and it was closer to home. I’ve pretty much worked in every department in Liberty.
What was more difficult, raising four children or launching a new arm of the business in such a short time?
The children. The business isn’t hard — you just have to be good at handling stress and be ready to pivot quickly. But with the kids… raising four children with not a lot of money was infinitely harder. My husband and I didn’t have a pot to piss in — excuse the phrase — but we were living month to month. I’ve never had a handout in my life, everything I’ve got I’ve worked for. I might never be able to retire but that’s fine. I’ll just cross that bridge when I come to it.