When Emma Dobbie was preparing for her wedding in 2023, she wanted to find a skincare brand that was simple, effective, and provided great results. Instead, she felt bombarded by what the industry had to offer.
It was during this time that Dobbie had taken a step back from her career in finance and she felt inspired to solve her own problems by founding a brand that she truly felt passionate about.
Dobbie was deeply influenced by the range of ingredients available on the doorstep of her family’s estate in Italy and decided to work alongside a renowned dermatologist to bring The Face Planner to life incorporating these Italian ingredients.
The goal of The Face Planner is to provide a product range that's compatible with all skin types and takes the guesswork out of building a skincare routine, ultimately providing customers with a less is more approach.
"That’s why we only sell six products, so as not to bombard customers with excessive choice. We want your skincare routine to be reliable, so you can get on with each day and focus on enjoying your life," the founder explains.
To develop the products, Dobbie worked with a lab that specializes in skincare located at at the base of the Dolomites mountain range. Relying on the lab's 35 years of experience in skincare product development, The Face Planner founder wanted to make sure they were sourcing ingredients direct from her brand's home and surrounding suppliers of excellence.
"The connections to Italy are at the root of the brand’s origins from ingredients to my own inspiration for starting the brand. I also worked with Dr. Catherine Borysciewicz, an experienced dermatologist, to make sure our products would provide desired results and work for every customer," Dobbie shares.
The Face Planner's main office is actually based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Dobbie explains that "the beauty scene is still quite young and new."
While many established brands are built upon the heritage and traditions of Scotland and its connection to history, The Face Planner's founder says that there's a new wave of up and coming brands, influencers, and creators bringing something fresh to the local scene.
"We’re excited to be part of that and develop our community there," Dobbie says.
The brand also has a presence in London.
"The history of subcultures (punk, mod, Y2K) is so embedded in the beauty scene [there,] which means more room for experimentation and a fun approach to beauty. Makeup trends have always played a huge part in the UK’s beauty culture," the founder shares.
Adding that "these days skincare is a vital part of that [beauty culture.] Skin prep has become just as important as the way we do our makeup, so customers are interested in learning about skin health."
The Face Planner has goals to thrive as a brand on a global level, which means taking into consideration the different needs and requirements for product formulation.
"One customer base may like a cleanser that foams up, [while] another may find that a reason not to buy. Navigating that has been a learning moment. Another challenge would be digital marketing. It used to be a way to easily gain customers and influence, but it’s now completely saturated, so we have to constantly think of new ways to market on a smaller scale," says Dobbie.
As far as other challenges the new founder has been somewhat surprised by on her journey so far, realizing how long it truly takes to develop new products from start to finish has been up there.
"Everything takes much longer than you would initially expect. You have to consider rounds of testing, the regulatory process, and each individual ingredient... all before trying to market anything," she explains.
The best part about creating The Face Planner?
For Dobbie, it's been connecting to customers, influencers, retail partners, and cultivating a community through events.
"It’s been so nice to build new relationships and meet people that want to support a small brand because otherwise building a young brand may have been quite lonely and a lot tougher. Although breaking into the beauty business can be difficult in the UK, sometimes you make connections with incredible people and you’re reminded that the challenges are worth it," the founder shares.
Dobbie's favorite part about working in the beauty business is the endless newness of it all.
"There is so much opportunity for discovery and although it might seem otherwise, it’s still quite an untapped space for brands to grow and individuals to hone their entrepreneurship. The Face Planner team is genuinely interested and passionate about the beauty industry, which makes coming to work all the more enjoyable. We’re focusing on these products that we all actually use and love as part of our own routines, and we want to help people achieve their skin health goals," she says.
So what's next for The Face Planner?
The brand's founder is looking forward to developing an upcoming wellness retreat at The Frantoio, located in Tuscany, Italy. The retreat will feature a 360-degree approach to skincare and is set to include movement workshops, mindfulness practices, chef-prepared meals, and of course the chance to meet new people.
In addition to the retreat, The Face Planner is currently in the midst a packaging update.
"Hopefully that will lead to more of an in-store presence because we recognize how important a tactile shopping experience is when buying and trying new products," says Dobbie, adding that "we’re also building our events community and [are] really looking forward to the upcoming collaborations planned for the second half of this year."
As far as advice for fellow and aspiring beauty founders, Dobbie shares the following:
"Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to do something completely new or different or super niche in order to be successful. It’s okay to do something you recognize has been done, especially if you feel you could improve it. And don’t set out to do too much - do less better."
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