As someone who has come to realize they have major sensory issues in their 30s, learning more about it has provided an endless amount of clarity regarding the way I live my life, and have lived my life historically, but also when it comes to the type of products I am drawn to in my skincare and beauty routines.
Putting a name to what you experience can be a major sigh of relief.
And finding ways to cater to that provide an added layer of solace. Feeling overwhelmed in grocery stores, wearing socks inside out or cutting their seams out entirely when I was a child, being a continuously "recovering" picky eater due to textures, jewelry feeling like it's suffocating me, or even hair and makeup leading to major overstimulation -- there's so many ways in which this can manifest.
I'm definitely not alone here.
Moon Beings' founder and formulator Melanie Tritt has created an entire botantically-driven skincare brand keeping Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in mind.
"People with SPD may have heightened sensitivity to touch, making it difficult for them to tolerate certain textures and sensations on their skin. However, with some modifications and special products, skincare can become a more manageable and enjoyable experience for them," Tritt explains.
It's estimated that SPD impacts between 5 and 16% of the population.
The founder adds that "individuals with SPD often struggle with the sensation of certain products on their skin. They may find the textures of typical skincare products, such as lotions or creams, to be
uncomfortable or even painful. In such cases, using gentle and fragrance-free products specifically designed for sensitive skin can make a significant difference."
Moon Beings was made to be highly inclusive.
Tritt wanted to develop products that didn't feel like what was currently available on the market; products that typically include silicones, micro-plastics, and emulsifiers that can lead to a tacky or sticky feeling when used on the skin.
The Moon Beings founder and her child with special needs both deal with sensitive skin and tactile sensory issues. As a result, Tritt wanted her products to feel weightless to help ease potential texture triggers.
She found that these weightless textures were also appealing to those dealing with the impact of warmer summers and colder winters, as well as those experiencing symptoms from peri-menopause.
But Moon Beings also has serious layers as a brand, something we enjoy uncovering here at Beauty Brief HQ.
"We are an all-inclusive, award-winning, botanical and Phyto-retinol alternative eco-sustainable brand that uses stock glass bottling, FSC packaging offering refillable products," Tritt shares.
The brand set out to provide consumers with accessibly luxurious skincare products featuring high quality ingredients and high performing formulations.
"Because of how we encapsulate our actives and because we use a liposomal format application, even those with the most sensitive skin can safely use our products," the founder explains.
In addition to keeping sensory needs at the forefront of her product development, Tritt has also aimed to help close the gap for consumers with assisted technology and adaptive physical needs.
"We’ve made gains online for shopping with assisted technology, but we have some work to do in-store for those that are blind or even those with a more moderate condition like Myasthenia Gravis (MG), a chronic autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness in the body's voluntary muscles," she shares.
"As a family, we are constantly seeking adaptive access for our son who doesn’t always have the function of his hands. There are many products I see that my 17-year-old son does not have access to in department stores. As a whole, brands need to take this community into account and I believe you will see more adaptations in coming years, especially addressing one of the largest buying groups, Gen X-ers aging."
A Space-Themed Brand
The Moon Beings founder is a lover of space and has used that as a constant theme throughout her brand. She believes that "space mirrors the beauty of earth and earth stewardship" and hopes to inspire a larger movement where humans feel a deeper connection to the moon, the earth, and their purpose and footprint here on our planet.
This theme continues with the names of her products, but the names are also indicative of the effect the product has on skin as well.
"Time Traveler, your skin will feel like it's traveled in time to a place where your skin wants to be. Or Space Jelly, our marine algae jiggly mask, has a jelly-like feel. We want Moon Beings users to have both an effective and fun experience!" Tritt says.
Speaking of Space Jelly, we were the most hesitant to try this product, but it's ended up being a favorite. The orange is extraordinarily bright and bold and it's a color we've never encountered in skincare before to date.
"I love color and color theory! I purposely wanted to infuse color into my skincare line knowing that light spectra is therapeutic. There is a science behind every color chosen for every product inside Moon Beings and its steeped deep in Feng Shui and the psychology of how people interpret color," the founder shares.
Moon Beings launched in 2018 with (5) products to start: Moon Glow, Celestial C, Saturn, Full Moon, and Space Jelly. Celestial-C, a multi-beneficial Vitamin C serum that helps to brighten, tone, and improve skin texture, sold out almost immediately, followed by Saturn, a hero best-seller and antioxidant-packed, skin-restoring hydrating serum.
"After our beta market test, I saw an opening where multi-use and multi-beneficial products were needed and with an efficacy those with sensitive skin could access without irritating their skin barrier; a formulation premise where clinical and botanical existed together in synergy across the entire line," Tritt says.
Moon Beings 2.0 launched during the height of the pandemic and included (12) products with upgraded original hero SKUs. This is when our top pick, Watermelon Moon, a Kalahari melon oil with its super nutritive Phyto-Retinol complex, came to exist.
As of March 2024, all Moon Beings products and formulas have been peer-reviewed and the brand has received more than (15) awards across the US and Asia.
Throughout her journey as founder of Moon Beings, Tritt has enjoyed getting to connect with people all over the world. She's fallen in love with the formulation process and being able to partner with the organization Water.org to help support a cause deeply important to both her and our planet.
"I know we’re making a positive impact on the planet and seeing the earth steward in that purchase. This is Moon Beings!" Tritt exclaims.
Of course, running an indie brand is never without challenges and set backs. The hardest aspect for Moon Beings has been scaling, even with good margins and intensive planning to support.
The founder deeply believes in collaboration over competition when running her business as well.
"The most critical part is to build a solution and community in your brand. This is engrained into me from my background in marketing, and product marketing specifically. Grass-roots marketing is the initial and still core approach I firmly believe in. When I launched 12 products in 2020, I had already formed relationships with hundreds of influencers through gifting all our pre-released products," she says.
Adding that "for new brands entering into today's market, I would say collaboration is imperative and
if done correctly, can be a way to reach new people and drive awareness of your brand."
While in the past, Tritt may have felt that her goal was to ultimately secure big box retailer partnerships, but now she feels that it's more important to have the ability to maintain control over her products, pricing, and self-capital model. Her loyalty stays to her customers and wholesale buyers who genuinely embody "shop small" ideologies.
As far as advice to fellow and future founders, Tritt shares the following:
"Slow and steady wins the race, but also being realistic about how incredibly expensive and time consuming it is to run a beauty brand. Research and train yourself to know how to do everything and be the face of your brand's inclusive community."
In May of 2024, the Moon Beings Instagram was hacked and held for ransom. The brand's founder refused to pay and unfortunately lost all followers, 5 years of essential data, marketing collateral, and precious relationships on that platform that she had built for her brand 100% organically. We'd like to wrap up this feature by encouraging our audience to show some love to the brand and hit the follow button on IG here.
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