Rich Skxn is the only online retailer for melanin-rich skin in the UK. Priding themselves on being the go-to skincare destination for melanin-rich skin, the inspirational brand has built a stand-out brand identity, using personalisation to help their community in their skincare journey.
Modern Retail had the pleasure of speaking with Abi Shokeye, Founder and CEO of Rich Skxn about the ways that she has prioritised brand identity and personalisation.
1. Tell us how Rich Skxn began and how it’s evolved to where it is today.
“It started with my costly and time-consuming experience with finding effective products for my skin concerns around dehydration, hyperpigmentation and acne in retail stores. This included finding information and skincare education for brown and black skin online and in retail stores.
“I noticed that it wasn’t just myself struggling, but there was a bigger community that also shared similar experiences. This was what inspired me to create Rich Skxn, beginning with a community on social media to educate people about their skin back in November 2018.
“In November 2019, I launched the Rich Skxn website and curated products and personalised skincare advice for black and brown skin. We have been selling curated products to 8,000 customers and educating a community of 35,000 people via email and social platforms.”
2. How important is it that brands have a mission and create a community?
Rich Skxn is an example of a retailer that has found a gap in the market and created a brand identity and community, bringing value to every person that visits their website or reads their content.
“There’s always a group of people with shared values, beliefs or problems. It is important to identify these communities, relate to them, make them feel valued and represented, and have a mission that provides an easy and simple solution for them.
“To get people onboard with your mission, you need to help them understand the bigger picture and the overall goal. For Rich Skxn, building a better future for people of colour with chronic skin concerns is our mission. We cater to our community by curating, producing and selling innovative and clinical products that work, providing personalised services, skincare advice and support so that people with chronic skin conditions can feel more confident about their appearance and wellbeing.
“Our vision is to be the number one choice for personalised skincare retail shopping and treatments, in an area of skincare that has been underlooked and underserved.”
3. Talk us through the importance of personalisation and the ways that you offer this
Rich skin has used every platform possible to engage, inform and educate, combining this with their unique brand identity to create a personalised experience for every customer.
“Every skin has different needs and different concerns, so needs to be cared for in the right way. There are many people with acne, eczema, pigmentation, ingrown hair etc. and these concerns can show up differently on black and brown skin, requiring different care.
“At Rich Skxn, we understand that one size does not fit all, so routines, advice and information has to be personalised to fit every individual skin type, concern or goal. We offer personalised skincare recommendations for different skin types through a skin quiz on the website.
“We also answer many common questions around routines and skin concerns on our blog, which we call our skincare bible. As well as this, we provide tips and advice tailored towards black and brown skin on our social media channels.”
4. How important is it to educate and engage your target market and how have you done this?
To succeed in retail, you need more than great products. You need to help people understand why they should purchase from you, as well as the benefits of doing so. This is something Rich Skxn has done brilliantly.
“It is important for us to educate people as there are so many myths and misconceptions about what black people can use on their skin, surrounding whether you should use SPF, acids, get chemical peels, only stick to natural products etc.
“We engage our target market at every point, whether that is through our social media, website or emails, so people can make informed decisions about which skincare product is right for them to use and can look after their skin in a healthy way.
“Social media has been a great tool for us to educate and interact with our community, using Instagram polls, tips on posts and emails, as well as our skin quiz and skincare bible blogs. It’s important to educate them, so they know how to choose the right products, avoid damaging their skin barrier and look after the biology of their skin.”
5. How useful have you found social media as a tool for spreading your message and benefiting your customers?
Rich Skxn has utilised social media to create value for readers in every way possible.
“We started Rich Skxn on Instagram, gaining people’s trust over time by building a community based on educating people on skincare and how to care for the skin. We then launched our website off the back of this.
“Social media is a great way to promote products and make announcements, allowing brands to connect with new and existing customers. We have used it to collaborate with aestheticians, doctors and skincare enthusiasts to create educational content that serves the community.
“Social media has been a great platform to demystify myths around how to care for melanin-rich skin. We’ve been able to create content that people save and also share with their followers, allowing us to track content on our insights to guide our future content.”
6. What would your top tips be for a retailer wanting to grow their business through social media?
Abi shares her top tips for any other retailers looking to utilise social media to create an engaged community and emorable brand identity:
- Define who your customers are
- Understand the content they want to see
- Social media is a great way to spread information quicker
- Create shareable and valuable content for your audience
- The algorithm changes all the time especially on Instagram so you have to constantly learn what it likes
- Choose social channels your audience is mainly on and focus on the ones that give you the best results, whether its sales, reach, community building or partnerships
- Collaborate with brands you share a common niche with, and influencers to grow your community
- Follow your best practice on all social platforms
7. What’s next for Rich Skxn and how can our readers stay up to date?
Rich Skxn’s success is only the beginning. Here’s what you can look forward to:
“We are launching our own beauty accessories in September and our own beauty product in December. Subscribe to our emails, and follow us on social media as we make announcements on the latest on Twitter and Instagram stories.”
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing. As Modern Retail’s Content Editor, Holly is passionate about helping independent retailers to thrive in today’s ever-changing market.
