This week in our Founder Q&A series, we’re spotlighting Bradley Beauty Products LLC, a skincare brand born out of hands-on experience, deep intuition, and a commitment to simplicity. Founder Heather Bradley shares how her years as an aesthetician shaped the brand, the ingredients she swears by, and what’s next for her growing line.
Tell us a little about your brand. What inspired you to start it? What makes it unique?
Bradley Beauty Products LLC was inspired and encouraged by the supply and demand of my hands-on clients as their aesthetician. I started my skin care business over 25 years ago. I have always been making special little serums and tinctures for all of my clients. I wasn't getting 100% of what I wanted in my back bar as a practitioner. By creating specialty items, I felt complete and satisfied with the results on the skin. Over years of giving products away for free, I decided to take myself a little bit more seriously and package my products.
I completely tailgated off of my hands-on business. I was encouraged back in 2017 to design a couple products for a wellness resort called “The Ranch Malibu”. I started making scrubs and sprays for The Ranch and all of their locations which led to tightening up my personal products for Bradley Beauty.
What makes my line unique is that it is not a complete line. I consider this a conduit line. These are concentrated specialty pieces that play well with your existing skin care products. They help to activate those products with simple concentrated ingredients for a high-performance driven outcome.
What was the moment you knew you wanted to create skincare products? Was it personal experience, a gap in the market, or something else?
The moment I realized there was a need for something in the market was truly by examining one person after another in my skin care treatments. I listen to people. Most people are very disappointed in the products they purchase. I also, believe that less can be more when you are addressing your skin’s needs. Our skin likes simplicity.
I had secretly been taking some of my grandmother's older recipes and messing around with them. By using them in my sessions for close to 15 years, I could really see a difference in the people’s skin. I also, really appreciated how well my formulations were playing with other people's products that were currently on the market.
How did you approach your first formula? Did you work with a lab, a cosmetic chemist, or formulate yourself?
First of all, I don't consider myself a chemist or a scientist. I think I have a really great intuition. I have the luxury of touching people's skin repeatedly, over and over through my treatments. This gives me an advantage over other people. I truly believe that. I get to see how products work on the tissue good, bad or indifferent. This helps to avoid what doesn’t work and focus on what does.
I wanted five ingredients or less. It didn't make sense to me that there could be close to 40 ingredients in one product. It kind of felt like everything would be canceling each other out. So I’ve kept it very simple and very clean.
I will say, by the grace of God, a woman came into my life during this early beginning experiment of making products. Janel Luu from Le Mieux Cosmetics. She is an excellent scientist, formulator and has a very successful company. She was a gift to me. She came in and challenge-tested my work. She gave me little tips here and there to make sure that I was doing things correctly and being safe. She gave me incredible confidence.
I do all the formulations myself. They are simple trade-secret recipes with highly sourced ingredients. Ingredients that I've worked with for over 20 years and applied on people's faces, seeing incredible results.
What was the hardest part of getting started? Packaging, production, finding a manufacturer — what challenged you the most?
Getting started!
The self doubt. The idea that you have to have it just perfect before you can put it out into the world. I really had to work on all that negative self-talk. I look at each product as an amazing dinner party where I prepare everything perfectly and everyone leaves completely satisfied.
What advice would you give someone trying to launch a skincare brand today? Any lessons you wish you had known in the beginning?
The skin is the largest organ in the body. Therefore, it must be respected and honored when making products that will be applied to the dermis. Be patient with your formulations. Be patient when sourcing bottles, writing copy about your products, etc. It's OK to start slow and grow into something beautiful and timeless. It doesn't happen overnight.
What’s one ingredient you’re obsessed with right now and why? Tell us your favorite skin-loving ingredient and how it works in your line.
The one ingredient I use in almost everything is first harvest, extra-virgin olive oil. I love olive oil for its active vitamin A and C ingredients. Olive is perfect for addressing the fatty lipid barrier.
How do you want your customers to feel when they use your products? Is it about confidence, calm, routine, healing?
The most important thing for me is that my clients feel seen and heard. I want my clients to see the hydration on their skin. I want their skin to feel conditioned and I want them to feel like we have addressed and met their needs.
What’s next for your brand? Any launches or exciting plans you can share?
We have never invested in advertising or marketing. Everything here at Bradley Beauty, from our product line to our hands-on business, has been organic third-party press originated. I decided this last couple months to hire an advertising agency and see what else is in store for Bradley Beauty. Fingers crossed there's going to be some happy people using Bradley Beauty products.
Connect with Bradley Beauty
Instagram: @bradley.beauty
Website: www.bradleybeauty.com
