In our first “A moment with” series we interviewed Heidi, the CEO of our new favourite korean body care brand, Lovbod. We often dedicate our time to our skincare routines and we can make informed decisions about which products to choose depending on their ingredients. But does the equivalent exist for bodycare? The answer is… YES. Learn more about Lovbod’s K-Beauty expertise - for the body.
How did you get into the skincare world?
My name is Heidi, the founder, and CEO of LOVBOD. I’d been struggling with some different skin issues in various body parts and I searched for guidance or products that could treat each part of my body. But I couldn't really find the right solutions. So, I started asking my mom and sisters and friends and realized that everyone has some different skin issues on their bodies and wants to feel and look healthy taking care of it in the right ways. I’ve always wished there was someone - like a big sister - to whom I felt comfortable to talk about changes in my body and skin problems around my body. I also wish I had someone to tell me that all of our bodies are beautiful and that our differences should be celebrated. In my teens, I wanted to hide my stretch marks and I even tried to squeeze keratosis pilaris on my thighs thinking they were little pimples. As an adult, I’ve tried different products, home remedies, and paid visits to skin clinics for flaky leg skin, back and chest acne, discoloration on my bottom and elbows, and leukoplakia on my stomach and back - but I’ve come to know our skin has different cell structure depending on the body part and a lot of complex factors have to be considered as well. This means different body parts require different skincare approach, but I couldn’t find a brand dedicated to body skincare, and most body products I’ve found were overpriced with formulas that are practically no different to those for facial skincare products or claimed to alter your body shape. It’s true, body skin issues are not as noticeable as those on your face and maybe you can just let them be, but they do constantly bother us - so why not do something about them to feel more comfortable and confident? I wanted to create specialized, high-quality body care products that send a body-positive message to all. It may sound grandiose, but the intention behind the launch of LOVBOD is to break away from a narrow standard of beauty for ‘the perfect body’ and to celebrate and promote our unique beauty, ‘health, and confidence’.
Where is the name Lovbod coming from and what is the brand philosophy?
LOVBOD came from our brand slogan, ‘Love Your Body, Love Yourself’, which embodies the message for EVERYBODY to love and be proud of what they’ve got. Our bodies are beautiful, no matter the shape and size - but it’s natural to have skin insecurities here and there on our bodies and to want to eliminate them. LOVBOD was born to give our bodies some love. We listen to women with skin woes hidden under the surface, and that’s why we created LOVBOD - to help every beautiful body to be in the skin we are confident of. LOVBOD offers something tailored for every inch of your skin. LOVBOD has been created for women who want to care for body skin but don’t know where to start or what to use. Our mission is helping women to care for the entire body and look healthy and feel healthy and confident in their bodies.
Lovbod’s branding and packaging are very unique and gorgeous, what are the inspirations for your brand?
Our body is the inspiration for the packaging design. You can see the body landscapes in each package box if you unfold them. If you connect the products, you will see the shape and curves of the body. We wanted to put the message on our products, "All of our bodies are beautiful and that our differences should be celebrated", so we used various colors as a meaning of "Beauty of Diversity"
How do you create a product?
The biggest challenge was, how do we create products that are easy to use yet effective, specifically for the body skin at the same time. There is plenty of information for facial skincare but there was so much unclassified information for body skincare. We often got to choose the wrong way to take care of body skin. So we’ve analyzed each part of body skin and it's unique properties. And we built the Ingredients database and formula algorithm what’s effective for body skin. We go through a lot of trials to create products that you can use quickly and with ease. The texture of all our products is fast-absorbing which means you don't need to rub or dab.
How did you come up with “Let it Melt on Your Hand” hand mask?
It literally melts and absorbs at skin temperature. Its highly concentrated essence delivers the beneficial ingredient deep into the skin. I have eczema between my fingers, and eczema happened whenever I use a chemically strong hand wash or perfumed hand cream or glove-type hand pack. The hand mask is necessary not to cause finger eczema with artificial fragrance or irritating ingredients. And it should no restrictions on activity. Considering all the matters, after many trials of combination of various materials of fabric and formula, we developed our hand mask in a way that combines a natural cotton fabric with very safe well-formulated ingredients that have moisturizing/anti-aging/moisturizing function. You can see it only leaves a disposable cotton sheet that looks like a spider net after using our hand mask.
What are the essential steps for an effective body care routine?
It's all about making a healthy and strong skin base but you shouldn't feel too overwhelmed to apply daily care. Body skin routine could be easy and quick and also very effective. You can restore your skin's pH balance and strengthen your skin barrier while taking a shower just using the functional body wash. You can build-up a skin barrier with a lot of nutrition using body essence. If you have some issue on a specific part of your body, you can use a special product such as mask or stick, that is developed specifically for each part. We are developing many different products but it doesn't mean that you should use everything. We wanted to give many options to fit you. Body care could be very simple. It's just using the right product for you. That's why we are providing not only the products but also information for body skin.
How is Lovbod different from a western body care brand?
I think it's a difference in viewpoint. For us, body care is like 'food for the body skin'. And for some others, body care could be more like 'clothes for covering body skin'. I mean, we perceive body care products as nutrition for our skin. It's like taking vitamins for your body. So, we focus on the healthy recipe and try to avoid using fragrance or chemical preservatives if possible. Body care is more related to our own health than just looks. There are many great brands and products out there so I cannot generalize all brands. However, body care products tend to focus on the scent in general, and some products focus on 'glowing looks' or 'changing shape'. It’s just a different approach in my opinion.
What are Lovbod’s plans for the future?
Our customer's voice comes first and it always will be. We'd love to communicate with all of you and create something you really need. We aim to be a reliable and timeless brand with genuinely high-quality products that you seek whenever you have issues on your body skin. LOVBOD’s ultimate goal is delivering our message 'Every Body is beautiful, no matter the shape and size' all over the world and helping everyone to feel healthy in their own body. And we will provide the most accurate information and products for body care.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Heidi.
Discover Lovbod'range here.