Building a skincare brand in a saturated market is challenging enough, but can you do it without compromising on a sustainable supply chain, the right investment, and your own wellbeing?
According to Danielle Close, founder of My Skin Feels, you can. But it’s a constant balancing act, and one that could send you running to an overseas retreat with your phone turned off.
Meet the guest: Danielle Close, founder of My Skin Feels
In this episode of The Real Founder Podcast, Danielle shares how a desire to create a simple range of planet-friendly skincare products escalated to a US launch, working with major stockists like Credo Beauty, and led to turning down a Dragons’ Den investment in the UK to find alternative funding. If you’re an entrepreneur, sustainability advocate or interested in the growing world of ethical and clean skincare, this conversation is packed with insights. Here are four main takeaways.
1. Ethical skincare can be high performance
My Skin Feels proves that sustainability doesn’t have to mean low performance. By fermenting rescued ingredients such as tomato skins and orange water, Danielle’s products harness naturally occurring antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins while reducing food waste. Rather than offering a complicated routine, the brand focuses on just two carefully formulated products designed to support healthy skin and cater to a range of users with skin conditions.
2. Gut instinct is a business tool
“It’s all about changing how you feel, not changing how you look.” — Danielle Close.
One of the standout moments with Danielle was her tale of rejecting a cash offer on Dragons’ Den. After deciding the investment didn’t align with her long-term vision, she later secured funding from angel investors who shared the company’s mission. Her experience is a powerful reminder that the right investment is about more than money.
3. Sustainable entrepreneurship works
Danielle speaks openly about experiencing burnout and why founders need to prioritise their wellbeing alongside scaling their business. She argues that building a successful company shouldn’t come at the cost of your personal health. Instead of running until you fall, Danielle is an advocate for boundaries, quiet reflection and creating businesses that support your wider life, not define it.
4. Test out your products in person
During the early days of My Skin Feels, Danielle spent her weekends selling at local markets across the UK and getting in front of customers with her products. Those face-to-face conversations shaped My Skin Feels’ products, messaging and loyal customer community, proving that listening to customers is still a valuable form of market research.
Danielle’s story is a breath of fresh air, reminding us that success doesn’t have to come from following conventional rules. Whether she’s challenging beauty industry norms, making bold investment decisions or redefining what entrepreneurship looks like, her journey offers real, authentic and valuable lessons for every founder.
Watch the full episode of The Real Founder Podcast below to hear Danielle Close’s inspiring story and discover how purpose, intuition and resilience helped build one of the UK’s most exciting ethical skincare brands.
