Caroline Hirons’ new app has been called the “Google of skincare”

Written by Morgan Fargo

Free to download, Skin Rocks condenses Hirons’ knowledge and wisdom (as well as that of her expert friends) into a clear, simple app that helps you shop and care for your skin smarter.

Caroline Hirons has a fair few accolades to her name – she’s a bestselling author, award-winning skincare and beauty expert, and now, an app founder. Skin Rocks, a free app designed to demystify your skincare routine, is now available to download everywhere. 

What began as a thought in the shower has been developed into an app housing tens of thousands of product suggestions, clear and succinct explanations about the role different ingredients play and how to get the most out of your personal routine. 

As with all things Hirons, it had to be simple to use and accessible to all, something she shared with Stylist earlier this month when we interviewed her about the launch. Read on to hear about what she had to say and what to expect from Hirons’ new app, Skin Rocks.

Why a skincare app and why now?

“To be honest, there’s a mixture of reasons for it – the biggest being that it’s just the right thing at the right time. For years, I’ve been told, ‘I wish I could just take you shopping with me,’ or people would video call me from inside Boots for help.

“When it came to Skin Rocks, I had to find the point of differentiation. I didn’t need to build another website based on skincare – I’ve done that. So, I was standing there in the shower and I had this epiphany that it needed to be an app. 

“The average person on the street wants to know if they need something for their skin but they might not know where to go, what to buy or how much these things are supposed to cost. This app takes away the intimidation factor.”

How much of your personality is dotted around the app?

“I’m sprinkled around it but it’s not ‘the Caroline Hirons app’ – the idea is that it’s a back-to-basics guide to skincare. Everything is grouped: there are cleansers, exfoliators, masks, mists, serums, moisturisers, SPF, lip balms and tools. People can start there or they can tell us about their skin concerns and the information will be sorted in a way that is best suited to them. My biggest thing is that people have plenty of options. 

“The reason it’s not the Caroline Hirons app is that this isn’t about my ego – this is about being a service to everyone.”

Are there recommendations and pieces of advice within the app for skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis or rosacea?

“Especially when you’re looking at training books and professional books, every skin condition is shown on Caucasian skin. The Skin Rocks app contains photographs of every single skin condition shown on every single skin colour. This means someone can look on the app and say, ‘I have type four, five or six skin and I have acne – show me what that would look like because I’m not sure.’”

“I really wanted people to see themselves in the app because you just don’t see it as much as people say – you certainly don’t see them in training books, even in dermatology and medical books, skin conditions are still predominantly shown on white skin and this can cause confusion. It was important to me that everyone who follows me and reads this can open the app and see themselves.”

How do you want people to feel, using the app?

“At the end of every meeting and every conversation that we have, I always say, ‘OK, but how is my mum going to use this?’ because she doesn’t use tech and all and would never go online.

“I wanted to make sure there was something in there for everyone, including people who don’t know where to start with skincare, and that we weren’t speaking down to people or making assumptions about their knowledge. 

“We had a great review that said something along the lines of, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe it took someone so long to bring out something like this. I was in Boots and this helped me make a perfect choice – I’m thrilled.’”

The free Skin Rocks app is available on Apple and Android now.

Main image: courtesy of brand

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