The Dual-Layer Brand Approach: Designing Skincare for Two Different Worlds

Ever notice how most skincare aisles look exactly the same? 🤔

White bottles. Clean sans-serif fonts. Maybe some bamboo if they're feeling adventurous. It's like every brand got the same "trustworthy skincare" memo. Snore...

So when I developed theBalm's skincare line, I had a choice: blend into the boring sea of clinical minimalism or find a way to honor what made theBalm unique while earning skincare credibility.

The challenge: How do you marry clean, clinical aesthetics with quirky retro pinup personality?

My solution: Dual-layer brand approach; clean primary packaging with strategic brand moments on secondary touchpoints.

→ Primary: Clean aesthetic for vanities and showers

→ Secondary: Pinup graphics on outer boxes and shipping materials

→ Icons: Custom symbols for quick UVP recognition

→ Digital: Full brand personality in e-comm and merchandising

I managed everything from sustainable packaging design & sourcing to photo direction, B2B, digital and retail rollout. The breakthrough: You don't have to choose between brand consistency and category expectations. Smart hierarchy lets you be both trustworthy and memorable.

Final result? theBalm to the Rescue Skincare feels both clinically credible AND distinctly theBalm, leveraging existing trust while attracting new audiences.

The best brand extensions don't abandon what made you famous... they find smarter ways to express it.