Picture this. You are three months pregnant and have noticed an increase in acne and hyperpigmentation. While you have had skin flare-ups in the past, this one feels more drastic and calls for a bit of intervention. Determined to maintain the health of your skin, you start to work on revamping your skincare routine. You start with a Google search to ensure that you are buying pregnancy-safe products. As you continue to scroll, you’re left with more confusion. When the information is definitive, it calls for you to disregard almost all of the products on your shelf. In the absence of definitive facts regarding what is pregnancy-safe are vague-ities that make it more difficult for you to determine which products are suitable for you.
Unfortunately, this scenario mirrors the experience of many expectant parents. Among them is Jennie “Jie” Gao, who started Versine Skincare as a result of her dissatisfaction with this unmet need during pregnancy. Combining luxury with safety for expectant mothers, Versine Skincare’s products feature clinically-proven ingredients such as Vitamin C, azelaic acid, and niacinamide, which are effective for treating blemishes, dark spots, and dull skin without posing risks during pregnancy. We spoke with Jie about the story of her remarkable brand, which heightens the simplicity of skincare during a time where information is often conflicting and muddled.
Not only is information regarding the use of skincare products during pregnancy discursive, but in many cases, it is virtually absent. “It wasn’t until part way through my pregnancy that I realized that you are supposed to avoid retinoids and certain other active ingredients. As a skincare consumer but not an expert, the ensuing research was very confusing, and I basically gave up in the end and stuck with a basic moisturizer,” says Jie. “My skin broke out and became very dull, but I just accepted it as another sacrifice of pregnancy.” Versine Skincare was born from the understanding that healthy, glowing skin did not have to be among the things that expectant mothers gave up.
To Jie, this expectation stemmed from a larger cultural conception of what it means to transition to motherhood. “Becoming a mother is such a pivotal process, and we as women are supposed to change so much of ourselves through the matrescence process—our diet, our bodies, our emotional autonomy and independence.” While Jie was grateful for the experience of becoming, the calls for constant sacrifice made it daunting at times. While all expectant mothers want healthy, safe pregnancies, for many, there is more to be desired. “I felt a bit like I was losing myself. I wanted to retain a part of myself that wasn’t just a “mom,” if that makes sense, and I still wanted to feel beautiful. Skincare was a major way I centered myself when I had a stressful corporate job in a law firm, and essentially it was another thing I had to give up.”
Rather than accepting this experience as a normal part of pregnancy, Jie allowed her dissatisfaction to galvanize her. She created gentle skincare with active ingredients that addressed stubborn issues like hyperpigmentation and breakouts, but all vetted so that expectant parents can have products that help them look and feel beautiful without worry. The vetting process includes work with a panel of experts (which includes an obstetrician, a dermatologist, a Master Aesthetician, and a green beauty advocate), and subsequent testing for allergies and other sensitivities to make sure the products are as gentle as possible.
When it comes to ensuring safety, Versine is intentionally conservative. The brand excluses anything that might be sensitizing or unsafe—not just during pregnancy, but generally. Additionally, they do not limit their conception of what is safe to acute events; they exclude anything that is likely to damage skin with long term use.
“For example, we do not use fragrances like linalool and essential oils even though they are natural because they can sensitize skin over the long term. Same with the ingredient phenoxyethanol, a common “natural” preservative. It’s been approved for use as a preservative under 1%, but it’s been linked to nervous system issues in babies when ingested orally, and since it’s now literally in every product, we just wanted to limit the exposure of it in our products. We also do not include any animal or petroleum-derived ingredients, just to do our own little part in being a bit more conscious.”
The safety lies in what Versine chooses to include, as well. Versine aims to formulate streamlined products with well-studied, proven actives like Vitamin C, azelaic acid, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and more to address main skincare concerns like hydration, dark spots, oil control, blemishes, and collagen loss with as few products as possible. It’s important to note that their products are formulated with simplicity in mind, as having too many options can be counterproductive in the quest for blemish-free skin.
In keeping with their simplified philosophy, Versine currently offers two serums—their Calm & Hydrate Serum for dry and/or sensitive skin, and Illuminate Multitasking Serum for acne-prone skin. Consumers can pick based on their skin type and use twice daily. Both serums address hydration, dark spots and pigmentation, skin barrier vitality, and aging skin. The serum for acne-prone skin has the added ingredient of azelaic acid, which helps with oil control and blemishes, and is approved by doctors for pregnancy. This is not the last consumers will see from Versine. After four successful years, the brand is dropping a cleanser and a light-weight moisturizer to equip consumers with a full toolbox.
By providing quality products without the confusion, Versine Skincare stands as a pivotal part of Jie’s journey to center motherhood around empowerment, rather than compromise and loss of self. “And in a way, it’s my way of deciding what type of mom I want to be. It’s part of my journey in realizing that I don’t have to subsume my identity under motherhood. Motherhood is part of my identity, but not all of it, and I can be a good mom while not being completely sacrificial.”
