Healing The Skin & Soul Through Beauty

Estas Beauty

Cristina Beltran & Alejandra Thompson
Founded: 2018, Launched 2020

Investors: Friends & Family

Open heart surgery and two c-sections. You both had significant surgeries. How has this impacted you?

We have! We are so proud of all we’ve been through, and the scars we have to show for it. I have an ongoing heart condition, and Alejandra has Type 1 Diabetes (the reason she needed two C-sections), which means we’re both dealing with health issues daily. But we’ve never let that get us down or stop us from accomplishing our goals. Our health scares, difficult surgeries and many scars pushed us to work harder, be stronger and fight for what we believe in. We feel lucky to be where we are, and to see life through a different perspective.

What didn’t you like about the products you found to treat your skin and specifically the scars?

To begin with, the available products for scars were very pharmaceutical or medical. They feel, look and apply like ointments, rather than skin care. Because these ointments are greasy or sticky, people don’t want to use them and quickly give up on caring for their scars. Secondly, almost all scar products promise to erase or reduce scars. The truth is, scars will never 100% go away. Even if the color and texture improve, the scar remains—as will the story of how you got it! We wanted to create a product line that not only feels luxurious, but also leads to a consistent scar care routine, and encourages everyone to love, embrace and be proud of their scars.

I’m sure others are unhappy with current products, too. What prompted you to create your own line?

It all started after Alejandra endured her first c-section. She was so unhappy with her scar, and I wanted to get her a luxurious scar cream to help her take care of it and learn to love it. The truth is: at the time, I had just been “making do” with the current scar products, but assumed I could find a quality, luxury scar cream. I thought it would make the perfect new mother gift. I was shocked when I couldn’t find a single luxury skin care product for scars. When I told Alejandra, we decided to join forces and create it.

How did you come up with the finished formulations? What were your key goals? 

We worked with an incredible chemist who both formulates luxury skin care, and has expertise in wound healing. Our key goals with the formulas were to include the most effective scar care ingredients at higher levels while making sure that they felt luxurious and lovely in texture. We also wanted to ensure all of our formulas were fragrance-free and formulated without parabens, sulfates or phthalates.

What’s been the hardest part of getting Estas Beauty off the ground and established?

Staying in stock! We weren’t prepared for how quickly our stock would sell out, and we got stuck without inventory for a number of months, which was really difficult.

Do you believe in beauty’s emotional benefits?

Absolutely! Especially with scar care. When we were formulating our products, we spoke to a number of top doctors and surgeons. We’ll never forget what one told us, “If you treat your scar like an alien, it will look and feel like an alien.” That’s why it was so important that our formulas were not only very effective but creamy and luxe in texture. We want anyone who uses Estas to get the visible and emotional benefits of using our products. In caring for your scar, you can create a relationship with it, start to feel more comfortable with it and hopefully even learn to love it.

What do you have planned for 2022 to spread the word about your skin care range?

This is a big year for us. One of the initiatives that we’re working on is partnerships with organizations that give back to surgery patients. For instance, February is heart month, and we’re hoping to gift Estas Beauty products to patients who have recently had heart surgery. We plan to expand our product offerings to include a line of pre-operative skin care.