Women in Charge: Meet the Founder of SKIN functional, Shannon Dougall

Shannon Dougall is the powerhouse behind SKIN functional, a brand that has redefined transparency and effectiveness in skincare

From marketing to research and development, Her journey is one of innovation, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to empowering consumers with honest and potent products.

A Look Inside GLAMOUR’s Women of the Year 2024 - Game Changers Edition

Shannon’s path to creating SKIN functional is a testament to passion, perseverance, and the desire to make a difference in the skincare industry. Starting with a strong marketing background and transitioning into formulation science, Her experiences exposed her to the pitfalls of misleading practices within the beauty world.

Determined to create change, she built a brand that embodies transparency, quality, and accessibility. Here, she takes us through her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned while building a brand that’s now recognized in multiple countries. “My desire to start my own skincare brand stemmed from personal experience where I had tried many brands who promised the world and delivered less then expected results. I was disillusioned and tired of wasting money only to experience dashed hopes. From my own personal quest to find skincare that delivered what was expected, I saw a huge gap in the market.”

Enlightening that there were many brands in the market but they were formulated with ingredients at such low percentages that there would be no physiological change in your skin, yet these brands promised results of grandeur. She affirms that she wanted to build a brand customers could rely on to deliver what they were promised at a price tag that was inaccessible for most people.

Founder of SKIN functional, Shannon Dougall, Image: Supplied

Glamour: Before SKIN functional, you were involved in the skincare industry at both local and global companies. What was it about these experiences that made you recognize the need for products that were not only beautifully formulated but also truly effective?

Shannon: Through my extensive work in the skincare industry I realised how easy it was for some brands to deceive customers about the percentages they formulated active ingredients at. In addition, when the business needed to cut costs they reduced the percentage of active ingredients in the formulation without notifying customers. I was exposed to a world of deceiving customers. It was through these experiences that I was inspired to create an honorable transparent brand that put the customer and their needs above all else.

Glamour: After completing your cosmetic formulation science degree, you spent three years in research and development. What were some of the most challenging or surprising aspects of turning your vision into a real product line?

Shannon: The greatest challenge I had to overcome was financing my dreams. I had plans of grandeur which had to be tempered with budget constraints. As a result I was only able to launch the brand with 18 products with a vision to steadily grow the product offering.

Glamour: SKIN functional’s launch in 2019 was a viral success. What do you think contributed most to this immediate buzz, and how did you prepare for the rapid growth that followed?

Shannon: At the time of launching there was no other brand in South Africa that offered transparency around the percentages of active ingredients formulated in the products and there was no other brand that offered superior skincare at affordable prices. SKIN functional was the first brand of its kind to launch in South Africa. As a leader many people follow and the skincare market is now cluttered with many brands that have copied the concept.

Glamour: How did you handle the complexities of launching a skincare brand in a market that’s both saturated and highly competitive? What strategies did you use to ensure SKIN functional stood out?

Shannon: At the time of launching we were the first brand of its kind to launch in the market so it was the perfect time for us to launch. We’ve enjoyed quite a few firsts, including being the first brand to name the actives and percentages as our product names. The first brand in the mass market to engage in such robust educating for consumers. And to offer same day delivery and excellent customer service packaged in a gift like package with hand written notes. SKIN functional quickly became a leader in our skincare market and as leaders we have many people striving to be like us.

Glamour: Now that SKIN functional is successfully distributed in multiple countries, what’s next for you as an entrepreneur? Are there new projects or initiatives that you’re particularly excited about in the coming years?

Shannon: My vision for SKIN functional is to be distributed through all countries globally, we have much work to do to achieve this. In terms of product launches for 2025, we have a very exciting line up for the brand. When launching new products I look for gaps in the market as I aim to launch products that do not cannibalise the existing range. As the range grows this becomes increasingly more difficult to find opportunities that add value to the range.

Zooming in on SKIN functional...

Glamour: SKIN functional was founded on the idea of transforming customers' skincare experiences. What does this transformation look like from a customer's perspective?

Shannon: SKIN functional steers away from the out dated aspiration to be perfect, we embrace beauty in all forms and stages as there is beauty within everything. Our goal is to empower customers to feel confident in their skin regardless of where they are in their journey.

Glamour: Can you share a bit more about your commitment to transparency and how you ensure that SKIN Functional products are truly effective and scientifically formulated?

Shannon: SKIN functional embraces transparency through actively naming all our active ingredients along with their associated percentages so that customers are able to make an informed buying decision.

Glamour: How do you stay ahead in such a competitive industry where trends shift quickly, and new products are constantly introduced?

Shannon: It’s important to note that new doesn't necessarily mean better and that not all trends serve the customer in a way that optimises skin health. SKIN functional is embedded in a journey towards optimal skin health and functioning, despite new trends this should always be a key goal in a skin journey.

Glamour: Can you walk us through your research and development process for SKIN functional products? How do you ensure that the formulations are not only scientifically sound but also meet the real needs of your customers?

Shannon: SKIN functional is customer centric so we balance in depth customer research on their wants and needs with clinical data. Customer research is the first part of our process when developing any new products and then a gap analysis of the market and our range. From there we marry the most effective ingredients to target specific concerns and needs and then look at compatibility of the active ingredients. The product concept is then born. From there we do robust clinical and user trials to ensure the concept meets the overarching needs of the customer.

Glamour: How do you balance the use of "maximum concentrations" with safety, and how do you educate your customers on why this is important?

Shannon: SKIN functional is registered and distributed throughout Europe. The European Union has the strictest formulating guidelines globally. We adhere to all their requirements as well as the toxicology standards they impose on cosmetics. We ensure that we formulate all products with the highest, yet safe concentrations of actives to ensure customers are extracting the most from their skincare while being well within safe limits.

Glamour: SKIN functional’s philosophy emphasizes “honourable SKINtelligence” and demystifying skincare. What role does education play in your brand, and how do you communicate complex skincare science to your customers?

Shannon: Honourable SKINtelligence is the backbone of our operations. We strive to empower customers to embark on their skincare journey with confidence.We believe knowledge is key and we want for our customers to feel enriched after experiencing our brand. We have a multi pronged approach to coeducation through our informative YouTube channel and our active engagement is many masterclasses with customers.

Up close and personal...

Glamour: As a CEO and mother of a young child, how do you balance your personal life with the demands of running a global skincare brand?

Shannon: Juggling both roles is demanding however each role is equally as important. My daughter comes to the office with me everyday as she is still breastfeeding and isn’t ready to give it up.I am very blessed as I get to see her all day and I don’t miss key milestones of her development. It’s all about having pockets of focused time throughout the day in each role. Maximising productivity and eliminating any distractions allows me to extract the most out of my time with my daughter and my role as CEO of SKIN functional.

Glamour: What aspects of your background or passions outside of work—like scuba diving or traveling—have influenced your approach to entrepreneurship and product development?

Shannon: I believe that all experiences are an opportunity to learn and think outside of the traditional box. Exposure to different markets and different experiences each hold valuable lessons and insights. It’s about taking the time to savour those lessons and be open to new insights and ways of thinking.

Glamour: What qualities do you look for when building and leading your team, especially given the highly specialized nature of your product development process?

Shannon: I am very particular about the people I allow into the SKIN functional circle.My team needs to possess qualities of honour, integrity, pride and passion. Their values have to emulate that of SKIN functional (trustworthy, transparent, authenticity) as I expect my team to live and breathe the ethos of SKIN functional so that the customer experience is consistent and aligned to the brand’s promise of excellence.

The evolving beauty landscape...

Glamour: SKIN functional’s products are designed to work across all ethnicities. How do you ensure that your products meet the diverse needs of different skin types and tones?

Shannon: An integral part of my job is to conduct in depth research on all the active ingredients we use in SKIN functional. Coupled with the research, is insight and knowledge about the skin and how different ethnicities impact ageing, sun damage and acne for example. Drawing from my knowledge base and relying heavily on clinical testing allows me to have the confidence to deliver effective treatments across all ethnicities.

Glamour: How do you balance innovation with environmental responsibility?

Shannon: I have a very deep passion and love for our planet and I am acutely aware of the footprint we leave on our beautiful earth. SKIN functional is committed to reducing our footprint throughout all facets of the business, namely recyclable packaging, sustainable manufacturing and an unwavering commitment to work with companies that do not test any ingredients on animals.