The word apothecary has a certain romance about it, conjuring images of wizard-scientists mixing mysterious ingredients in glass bottles to weave some magic in the backrooms of their stores. Esthetician Justine Kahn has developed her own version of an apothecary, but her ingredients are anything but mysterious: They’re healing botanicals like chamomile and comfrey, many of which go straight from her own organic garden to her skincare lab. There, they’re transformed into “single-note” skincare ingredients that can be carefully mixed to meet her clients’ individual needs.
Ms. Kahn founded Botnia in 2017, based on what she was seeing in her treatment room. “Modern cosmetic skincare—Botox, injectables, lasers, and so on—was causing irritation, dysfunction, and inflammation in the skin. I just wanted to heal skin,” she said.
She studied cosmetic chemistry, consulted with a Stanford-trained plant biologist, and started a micro-farm on her land in Sausalito, California to control the quality of the raw ingredients for her small-batch, botanical-based products. What she can’t grow herself, she sources from other trusted small farmers and wildcrafters.
“We’re going against the grain by saying you just need baseline nutrition for the skin,” Ms. Kahn said.
Along with the Botnia Atelier, Ms. Kahn’s Sausalito treatment room, Botnia now partners with more than 200 spas across the United States and has a growing retail line, available for purchase online.
Ms. Kahn spoke with American Essence from her lab in Sausalito about her personal beauty rituals, some of her favorite skincare ingredients, and the overlooked step everyone needs in their routine.
The microfarm where Botnia’s plant ingredients are harvested. (Courtesy of Botnia Skincare)
American Essence: What is one self-care ritual you follow religiously?
Justine Kahn: Washing my face every morning—that, and massaging the products into my face. It might be the only time you show yourself a bit of self-love in a whole day. I just savor the time it takes to do this; it brings me so much joy.
American Essence: How do you define beauty?
Ms. Kahn: Beauty is a feeling. We look to beauty as an external thing that we need to prove to ourselves, but I believe that beauty is a feeling that is cultivated inside us.
Also, beauty should not be painful! If your face mask stings, wipe it off.
American Essence: What is a skincare mistake people tend to make?
Ms. Kahn: Toners are often overlooked. You have this lovely protection that your body creates called your acid mantle, which stops pathogens from multiplying when your skin comes into contact with them. When we wash our face with soap of any kind, we’re stripping our acid mantle. Toners bring that acidity back to the skin and help to balance the acid mantle.
American Essence: What advice do you have for transitioning into the spring season?
Ms. Kahn: Where you are will affect how you care for your skin. When we’re in a very dry environment, we want skincare products that are occlusive. When it gets warmer, switch your skincare to products that are less occlusive; it’s important to use a lighter-weight product.
American Essence: How do you recharge when life gets too hectic?
Ms. Kahn: Spending time in nature with my family. I love the large redwood forests here in northern California; they help me reconnect with the earth and my center and find balance again.
American Essence: How do you wind down at night?
Ms. Kahn: My evenings are spent reading to my daughter, cooking dinner, and relaxing with my husband on the couch. Being with my family is the highlight of my day, and winding down with them is a gift. Savoring a calming herbal tea adds to a peaceful end to my day.
In the evening, I usually use our Wisdom Oil. It has all the wise plants for wise skin, like sea buckthorn seed oil and rosehip seed oil, known for their antioxidant and skin-nurturing properties. I love the term “wise skin” instead of anti-aging. I think wise is a better way to think about aging.
Botnia’s Rose Geranium Hydrosol. (Courtesy of Botnia Skincare)
An Immunity Boost for the Skin
Known for their protective and regenerative properties, hydrosols, floral waters made by steam-distilling fresh botanicals, are some of Ms. Kahn’s favorite ingredients. She refers to them as “the plant’s immune system” due to the compounds they contain—flavonoids and terpenes, which play important roles in maintaining the plant’s health. “Giving the skin a boost of a plant’s immune system is a really beautiful, nutritive way to heal a lot of skin issues,” Ms. Kahn said.
She uses hydrosols as gentle toners or skin refreshers throughout the day. “Mine sit at my desk, so I can use them when I get screen fatigue. They hydrate, soothe, and balance the skin, making them ideal for sensitive skin types,” she said. She especially loves Botnia’s Rose Geranium and Sausalito Garden hydrosols—the latter a mix of clary sage, lavender, and rose—for their calming properties.
Botnia’s Replenishing Facial Oil made of jojoba seed oil and lavender. (Courtesy of Botnia Skincare)
A Natural Moisturizer
Jojoba oil, says Ms. Kahn, is “the grand conditioning and supportive oil that most people should be using.“ It closely resembles our sebum, the natural secretions that help protect our skin barrier function, and thus can be easily absorbed without clogging pores. Ms. Kahn especially recommends it for dry skin, as it deeply nourishes, soothes irritation and flakiness, and forms a barrier on the skin’s surface that locks in moisture and protects against environmental factors. The result? Skin that’s ”soft, supple, and more resilient,“ and a ”healthy, radiant complexion.”
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
Hazel Atkins loved teaching English literature to undergraduate students at the University of Ottawa before becoming a stay-at-home mom, enthusiastic gardener, and freelance writer.
