ATLANTA – To Kenneth McLaurin, what makes a great skincare product isn’t just the price tag. It’s about the research, time, energy and passion poured into the product that leads to desirable results.

At Evolution Skincare by Ken, the results stand out the most.

McLaurin says the inspiration of his plant-based skincare line came from his personal struggles with acne when he was growing up. He says there weren’t any high-quality, and affordable skin care products available growing up, especially for his skin tone.

That led him to create his own skin care products.

“There was never anything on the market for my skin color,” he said. “My business has been brewing for two decades. Before I went to the Mississippi School of Arts, I started getting bumps and it progressed to cystic acne. I did research and had to get laser surgery to remove the scaring.”

It is “empowering, cutting-edge” products that help deliver results for all skin tones and skin types.

McLaurin says he was self-conscious at times, and couldn’t find the best solution to his cystic acne.

“Everybody should have access to good quality skincare products. Our skin is our largest organ in our body. We’re not conscious enough of what we’re putting in our skin,” he said.

According to McLaurin, Evolution Skincare by Ken uses science, potent botanicals and herbs such as sea moss, turmeric, AquaSeal Algae and magnolia extract. It also uses different minerals from the sea.

He says while there were challenges during the creative process, he says it is rewarding.

“The journey of entrepreneurship is very daunting,” he said. “You really have to love what you’re doing and believe in it. That’s probably why it took so long for me to take this leap of faith. It is very rewarding. This is for the people. There is a team behind a mogul. Nobody can do everything by themselves. I’m grateful for my team and my supporters.”

In 2019, McLaurin moved to South Africa for his 30th birthday. McLaurin says he spoke to a friend about his ideas for developing a skincare product. He was encouraged to find a manufacturing company first.

“I started in 2022, I signed a contract last year and here we are,” he said. “It’s really like divine intervention. It’s about mindful skincare, focusing on what we put on our skin just as we do with what we put into our bodies.”

In September, McLaurin held a launch event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. He says more than 150 people attended the event.

“I knew I had support, but I did not know that I had support to this magnitude,” he said. “I felt the love. One of the women said she watched my Instagram lives and social media. She knew it was high-quality products.”

McLaurin says he used his journalism and medicine background to conduct research on what to use and how it would make a positive impact on the skincare product. He says he focused on something that instills confidence in others.

“Crafting something that I know is going to empower confidence, provide quality skincare and something that is luxury, but also affordable makes me happy,” he said. “It took the pandemic for us all to stop, pause and indulge and take care of ourselves. Everything affects everything. Your skin is the direct representation to the outside world. People see you before they hear you and that is the society in which we live in.”

He’s working on a moisturizer, cleansers and more products.

“We have glass bottles, the products are deluxe, gold and royal colors. It makes you feel good. People want to look good and feel good,” he said. “I was going to come up with a mask. I’m about the scientific components of a skincare brand, my next project is a sunscreen. I want my fellow melanated people to understand that the myth that Black people don’t need sunscreen is 100% false.”

McLaurin says when he was working at the public health agency CDC, he wrote articles on skincare prevention,” he said. “I was basically a health journalist. They would have trials on sunscreen, sun protection and adults without sunscreen. We really had to be educated on sunscreen and other products that protects us.”

Evolution Skincare by Ken offers three products to purchase: the Evolution Skincare By Ken Glow Luxe Moisturizer, the Power Surge Serum, and Radiance Reset Cleanser.

For more information, click here.