Moms and dads across the world would likely agree that parenting is a full-time job. Helen Kazemaini’s first pregnancy, though, didn’t just lead her toward the commitments of parenting – it rekindled a childhood passion that led her to an entirely new full-time career.
“As soon as I got pregnant, I became much more conscious of what I put on my body,” says Helen Kazemaini, co-founder of the clean skincare line Piperberry. Up until her first pregnancy, she’d all but forgotten about her teenage years spent making homemade face masks from ingredients such as rose water, avocado, and cucumber. “I’ve lived in San Diego for the majority of my life,” she says of the launchpad for her teenage passion, “and I’ve always known that my sensitive skin can’t quite handle the climate here.”
As she prepared to welcome her first child, she spent hours researching whether certain skincare ingredients could potentially cause birth defects. “The research slowly refueled my childhood passion for clean skincare,” she says, “and that passion only got stronger after I had my second child.” As she recalls it, one day, after dropping her kids off at school and seeing dried, redder, less firm skin in her rearview mirror, she knew it was time to get back to making her own natural skincare products – this time, with anti-aging effects.
That’s how she came up with Piperberry, which these days counts its Adaptogens Superfruits Moisturizer as its signature product. Like all Piperberry products, “it’s an incredibly hydrating and nourishing product that doesn’t feel heavy or greasy,” says Kazemaini, who credits these traits directly to the moisturizer’s adaptogens and polyphenols.
Key ingredients in the Adatopgens Superfruits Moisturizer include squalane for its hydrating, skin-firming, and UV-blocking properties; licorice for its antioxidant properties; gotu kola for promoting collagen production and boosting skin elasticity; and polyphenols that fight UV damage, stress, cell aging, and external pollutants while imparting additional antioxidant qualities. As with all of Piperberry’s masks, moisturizers, and creams, both the active and inactive ingredients in the Adaptogens Superfruits Moisturizer are entirely cruelty-free, natural, organic, and free of parabens, sulfates, silicones, fragrances, and essential oils. People from all walks of life can benefit from the sustainably sourced and healthy Piperberry products – and they can easily afford the products, too.
“Our price point is very reasonable – our products are all less than $33,” says Kazemaini. Fair price points are crucial for her, as moms like herself can only spend so much money outside the costs of raising a child or children. Consider that Piperberry products also contain anti-aging superfoods and berries not often found in other skincare lines, and Piperberry’s price points stack up as an even better deal than what first meets the eye.
If Piperberry seems too good to be true, Kazemaini is quick to point out that her brand’s successes are well-documented. “We sent our first batch of moisturizers to beauty bloggers,” she says, “and we received such amazing feedback. They absolutely loved the texture of the product, how well it absorbed into their skin, and the results they got!”
Not that anyone should be surprised that bloggers and ordinary customers alike love Piperberry – after all, Kazemaini’s been making clean skincare products since well before the beauty industry’s pro-health, pro-environment movement fully bloomed. “I want my skincare products to work as hard as I have on making them,” says Kazemaini, and with Piperberry, other people – moms, dads, and non-parents alike – are reaping the benefits of her labor.