Beauty Boss Anthony Shook and his uncle Thomas Siebenaler have always battled with skincare issues. After trying many products that did not work, they decided to create a skincare product of their own. They created a powerful serum that protects against skin damage caused by blue light exposure and started their brand: Foster’s Lab. Read on to find out more about their brand and journey:
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and why you decided to start Foster’s Lab?
I grew up in a small farm town in Ohio where my family has established roots for many generations, but I decided I needed to leave that area and explore. In addition to Foster’s Lab, I have worked on many different initiatives in tech and even aviation. I have been a pilot for many years as well, not working commercially, but flying all over the United States and the Bahamas. There was something about defying gravity that had me hooked and it is still my favorite pastime. As for why I started Foster’s Lab when I was young and all through my adult life I struggled with skin issues like acne, which is such a confidence killer. Like a lot of people, I spent a lot of time and money researching and trying products to help treat and prevent acne, but I never found something that worked for me. In the true entrepreneurial spirit, I decided to create it. I wanted to make effective skincare for everyone, not just the elite who can afford the high price tags, so my first product launch was the Anti-tech Serum that gives real results through the best active ingredients without the $300 price tag.
You are a family-owned brand. Can you tell us a bit more about this?
Yes, it is a bit like holidays with the family, where you love everyone there but there will be fights, laughter and maybe even tears. My uncle, Thomas, is my co-founder and Foster’s Lab’s Lead Chemist. He started his career as a cosmetic chemist in the pharmaceutical industry many years ago, so he is the perfect member of our family to guide our formulas to be of the highest quality with real results. He is a perfectionist, so nothing goes into our tubes that aren’t perfect and going to really work. When my uncle and I were working on what to call our skincare line, we decided to honor our family heritage and name our brand after our family’s brand of general stores, Foster’s, which was established in 1895 by my great-great-grandfather T.G. Foster. We are so excited and honored to revitalize our family brand in creating the next chapter in our book through high-quality products, starting with Skincare.
Picture Courtesy: Foster’s Lab
Can you tell us a bit more about your serum and how it helps protect one’s skin from blue light damage?
Our Anti-tech Serum is our first product launch and our pride and joy. We learned a lot about the ways blue light damages your skin and wondered why no one was talking about it, especially now that we are spending so much time in front of our phones, computers, and TVs. We believe we will be talking about blue light damage in the future the way we talk about sun damage today. Just think of the number of times you’ve heard your mom, friends, and estheticians say if they could tell their younger self one thing it would be “protect your skin from the sun! I wish we knew then what we know now about protecting our skin from that kind of damage”. I’ve become much more conscious of the number of hours a day my skin is exposed to blue light, and knowing it’s protected from that damage is important. One of the active ingredients in the Serum is Cacao Seed Extract which blocks blue light and pollution from damaging the skin. However, when we were formulating this serum we wanted it to be more than just a sunscreen from our devices, so we made it a total powerhouse. Our active ingredients help with aging, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation (brightens and evens skin tone), acne, blue light damage, environmental pollution, and even the damage on our skin from high-stress levels. This is all accomplished through Vitamin C, Cacao Seed Extract, Bakuchiol (all-natural and less irritating retinol), Biphenyl Azepanyl Methanone, and Hexapeptide-37 & Heptapeptide-32, among other ingredients. To find everything that is in our one serum it would take hundreds of dollars in combining other products together. We wanted to give real value and results while protecting the skin from future damage.
In your words, what does it mean to be a #beautyboss?
Hmm, what does it mean to be a beauty boss? I guess I would say passion, as we started this brand to bring better skincare to the market – skincare that provides real results and value to all who use our products. In my experience, it takes a lot of hard work, persistence, and dedication to making any brand happen. We work relentlessly to build Foster’s Lab into what it is today, continuing to grow the brand and skincare line, and help others experience positive results in their skin and the confidence that comes along with it.
