4AM Skin is not your typical skincare brand. Founded by Sabrina Sade and Jade Beguelin, 4AM is a unique brand that has the pulse on the unpredictable lives of our generation. Rather than requiring us to adjust our schedules to accommodate a multi-step skincare routine, 4AM Skin integrates skincare seamlessly and simplistically into our existing lives. Through the late nights and early mornings, 4AM has the products to keep your skin looking hydrated and healthy when you rise and when you rest. We spoke to Sabrina and Jade about the makings and DNA of the brand.
What were your personal relationships with skincare before the launch of 4AM?
JADE: Interestingly, we both had very different relationships when it came to skincare before starting 4AM. I pretty much actually hated skincare, but I think the reason for that was that I felt very overwhelmed and uninspired when it came to the skincare aisle.
SABRINA: Growing up, I actually had melasma which causes skin discoloration. The hunt for a solution to that made me super passionate about skincare and the science behind it. So much so that I would constantly blab on about it to pretty much anyone who would listen and soon enough had grown a community on Instagram where skincare was one of the main things I chatted about. That passion was one of the main reasons I was pre-med in undergraduate and eventually started medical school.
How did the 4AM brand come about?
JADE: Right after college, I was working on Wall Street in New York. I had pretty tough hours, but also was trying to take advantage of living in New York, so was also constantly out and about. As a result, I was pretty much getting no sleep and could see the effect it was having on my skin. At the time, I pretty much didn't have a skincare routine, and so I immediately went to Sabrina to ask for advice. I pretty much told her, just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. However, she came back to me with a pretty complicated ten-step skincare routine that I knew I wasn't going to do.
SABRINA: That's when we realized there was this white space in the skincare industry for all-in-one, minimal skincare that you could still feel good about. It was from that kernel of an idea that 4AM was born.
What obstacles did you guys encounter while laying the foundation for 4AM?
SABRINA: For the first year and a half of the business, it was really something we only did on the side on nights and weekends. I was in medical school at Georgetown, so obviously, it was a hard balance. Similarly, all of our serum formulas are custom to us. A lot of this testing and research was happening during COVID, which meant they took even longer than we would have thought--just due to accessibility to our lab as well as sourcing some harder-to-find ingredients as supply chains were stretched.
JADE: I also think as first-time founders, pretty much everything we're doing is figuring it out ourselves!
Define the term skinimalist, and why it's the perfect way to describe your 4AM customers.
JADE: I think we're one of the few skincare brands telling people to do less skincare. We've always had a less is more approach to skincare--and really believe in having a simple routine that our customers can not only feel good about but actually stay consistent with.
SABRINA: We really wanted to build skincare for busy people, whether they're out till 4AM, or waking up at 4AM to get the day started early. While I think there will always be a market for skincare maximalists, we really want to cater to customers who maybe haven't felt seen by the skincare industry before.
How do you want your customers to feel when they use your products?
SABRINA: We really wanted to build a brand that felt like they would be cheering with you on a night out. One of our mottos is "No sacrifices, just skincare." We understand that your skincare might be the least important thing in your life, so we wanted to build a skincare brand that didn't make you feel guilty about that.
Talk about philanthropy and your guys' contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.
JADE: So much of our branding and imagery is inspired by nightlife--so we wanted to make sure we were giving back to communities that have really inspired us. Much of the vibrancy of club culture can be traced back to diverse members of the LGBTQ+ community, so we have decided to donate a portion of every order to The Center to be able to give back to those who have already given so much to us. There's a lot of great literature on this history; I like this one.
Getting into the fun stuff — talk about how you guys come up with your fun and vibrant marketing campaigns and events. JADE: A lot of our successful campaigns have been through events. While a lot of brands have leaned into events for press reasons, we really wanted to do something different. Specifically, none of our parties or events are just for photos or content. When we throw a party, we just want it to be a really fun party where not only our influencers but our community can come together and have a good time.
SABRINA: I also think our brand is so strong and unique in its point of view, especially within the skincare space, that it has lent itself to really fun partnerships. Even as a fairly new brand, we've been able to partner with the likes of Patron, PUBLIC Hotels, 818 Tequila, Rumble Boxing, and more.
Keep up with 4AM on Instagram @4AMskin. Shop their products on their webstore, Thirteen Lune, Urban Outfitters, or Revolve.
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