Tell me about how Basekin came about, what inspired the idea?

Lucy: Basekin started in a pretty honest, personal way. I was pregnant, and like so many
women, I started looking more closely at what I was putting on my skin. I’ve always been a self-
tan girl — I grew up with fair skin, a lot of moles, and a family history of melanoma, so the sun
was never really an option. But suddenly, I was reading ingredient lists and realising how many
fake tans were packed with things I didn’t feel good about using daily. And beyond that, none of
them felt like they belonged next to the rest of my skincare — they smelled weird, felt sticky, and
didn’t match the standard I had for everything else I was using. That’s when it hit me: why
should tanning feel like a separate category? Why couldn’t it be skincare too?

Bella: Around the same time, I was deep in work life, long hours, events, barely holding a
routine together and constantly breaking out. My skin was reactive, and anything heavy or
overly fragranced would just make it worse. But I still wanted to look alive, like I’d had eight
hours sleep and a beach holiday. We kept coming back to this idea of a shortcut – a product
that gave you that glow, but actually supported your skin, not sabotaged it. We didn’t want
something complicated or overly “cosmetic” just something chic, effective, and genuinely easy
to use. That was the moment Basekin started to take shape.

What happened from there, what steps did you take to bring the brand to life?

Lucy: Once the idea landed, we became a bit obsessed. We started pulling apart ingredient
lists from traditional self-tanners to our go-to skincare and asking the obvious question: why had tanning been left behind? Everything still felt like the same old sticky mousse, overpowering
fragrance, or synthetic DHA drops. We knew from the start that we didn’t want to create just
another version of what was already out there.

Bella: We teamed up with an incredible Australian formulator and spent over a year developing
a formula that would actually do something for your skin, not just tint it. It had to feel like a
serum, not a tan. We used 100% natural DHA and layered in actives like Hyaluronic Acid,
Niacinamide, and Vitamin C – ingredients we already trusted and loved. We tested it
obsessively, on ourselves, friends, and family, refining until it felt like something we were
genuinely proud to use. I remember the day when I said to Lucy, “We need to make this work,
because I genuinely cannot live without this product.” From there, every part of Basekin, the
feel, the formula, the tone, came back to one question: would we reach for this every day?

Why was it important to you to blend skincare with self-tan?

Lucy: For me, tanning always felt like the one step in my routine that didn’t match the rest. I’d
invest in great skincare — actives, serums, ingredients that supported my skin — and then ruin
it with a product that felt heavy, synthetic, and off-brand for everything else I was using. It just
didn’t make sense. Skincare has evolved so much, but tanning hadn’t caught up. It shouldn’t be
something that undoes all the good you’ve done for your skin, it should add to it.

Bella: There are definitely tan-drop products on the market, but most of them still felt like a
compromise as they’re either too drying, too heavily fragranced, or not something I’d trust on
sensitive, breakout-prone skin. I was constantly adjusting formulas to make them work better,
mixing them into serums I actually liked. We wanted to cut that extra step and create something
that was truly skincare-first, not an afterthought. Basekin isn’t just a tan with a little hydration
thrown in. It’s a formula built from the ground up to support your skin and deliver a natural glow
all in one pump.

The word ‘clean’ has been a bit contentious in years gone by. With Basekin, what does
‘clean’ mean to you?

Bella: We get why the word ‘clean’ can feel loaded as it’s been overused and underdefined. But
for us, it really just comes down to being intentional. Every ingredient in Basekin is there for a
reason, and we’re transparent about why it’s in the formula. It’s about using what works, leaving
out what doesn’t, and respecting your skin in the process.

Lucy: For me, it was about being able to use something daily without overthinking it. During
pregnancy, I found myself reading every label and questioning everything I put on my skin, and
tanning products just didn’t make the cut. With Basekin, we cut out anything unnecessary or
irritating. No synthetic DHA, no fragrance, no fillers. Clean, to us, means it’s gentle enough for
sensitive skin, safe enough to use while pregnant, and still delivers real, skin-loving results.

How do you suggest using the product within a skincare routine?

Bella: We really designed it to fit into the kind of routine we actually have and that’s quick, a bit
chaotic, but still intentional. I apply 1–2 pumps after cleansing, like I would any serum, then
follow with moisturiser or SPF. It sinks in fast and doesn’t mess with anything else I’m using,
which makes it easy to stay consistent.

Lucy: You can use it either way, sometimes I apply it at night, but if I’ve forgotten, I’ll throw it on
in the morning as I’m heading out the door. Then I’ll catch myself in the mirror later, looking
fresh without a drop of makeup. I find 1–2 pumps goes a long way as it covers my face and
décolletage and gives that soft, everyday golden tone. If I’ve got something on like an event or
drinks with the girls, I’ll use 3–4 pumps the night before for a bit more colour. It’s buildable, so
you can tailor it to whatever you’ve got going on.

Who are you hoping to reach with the product, and what are you hoping to do for those
people?

Bella: Basekin is for people like us who want skincare that fits their lifestyle and leaves them
looking fresh and golden without overcomplicating things. It’s for the busy, the burnt out, the
ingredient-conscious.

Lucy: I think we’ve both been through seasons where our skin felt tired, our routines felt too
hard, and we just wanted one product to make us feel a bit more pulled together. Whether
you’re postpartum, time-poor, or just totally over high-maintenance beauty, Basekin gives you
a moment of ease, and a bit of confidence, without the effort. It’s not about transformation. It’s
about giving your skin what it needs to look and feel its best every day.

Basekin is pregnancy-safe, which is near-impossible to find in a self-tanner. Can you
explain to expecting mums why the product is safe for mums-to-be, and why this was
important to you?

Lucy: This one’s really personal for me. When I was pregnant, I started looking at every
ingredient I was putting on my skin and I couldn’t find a single tanning product I felt good about
using. So many of them were packed with synthetic DHA, fragrance, or additives that just didn’t
sit right. That was a huge part of why Basekin started as I wanted something I could use daily,
without second-guessing it.

Bella: We were really clear from day one that the formula had to be safe enough for sensitive
and hormonal skin, pregnancy included. We worked closely with our formulator to make sure
everything passed that test. We use 100% natural DHA, no synthetic fragrance, no known
irritants. The formula is gentle, hydrating, and supports your skin rather than stressing it so it’s
not just safe, it’s genuinely good for your skin through every stage.

What does the future look like for the brand? Any additional products in the pipeline?

Bella: We’re just getting started. There are definitely more products in the pipeline but we’re
doing it slowly and thoughtfully. We’re not interested in launching for the sake of it. Everything
we create has to earn its place and genuinely serve a purpose. It’s about building a tight edit of
essentials that work hard and make sense.

Lucy: We’ve always said: fewer steps, better skin. That’s the filter we use for every decision.
Anything we bring out next will follow the same Basekin philosophy — skincare-first,
multitasking, gentle, and easy to slot into real routines. No fluff or fillers, just products that make your skin feel better.

Anything else you’d like to communicate about Basekin?

Lucy: We built Basekin because the products we wanted didn’t exist. Self-tan always felt like
an afterthought in a skincare routine and something you had to work around, not with. We
wanted something that felt elevated but effortless, that fit into our routines without
overcomplicating them. It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing less, better.

Bella: For us, Basekin is just as much about how you feel as how you look. That subtle shift
when your skin’s hydrated, even-toned, and you don’t need makeup to feel ready. We hear it
from customers all the time — “I caught myself in the mirror and felt good.” That’s the energy
we’re here for. Thoughtful formulas, fewer steps, and skin that looks like yours, just a little more
golden.