Skincare Expert Jasmina Aganovic Spills Her Beauty Secrets
With the exception of certain celebrities and our very own Teen Vogue beauty editors, I've seen very few people with skin so radiant that it made my jaw instantly drop. But Stages of Beauty founder, Jasmina Aganovic, definitely belongs in the elite club. So what's her secret, you ask? "Treat your skin properly at each stage in your life, and be aware of the true biological needs of your skin at your specific age," says Jasmina, who recently launched her skincare line after years of working in the beauty industry at places like Fresh and Living Proof. "Pay close attention to what ingredients are in your products, and understand how your skin responds to these ingredients," she adds.
As a student, I find it really amazing and inspiring to listen to people from the beauty industry—whether they're editors or entrepreneurs—talk about their careers. Luckily, Jasmina recently stopped by the Teen Vogue office to chat with me about her line. She left me a few samples too, which I started using right away. Within a few days, I was completely surprised at how noticeably smooth and glowy my face was! Read on to find out how Jasmina got started in the biz and much more!
What made you want to start Stages of Beauty?
I started Stages of Beauty in 2010. I have always been really interested in the beauty industry, and it was actually in my teens that I started paying close attention to the ingredients and the stories behind various beauty brands. I remember when I was about seventeen, I decided to get ahead of the game and purchase a retinol product to prevent fine lines and wrinkles. After just one use, my skin got incredibly red and started to peel! I learned that retinol is a really powerful ingredient that shouldn't be used until women start to see signs of aging. This incident really stuck in my mind and got me thinking about how age influences the products we should be using.
What did you study at MIT, and why?
At MIT I studied Chemical and Biological Engineering. Going into college, I was actually more interested in business, but by the end of my first year I made the switch because I believed that this aspect of engineering would be a great platform for any industry that I wanted to go into after graduation, and that it would open the most doors for me – and it did!
What difficulties did you encounter when starting your line? What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
The biggest difficulty with Stages was really just getting started – it was very intimidating and seemed like a huge mountain to climb, a big vision to live up to. But I just kept in mind that nothing can be done overnight. The difficulties seem so far away now because of all the rewarding aspects. The first has to be the fantastic feedback and wonderful stories we get back from our customers. It really means so much to us, and they make our day. It is also really surreal to see ideas come to life: watching a packaging concept become something you can actually hold and use every day is just so fantastic. Another really great part about my job is the people I work with – they have contributed so much to all parts of the process, and the brand really would not be the same if it weren't for them.
The beauty industry is constantly changing and companies release tons of products regularly—what is the process you go through when trying to develop a new product?
When trying to develop a new product, we first look at the industry and what the top sellers from other brands are in that category. We then buy most of those products and test it ourselves. From there we look at what we like in the products and what we think we can do better from a formulation perspective and from a packaging perspective. We then setup the formulations by identifying and selecting the ingredients that are beneficial for each of our age groups and then it's just a matter of perfecting it from there! With packaging we always look for something that is feminine and functional for use. Watching everything come together is really lots of fun.
Interning is an important part of entering the beauty industry. What work experiences did you have while in college?
I had a few internships, most notably at a big pharmaceutical company and a small venture capital company. Both of them were really great – I worked with wonderful teams and learned a lot. I think that it's really important to take internships in different places (or industries, if you can) so that you can give yourself some breadth and learn more about what you like and don't like in terms of not just the job itself, but also the size of the company, the location, team size, etc. Getting your feet wet is important in helping you learn.
Stages of Beauty is primarily concerned with anti-aging; how early should teens be concerned with aging?
Although teens are definitely not worrying about anti-aging yet, a lot of anti-aging care is built around developing the right habits early, and the teen years are a great time to start getting into those habits.
Also, the teen years are responsible for the majority of our life's free radical damage: we get 50-80% of our lifetime free radical damage before we turn 21. These free radicals can cause premature fine lines and wrinkles in our late 20s. This means that in addition to the products that you may already be using for oil control or acne, the teen years are an important time to use products that have great antioxidants along with an SPF.
An important thing to note is that if you are using common acne-fighting ingredients, like salicylic acid, or if your skin is peeling from dryness, it's very important to use an SPF – this is because those ingredients make the skin extra sensitive to the sun, putting us more at risk for hyperpigmentation and dark spots. It takes a really long time for this pigmentation to subside (at least two months or more), so it's always better to never let it happen in the first place! To prevent this, always wear SPF on your face! The sun contributes to almost 60% of the signs of aging we get later on, and a lot of this sun damage happens during our teens.
**What advice do you have for young girls who want to make it in the beauty industry? **
Be persistent and don't be afraid to pick up the phone! That was how I first got in touch with Fresh. Also, wearing a smile and having a positive energy always helps.
1/5This Stages of Beauty founder shares her tips for keeping your complexion glowing and advice for breaking into the beauty industry.
Photo Courtesy of Marlo Marketing/Communications.2/5"For those just starting to develop a skincare routine, simplest is always best," says Jasmina. "Start with cleansing twice a day. The Radiance cleanser is fantastic for removing dirt and oil without stripping the skin." Jasmina recommends this cleanser for teens because it has a gel-like texture, making it excellent for oily skin, which is common with teens. "Oil production is pretty high in your teens, which makes it more important to cleanse so that oil isn’t clogging your pores and leading to blackheads and acne," warns Jasmina. "Your teenage years is the best time to set the stage for great habits."
Stages of Beauty Radiance Cleanser, $30 for 120 mL. stagesofbeauty.com.
Photo Courtesy of Marlo Marketing/Communications.3/5"Treatment is key in a beauty regimen because we need to feed the skin as well," says Jasmina. "The Radiance Treatment Cream is my absolute favorite produce from Stages. It’s packed with antioxidants and detoxifying ingredients to help purify the skin."
Another expert tip from Jasmina: "Gentle ingredients are always the best! Even when your skin is acting crazy, don’t come at it with the most severe treatment. While it might solve your problem immediately, it can really imbalance your skin in the long run."
Stages of Beauty Treatment Cream, $75 for 50 mL. stagesofbeauty.com.
Photo Courtesy of Marlo Marketing/Communications.4/5Jasmina recommends this product for those with very oily skin—"It’s almost like water," she says. "It goes on really light, but most importantly, it is packed with African Red Tea—a very powerful antioxidant, perfect for free radical repair."
Stages of Beauty Antioxidant Serum, $75 for 120 mL. stagesofbeauty.com.
Photo Courtesy of Marlo Marketing/Communications.5/5For an extra pop of brightness, use this scrub once or twice a week. "The bamboo granules, ground pomegranate, and citrus enzymes help slough off dead skin cells and brighten the skin for a dewy glow," says Jasmina.
Stages of Beauty Radiance Scrub, $35 for 60 mL. stagesofbeauty.com.
