Name: Vivian Wong
Brand: Butter & Me
Established: 2018
Hometown: Longmont,CO

What motivated you to start Butter & Me?

I started by wanting to help my husband who has super sensitive and bad eczema skin. We have tried all over the counter personal care products that claim will help in relieving eczema, but none of them worked. During a conversation with friends, I learned that natural plant butter is a good dry skin reliever, so I jumped in my chair and started my research journey. After gathering enough information, I started to make some liquid soap and body butter cream for my husband to try. We were thrilled that my homemade products with only natural ingredients soothed his eczema. This was a miracle moment for us! I then continued to make our personal care products for self consumption; later, I decided to send some of my homemade products to friends and family as gifts. Surprisingly, everyone came back with good comments and asking for more! This has encouraged me to bring my handmade products to the market.   

What would you consider your hero product from your brand?

The Butter Melt clouds! Besides looking cute and delicious, it is in an unique solid form that will melt upon skin contact. It changes the way you moisturize your skin! 

What standards/non-negotiables do you take into consideration when thinking about enhancing or developing new products?

Using only natural ingredients, and creating products that are suitable for multi-use, with protecting the environment in mind.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges for "beauty/wellness" brands today?

Too crowded. There are so many beauty brands in the market and more are coming! You have to work really hard to find the specialties in your brand to distinguish yourself in the pool.

For Butter & Me, I started with products that are already saturated in the market. I struggled for 2 years with the old products then I decided to re-brand Butter & Me in early 2020. I repositioned Butter & Me as minimalist selfcare products in solid form. The brand has gained some popularity in the market after the re-brand. 

What has been one of your proudest moments since creating Butter & Me?

Being featured as one of the Colorado made beauty brands in 5280 Magazine, the most read magazine in Colorado. This article on 5280 has helped us gain more brand awareness in our home state, as well as sending more orders to our door.

What can we expect in the future from Butter & Me?

More cute and effective personal care products that will make you scream!

What advice would you give customers who want to make the most out of your brand?

Watch our how-to-use videos on our website to get an idea before jumping right into it. Afterall, we are offering relatively new products/packaging that are not your typical personal care products.

How do you start your day?

I am usually awakened by my dogs to take them for a walk.

Do you have a morning/evening ritual?

Not on weekdays because I am working another full-time job besides running Butter & Me, super busy! On weekends, I spend my mornings with my dogs as usual then practice yoga with my husband. I spend the rest of the day cleaning and de-cluttering my house so that it’s spacious and comfortable since I stay home most of the time now due to the pandemic.

What is your daily skincare routine?

Cleansing and moisturizing. I used to put on UV protection too but after I learned that the nanoparticles in UV protection products are harmful to the ocean, I stopped using them.

Do you have a daily wellness routine?

I eat twice a day, brunch then dinner before 7pm. Intermittent fasting can help to lose weight by increasing metabolism. It also helps to regulate blood sugar level and cholesterol.

What is a beauty product or tool you can’t live without?

Cleanser and moisturizer, because these are the basic needs!

What do you do for R&R when you need to reboot?

Playing with my dogs helps me to wind down the day. I am also managing an Instagram account for my dogs and I love to meet new paw friends!

What are your must haves when traveling?

Butter Spread - a mighty lip balm that can quickly heal my chapped lips and dry cuticles.

What selfcare advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago?

Buying more products does not equal to having good skin. If a product works, then one product is enough. The more you put on your skin, it might become a burden on your skin.

Do you have any beauty/wellness advice for our followers?

The conventional products might be very handy and convenient. Always check out the ingredients labels to make sure no harmful chemicals are being used. Try to switch to all natural ingredients products, and expand your horizon to try out new forms of skincare products. You will be surprised!