Ahead of International Women’s Day 2025, we caught up with Colette Laxton to talk all about being a female entrepreneur & her brand The INKEY ListTM
It’s International Women’s Day on 8th March – a day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all over the world, which also raises awareness of the need for women’s equality.
Ahead of the celebrations, we sat down with co-founder of The INKEY ListTM, Colette Laxton, to chat all about her experience of being a female entrepreneur, the inspiration behind her brand and her daily skincare routine!
1. Could you tell us a little bit about who you are & The INKEY ListTM brand philosophy?
“I’m a beauty and consumer obsessive and spent a decade learning my craft at Boots’ Head Office in Nottingham before starting The INKEY ListTM! The brand was born out of frustration – there’s so much BS out there, I wanted to help consumers find the right skincare for their skin, then deliver them highly effective formulas at an affordable price.”
2. What inspired you to create The INKEY ListTM?
“The lack of transparency in the industry – we’re told about ‘magic’ solutions and, ultimately, skincare takes a lot more than that – the challenge of navigating thousands of products and ingredients and driving the consistency of use – let’s be honest and help people in a real way.
3. What are your top three products from The INKEY ListTM?
“I’m a real advocate of hydration – it’s the key to many of the issues we face with our skin. So, a hydrating and nourishing cleanser like our Oat Cleansing Balm, a hydrating serum (our new Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum which both deeply hydrates and supports the skin barrier – win!) and our Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer to deeply plump skin. Three steps to hydrated and healthy-looking skin! Easy!”
4. What advice would you give to other women wanting to start a business?
“Believe in yourself (and if you don’t – then fake it!), be relentless in your mission and don’t get swayed by others, and stay in the game when it gets tough (and it WILL!).”
5. Do you have any female role models? If so, who are they & why is it important to have female figures to look up to?
“Oh yes, I have an amazing network of women around me – both personal and professional. Find women who you connect with and nurture the relationship for the future. I am so grateful to one of my best friends who is my previous boss at Boots and has always been my biggest cheerleader. Having women to look up to helped me to believe I could do anything I wanted despite maybe being a junior/young employee with minimal experience.”
6. How important is it to have lots of female founders within the beauty industry?
“Very. I’m close to a number of female founders and the way they think through business issues and the way they run their brands inspires me every day. It’s okay to be a ‘boss’ but have empathy and be kind; something women are incredibly skilled at.”
7. What’s your skincare regime?
“I’m heading for 40, so I focus on hydration and anti-ageing (but I used to have acne so need to keep that at bay, too). But honestly, I’m very busy (and lazy) so keep it simple.”
Colette’s AM routine:
Colette’s PM routine:
8. Talk us through a day in the life of running your own beauty business (your 5-9 before your 9-5 etc.)
“There’s no normal day and I’m not a 5am person at all! I’m usually forced on a plane or train by 7am and, therefore, mornings consist of getting up and out as quickly as possible with a shower and skin routine. Make-up generally happens in transit, and I have mastered mascara on public transport.
My work day will consist of calls on the go, in taxis, stations, you name it; then in-person events and retailer or team meetings. Often these go on until the evening, and it’s only post-9pm that I can actually catch up on any presentations or emails that require brain power. There’s often wine involved at this point – and my upcoming wedding health plan doesn’t seem to be featuring as much as it should! On my odd days at home, I do try to prioritise workouts and eating a little healthier, as well as spending time with the family.”
Now you’ve got to know the woman behind the brand, why not take a look through the full range of The INKEY ListTM products to find your dream skincare routine?
From UOMA to BYBI, you can shop even more amazing female founded brands at Boots!
