How Do Beauty and Skincare Brands Get Featured in the Media?
By Jordan Baker, Founder of Fair Public Relations and former UK national journalist
Beauty and skincare is one of those sectors where being a good product does not automatically make you an interesting media story. Journalists are surrounded by options. There are global beauty companies, independent founders, dermatologist-backed ranges, celebrity brands, viral products, retailer exclusives, specialist formulations, clinics, medical experts, cosmetic scientists and thousands of products all competing for attention. That means another email announcing another serum is not enough.
When I look at whether a beauty or skincare business has genuine PR potential, several things immediately make me more interested. Novelty is important. Scientific studies or credible evidence supporting what the product claims can be extremely useful. Appropriate medical or professional backing can add credibility. I want good photography. I want the company to be willing to provide samples.
I also look at the wider online presence. A good website, credible social profiles and a strong public presentation all help reassure a journalist that this is a serious business. Beauty PR therefore starts long before the pitch. The brand needs something worth pitching.
Why beauty is such a competitive media category
Beauty editors have abundance. If they need a moisturiser, they are not struggling to find one. If they want a serum, countless companies will happily provide it. The same applies to cleansers, hair products, cosmetics, body products and almost every other major category. This means the journalist has the luxury of selection. Your product needs a reason to survive that selection process. Perhaps it uses a genuinely unusual formulation. Maybe it is designed for an overlooked customer.
There could be strong scientific evidence. The format might be different. The founder may have exceptional expertise. The company could have identified a genuine consumer problem other products do not address well. Something needs to distinguish it.
What does novelty actually mean in beauty PR?
It does not mean attaching the word "innovative" to the packaging. It means there is something substantively different that a journalist can understand and potentially explain to readers. Perhaps the product avoids an ingredient that commonly causes problems for the intended customer. Maybe the application method is genuinely different. Perhaps the company developed the formulation in response to a particular environmental issue. It could serve a group whose needs are not well represented by existing brands.
Maybe the product combines credible science with an unusually accessible price. The novelty has to survive questions. A journalist may ask why this is different from five existing products. The brand should have an answer that goes beyond marketing language.
Why evidence matters more in skincare
Skincare occupies a particularly sensitive space because brands often make claims about visible results, skin conditions, ingredients and biological effects. Some statements are relatively subjective. "This cream feels luxurious" is not the same sort of claim as saying that a formulation produces a measurable clinical effect. The more objective or health-related the claim becomes, the more important evidence becomes. When somebody approaches us with a beauty product that makes bold promises, I want to understand what supports them.
If there are scientific studies, what did they actually demonstrate? Were they conducted on the finished formulation or on one individual ingredient? How many people took part? Who conducted the work? Is the claim on the website really supported by the evidence? If something sounds unbelievable and we investigate it only to discover there is nothing meaningful behind it, that would make me uncomfortable pitching the claim to journalists. The issue is not boldness. It is proof.
What does "scientifically backed" really mean?
This phrase is used extremely loosely in beauty. A product may contain an ingredient that has been studied. That does not automatically mean the final formulation has been proven to deliver every benefit associated with that ingredient. Another brand may have conducted direct testing on the finished product. A third might have consumer perception data. Those are different forms of evidence.
I am not a regulatory lawyer or cosmetic scientist, and PR should not pretend to replace those functions. Where specialist review is required, the company needs the right professional advice. Our role is to make sure that what we present to the media accurately reflects the evidence the brand can genuinely stand behind.
Why medical or professional backing can help
Appropriate expertise makes journalists more comfortable with technical subjects. If a qualified dermatologist, doctor, cosmetic scientist or other genuinely relevant professional has been involved, that can give the brand additional authority. But vague phrases such as "doctor approved" are not particularly useful by themselves. Who is the doctor? What are their qualifications? What was their involvement? Did they help formulate the product? Did they simply test it personally? Are they acting as a media spokesperson?
Specificity makes the credibility real. The media can then decide how much weight to give it.
Should the founder be the expert?
Not automatically. This is one of the most important principles in responsible beauty PR. Founding a skincare company does not make somebody a dermatologist. A founder can be a brilliant spokesperson on many subjects. They can talk about why they created the company, how the business grew, entrepreneurship, consumer behaviour, product development from their legitimate experience, leadership and the commercial side of beauty.
If they have genuine professional or scientific credentials, they may also be perfectly qualified to comment on technical topics. But if they do not, use somebody else. A company can have several experts. Perhaps a dermatologist handles medical skin questions. A cosmetic scientist talks about formulation. The founder handles the business and customer story. That is much stronger than trying to pretend one person knows absolutely everything.
Why credibility is a team asset
This multi-expert approach is particularly useful for beauty brands because the media opportunities are so varied. One journalist may want the founder's personal story. Another could be producing an ingredient explainer. A business reporter might want to discuss the growth of the company. A health writer may need an appropriately qualified clinician. A shopping journalist simply wants to understand the product. Trying to make every opportunity fit the same spokesperson limits the campaign.
Instead, build a credible team around the subjects the company genuinely understands.
Photography matters enormously in beauty
Beauty is visual. Packaging, texture, colour, application and presentation all contribute to the consumer experience. That means poor images become a significant disadvantage. I want clean product packshots. Lifestyle images can add context. If shades or variations matter, photograph them properly. If the product has an unusual texture or delivery system, useful visual material may help explain it. The standard should feel professional.
A journalist considering two equally interesting products may naturally find it easier to use the one that already has publishable imagery.
What should a beauty media kit contain?
A journalist should be able to understand the basics without a long email exchange. The product name and purpose need to be clear. The brand should provide accurate ingredient and formulation information where relevant. Important claims should be supportable. The price and availability need to be current. Professional imagery should be available. The founder biography should be easy to access. Any technical spokesperson should have a clear professional profile showing why they are qualified.
Samples, shades and variants should be explained. Media contact details need to be obvious. All of that information should broadly agree with what appears online. Contradictions damage trust.
Why a strong website matters
Journalists check. If we pitch a skincare product as a sophisticated, science-led formulation and the journalist clicks through to a broken, unfinished website with vague information and questionable claims, the pitch immediately becomes harder. The website does not need to be enormous. It needs to look credible and contain the information somebody reasonably expects to find. This includes the founder. If the founder is being presented as an authority, there should be a proper biography.
If another expert is involved, their credentials should be visible somewhere. A strong social presence can help as well. Follower count is not everything, but an active and professional presence can reassure journalists that the company is real, engaged and publicly accountable.
Do beauty journalists expect samples?
Often. If somebody is reviewing a product, it is reasonable to expect them to try it. Shopping writers may also want samples before recommending something. Other articles may be based primarily on reporting, product information or expert commentary and not require direct product testing. The context matters. Brands should also remember that providing a sample does not buy editorial coverage. A journalist can try the product and decide it is not appropriate. They may include a competitor.
The story may be cancelled. The publication date might move. Sampling is part of the consideration process, not a transaction for guaranteed praise.
Why lack of stock can destroy an opportunity
This sounds extremely obvious, but it happens. A journalist becomes interested, plans to include the product and then discovers nobody can actually buy it. That is a poor experience for readers. If you are promoting a product nationally, stock needs to support the promotion. Temporary shortages happen, and journalists understand that. The problem comes when the PR material gives a completely misleading impression about availability. Clear communication matters.
What are the biggest reasons beauty products fail to attract media interest?
Lack of differentiation is probably one of the biggest. The product may be perfectly pleasant, but the journalist already has dozens of pleasant products. Weak imagery creates another problem. A questionable claim may make the publication nervous. If the founder story is extremely generic, that route disappears. If samples do not exist, review opportunities become harder. If the product is out of stock, shopping content may not make sense. A weak website can undermine confidence.
These factors often combine. There may not be one huge reason the product fails. It can simply be slightly harder to use than all the alternatives.
Does every beauty founder need an extraordinary story?
No. Some brands will always be product-led. But if founder PR is part of the strategy, there needs to be more to the story than "I have always loved skincare". Perhaps the founder developed the company after dealing with a particular personal problem. Maybe they spent years professionally working in formulation. Perhaps they saw something repeatedly in another part of the beauty industry and believed existing brands were getting it wrong.
There could be an unusual cultural, geographic or professional background behind the company. The journalist needs to understand why this particular founder is interesting.
How can brands use trends without inventing them?
Beauty journalism changes constantly. Ingredients become fashionable. Consumers alter routines. Social platforms popularise different products. Concerns around particular ingredients can suddenly become major topics. Brands naturally want to connect themselves to those conversations. That is completely sensible where the relationship is genuine. What I dislike is the fake trend created solely to manufacture a headline. A company surveys a tiny group, gives something a catchy name and announces that everybody is suddenly doing it.
Journalists have seen this approach many times. A much better strategy is to identify real behaviour or genuine editorial conversations and contribute something useful. If your product fits, explain why. If your experts have credible insight, use them.
Can skincare brands comment on skin health?
Within the expertise available to them. This is where spokesperson selection becomes especially important. A dermatologist can discuss subjects that an unqualified founder should not. A cosmetic scientist may explain formulation from their own professional perspective. An experienced beauty professional may have another legitimate area of knowledge. The boundaries need to be honest. Selling something that touches skin does not automatically qualify the company founder to diagnose medical conditions. Responsible PR should strengthen expertise, not exaggerate it.
How are aesthetic clinics different?
Beauty products, aesthetics clinics and medical skin expertise may appear in some of the same publications, but they are not interchangeable. A consumer skincare brand is selling a product. An aesthetics clinic is delivering treatments. A medically qualified expert may be providing healthcare. Different claims, risks and professional requirements apply.
Our Vie Aesthetics case study demonstrates the expert-led media route particularly well. The documented campaign generated 54 published articles over 12 months, including coverage in Hello!, MailOnline, Daily Express, The Sun, Woman & Home and Live Science. That example shows what strong specialist expertise can potentially contribute to a media campaign. It should not be interpreted as evidence that product brands will receive the same coverage or that a skincare sample operates like a clinic expert.
Can small beauty brands compete with established companies?
Yes. Journalists often enjoy discovering products their readers have not already seen everywhere. Novelty can therefore work strongly in favour of a smaller brand. You still need credibility around it. The imagery needs to be good. The product needs to be available. Claims need evidence. Samples should be straightforward to arrange. A professional online presence helps. The founder or experts should be clear about what they know. A famous name can get initial attention.
A smaller company can replace that familiarity with something genuinely new and editorially useful.
National media or specialist beauty press?
Both can matter. National media provides much broader reach. Beauty-specific publications may offer a more concentrated audience. Lifestyle journalists can connect the product to wider consumer themes. Business publications might be interested in the founder rather than the formula. A specialist title may care deeply about something the national press considers too technical. The story should determine the publication. I would not recommend chasing a large masthead simply because it looks impressive on the website. Relevance matters.
What makes a beauty pitch too promotional?
Usually the language tells you. Imagine an email saying: "Our revolutionary serum will completely transform everybody's skin and deliver incredible results." That creates more questions than interest. What does revolutionary mean? What results? Everybody? What evidence exists? A stronger approach explains the real story. Perhaps the founder developed a formulation around a particular environmental problem affecting a defined group of customers. There may be credible evidence behind the product. An appropriate expert could explain the scientific context.
Now we have something the journalist can examine. The product is not automatically newsworthy simply because the description improved, but the underlying proposition is clearer and more credible.
Can media coverage increase beauty sales?
Potentially. Beauty is heavily influenced by trust, recommendations and discovery. A strong piece of media coverage can introduce a brand to people who have never encountered it. It can provide external validation. Retailers may see the coverage. Customers may research the product and discover the article. The brand can potentially reference published coverage in its own communications. But none of those things means we can guarantee sales.
Editorial coverage does not guarantee backlinks, search rankings or AI recommendations either. The publication controls its article. Google controls Google. AI platforms control how their systems interpret and cite information. PR contributes to the wider public footprint around the company.
How Fair PR approaches beauty and skincare campaigns
We look for several potential routes rather than relying on one. First, is the product itself genuinely interesting? Then we look at the founder. Is there a worthwhile story? Does the company have appropriate professional expertise available? Are there product reviews or shopping opportunities? Could the brand contribute to seasonal coverage? Is there credible research? What subjects can the business discuss responsibly? Sometimes the product is the star. Sometimes the founder is.
Sometimes the most powerful PR asset is the dermatologist or scientist associated with the business. The campaign becomes much stronger when those roles are clear.
What should a beauty brand have before investing in PR?
I would want the fundamentals in place. There needs to be a credible product. I want to understand what is novel. The strongest claims should be supportable. The brand should have professional photography. Samples need to be available where relevant. The website needs to look trustworthy. Social profiles should broadly support the brand's positioning. The right spokesperson needs to exist. And the founders need realistic expectations. Beauty is competitive. That does not make PR impossible.
It makes preparation particularly important.
So, how do beauty and skincare brands get featured?
Give journalists editorial value beyond your desire for publicity. Create or represent something genuinely interesting. Support the claims you make. Choose experts based on qualifications rather than job titles. Invest in strong imagery. Maintain stock. Make samples accessible. Build a credible online presence. Know why this product is different from everything else sitting in the journalist's inbox. A beauty journalist already has products to choose from.
The real job of PR is giving them a compelling and credible reason to consider yours.
FAQs
Can a small skincare company get national media coverage?
Yes. The business does not have to be a household name, but it needs enough editorial value, whether that comes from the product, founder story, evidence or expertise.
Do beauty journalists need samples?
Often, particularly for reviews and shopping recommendations. The requirement depends on the article.
Does a scientific study guarantee coverage?
No. Evidence improves credibility, but the product still needs to be relevant to the journalist's audience and article.
Can the founder act as the skincare expert?
Only when they genuinely have the appropriate expertise. Otherwise, the founder should focus on areas such as entrepreneurship and brand development while a properly qualified expert handles technical subjects.
What if our skincare claims cannot be proven?
Do not pitch unsupported claims as facts. Review what can genuinely be substantiated and seek specialist regulatory advice where appropriate.
Does strong social media help PR?
It can help demonstrate credibility and brand activity, but a large following does not automatically create editorial interest.
Can unknown beauty brands get product reviews?
Yes. Journalists regularly discover new products, particularly when the brand offers something novel and makes samples and information easily available.
Is beauty PR the same as influencer marketing?
No. Influencer partnerships, paid creator activity and earned editorial PR are different mechanisms, although brands may use several of them together.
Can an aesthetics clinic use expert commentary?
Yes, where qualified professionals have genuine expertise relevant to the article.
Does media coverage guarantee sales?
No. Coverage can support discovery and credibility, but commercial results depend on many factors beyond PR.
Could Your Beauty or Skincare Brand Interest Journalists?
Fair Public Relations works with suitable beauty, skincare, aesthetics and consumer-product businesses on credible journalist-led PR. We look at the product, founder, evidence and expertise to determine which opportunities genuinely make sense.
Written by Jordan Baker
Founder of Fair Public Relations and former UK national journalist
Jordan Baker is the founder of Fair Public Relations and a former UK national journalist with more than a decade of PR experience. He writes about beauty PR, expert positioning, consumer brands and earned media.
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