PROVIDENCE – An eco-friendly skin care company started by two students who attend North Smithfield High School was among 29 businesses across the state recognized last week by Rhode Island Inno, an organization that aims to bolster the local tech and startup community.
Twin Skin was launched in 2019 by Kate and Kristianna Lapierre, twin sisters who were high school juniors at the time. Kate reportedly developed the business plan as part of an assignment for an entrepreneurship class.
In 2018, the sisters submitted the plan to the Lt. Governor’s Entrepreneurship Challenge, a competition in which high school students compete for $12,000 in scholarship funds. The idea was not among the 2018 winners, but the Lapierres tried again in 2019 and came in second place, winning a $2,500 scholarship.
Since then, the business has continued to develop products, and now sells lip balms, scrubs and tints in a variety of flavors. The line is made from all natural ingredients such as beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil and essential oils, and balms come in 11 flavors including cucumber melon and coffee, and cost $3, while the other products cost $4.
And unlike the lip balms that you’ll find at the pharmacy, they’re packaged in kraft brown, biodegradable tubes and pots.
The sisters have said they hope to expand their offerings and produce a full line of body scrubs, face masks and soaps.
Rhode Island Inno was founded in 2017 with the goal of acknowledging the state’s innovators: startups, companies, entrepreneurs and other organizations “who are doing extraordinary work to drive change for the better.”
The third annual Inno on Fire awards ceremony was held at District Hall in Providence on Wednesday, Feb. 12, with winners in seven categories: food & drink; ocean & agriculture; energy & environment; design & media; health & wellness; tech; and nonprofit.
Twin Skin was recognized as a health and wellness innovator.
“Reducing plastic use and working to clean up the ocean are two (often intersecting) issues, and Twin Skin was created to do just that in an unorthodox way,” noted a write-up on the business. “The company’s flagship products are all-natural and eco-friendly lip care with less plastic. In fact, its unique packaging is biodegradable, which has saved pounds of plastic pollution in Rhode Island alone.”
“It was an honor to be named an Inno on Fire recipient with so many innovative businesses,” the winners noted on the company Facebook page.
A full list of award winners can be found here.
To purchase Twin Skin products, fill out the order form found here.