We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Reiko Kaneshiro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Reiko below.

Reiko, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea of becoming a skincare formulator came as a surprise, really, When I was finally lucky enough to become a mother, I was already 38 years old. Being blessed with a child was my greatest desire in life. I was so happy to care for and love this sweet baby and it has still been my greatest pleasure! However, I found that with the sleep deprivation, absence of time to care for my appearance, and the onset of pre-menopause, my skin was rapidly changing. I had always taken my skin for granted, although I think a lot of us do because we look simply fabulous in those younger years! It was definitely an eye-opening experience. The changes in my life had also changed the way I felt about my skin and I quickly learned how important it actually was to me. I began seeking out skincare options to help me with youth preservation. I found that the most popular and effective skincare treatments were beyond my affordability range. Then I found “Korean Skincare”. I was ecstatic to say the least. The skincare originating in Korea had a great reputation and was affordable. It worked so well for me and I was doing great, until it wasn’t… I felt like I had stepped back to feeling helpless in my endeavor to appear young and healthy as I aged. In my late 30’s and earliest 40’s, it worked to quench the thirst of my tired, nutrient deprived skin but as I moved further into my forties, I learned that I needed more. My skin began to lose its elasticity, plumpness, and vibrance. I found myself considering other, more invasive options, like Botox and Fillers; something that was never in my thoughts previously. I had trouble with going that deep since I always thought I would never venture into needle support, so I continued to search for options. This is when Cream & Sugar by Reiko began. I started making facial products using items from my kitchen. Then, I started adding peptide support from suppliers that would sell ingredients to me in very small quantities. This was a life changer. I was my own guinea pig, trialing my formulas on myself and finding great results. This is when my branches started to grow and I offered my products to friends and family. I was so proud of this accomplishment that I was able to achieve. My affordable and effective skincare dream had become a reality.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Finding solutions to everyone’s skincare needs brings me more joy than I could ever explain. Sitting with the failures and accomplishments that join me daily in my laboratory has become something I crave. I lived through my adolescence, teenage years, and then through my twenties and thirties, without a burning desire to be a professional in any capacity. The thoughts I had about what I wanted to accomplish in my lifetime were 100% dedicated to thoughts of motherhood. Even choosing a major in college was a chore and my choice changed several times, since I had no clue about what I was well suited for. It was not until quite a bit later that I discovered my love and passion for skincare formulation. I am now completely addicted to creating my creams and serums on a daily basis. My passion is so strong that I want to visit my laboratory on the weekends, even if it is just to peak in on it. It is definitely one of my happy places!

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

It gives me great pleasure to say that I manufacture my products with my own two hands. From formulating on paper to cooking, blending, packaging, and advertising; I participate in every facet. It takes a lot of organization, stamina, focus, and desire to provide this handmade service. I have the stamina and the desire, but I am still working on the organization and focus. I am so eager to create inventory and new product offerings that I can easily become distracted. Making skincare happens in pieces or stages which gives me short periods of empty moments in my laboratory. With the way my personality works, I always want to fill these free minutes. I find this personality trait provides me with great adventure and exhilaration in my life. However, with trying to fill this time with other projects or tasks can confuse my workday. To resolve the confusion, I am currently practicing a rule in how I spend my days making product. This rule is non-negotiable, or should be anyway; I seem to be a bit of a rule breaker. The rule is that I decide what “one thing” I want to accomplish for that day and I focus solely on that. When I stick with the daily plan, I find that I not only finish the task, but I complete it calmly and precisely. I believe my clients appreciate the care that is provided in their skincare manufacturing process, after all.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding a business can be quite expensive and varies per the type of business. My business definitely requires some capital, and I learned that patience was my best ally in this process. Skincare ingredients can be quite a costly investment. I did not have a “nest egg” to start my business. I had to take baby steps, and I am still taking small steps, they are just a little bigger than they were before. As my business grows, my steps grow with it.
When I first started, I would purchase very small quantities of ingredients and packaging, just enough to make a dozen of one or two products. It would not cost me very much but it offered me the opportunity to start formulating and selling. With each sale came further possibility to purchase more ingredients and expand my product line. Today, I have more than 20 product offerings in my shop and I have a laboratory full of equipment. I have even increased my ingredient purchases to kilogram sizes, in contrast to the 1 ounce sizes I started with. Obviously, with the limited capital I started with, I did not have any professional equipment. I used my kitchen stove and home whisks. I now have small industrial tools to make my creations. All of this was made possible with the baby steps and patience that I implored in myself. I am so proud of the strides that I have made. There are so many lessons to learn in this life and I have now learned that big dreams can start from something so small.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://creamandsugarbyreiko.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creamandsugarbyreiko/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creamandsugarbyreiko
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reiko-kaneshiro-a6b250315

Image Credits

Daniela Rey
Lyndsey Vlaicu