When your high schooler is bouncing from one activity to the next, it can be hard to motivate her—or him—to focus on a regular skincare routine. A new product line for Gen Z girls and guys, C&C by Clean & Clear, hopes to help with that.
“It’s about uncomplicated, enjoyable-to-use products that teens can seamlessly integrate into their busy lives,” says Rachel Behm, Head of Beauty Incubator, Johnson & Johnson.
The brand’s foaming cleansers, exfoliating bars and toners have simple, black-and-white packaging; playful names (“don’t flake” and “chill out,” to name a couple); and simple scents, like lavender and peppermint. Also part of the product roster: zit patches sporting a camo design.
Launching a teen line with teens Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight
Normally, it would take years—and dozens of people—to debut a product line of this size. But Behm and her team of six tried a different approach: Think like a start-up.
The whole process took just one year, from a nugget of an idea to the products debuting at Ulta Beauty and on Amazon.com.
The other must for Behm’s team? Teen influencers who could help advise from day one.
Enter Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight, 18-year-old identical twins and YouTube vlogging sensations from Dallas, Texas, who have a following of more than 5 million.
I feel like this whole process has helped C&C by Clean & Clear understand the struggle of being a teenager.
Behm was drawn to their authentic vibe. “They’re extremely savvy, super-smart young businesswomen who were willing to give us their point of view,” she says. “Sometimes young influencers are worried about saying anything negative, but these girls were absolutely honest with their feedback.”
Brooklyn and Bailey weighed in on everything, including the packaging, ingredients, textures (from bubbly to gritty) and even the product names. Curious why the peel-off mask is an adorable pink color? You can thank the twins for that idea.
“It was so much fun—we got to dive into that world,” says Bailey McKnight. “It’s interesting to see how much goes into all of it, how much detail and everything.”
At one point, the team tried to incorporate a rosemary fragrance into the gel cleanser, but “when Brooklyn and Bailey were smelling it during our prototype review, they were like, ‘No way, can’t do this one,’ which was helpful,” Behm says. “Gen Z is very discerning.”
“I feel like this whole process has helped C&C by Clean & Clear understand the struggle of being a teenager,” says Brooklyn McKnight. “That makes these products perfect for [us].”
Check out the line’s 11 cool products
From a Total Zen Calming Lavender Mousse Cleanser to a Black Out Blackhead Clearing Coffee Scrub, there’s a product for every teen’s skincare needs.
