The Wake Up with…Justine Kahn

Meet Justine Kahn, owner of Botnia Skincare, a Sausalito, CA based natural beauty brand that harnesses the power of plants, some of which are actually grown in Justine’s backyard. We met Justine though a mutual friend because he thought we would love her bathroom renovation (which we did). But I fell in love with her no bullshit attitude around small businesses and sustainability, as well as her ridiculously cool waterside atelier and studio.

As an Esthetician, what are the most important things we can do in the bathroom (and beyond) to care for our skin? Any products you swear by?

As an esthetician, the most important thing we can do is honestly really simple. Wash your face. Gently. Every night. No skipping. Touch your skin with intention. Your hands matter more than people think. Less product, better ingredients. Consistency beats everything. I swear by our Gentle Cleanser, Well Serum, Restorative Face Cream, Eye Cream, and I always have a hydrosol within arm’s reach. Outside the bathroom matters just as much. Drink more water than you think you need, eat real, whole foods, go outside, sleep, and sweat a couple of times a week. I also really believe in acupuncture and yoga. That inside radiance is real. Skin notices all of it, even when we pretend it doesn’t.

Do you use your bathroom for anything other than the usual things?

I recently remodeled my bathroom, and it completely changed how I use it. Before the remodel, it was a place I rushed through. Brush, floss, skincare, get out. It was the least inspiring room in my house. Low ceiling, slanted floor, nowhere to put anything. It stressed me out. The one redeeming thing was this Quiet Town curtain that somehow made the space feel livable when everything else was uninspiring. It gave a little softness to an otherwise hard, awkward room. When I redid it, I wanted to create a space that actually made me want to be in there. I added a bookshelf of paperback books around the bathtub, built a ledge that wraps the room so I can rest whatever I’m carrying, and made sure there was plenty of space for skincare. That part felt non-negotiable. I hide in there for quiet now. Sometimes I just sit in the bathtub and read or listen to a podcast. I honestly think the bathroom is second only to a really good armchair. It’s the one room where no one bothers you.

How often do you deep clean your bathroom? Favorite cleaning products?

EVERY SINGLE WEEK
I think being an esthetician makes you a little unhinged about clean grooming spaces. It just feels really good knowing the place I’m naked in is as clean as my body is. I like simple, unscented cleaners. Vinegar, baking soda, anything that doesn’t leave a fake smell behind, and is non-toxic. For laundry, I love unscented Blueland powder. For the shower, I care more about good airflow than fancy products.

Favorite candle or bathroom scent.

A friend (@sausalitoartsclub) makes this Sausalito candle that I’m fully farrell for. It smells like summer in Northern California. Faint, herbaceous, not sweet at all. Just very neutral and calming. I also love natural beeswax candles from my friend Candice, who’s a beekeeper. Her company is Sonoma Bee Co. She makes tapered candles from the wax of the hives she tends, and they smell like warm honey when they burn. I want my bathroom to smell clean, warm, and calm.

If you had a bajillion dollars, what would your bathroom look like?

If I had a bajillion dollars, my bathroom would honestly still feel pretty similar to what I have now. Funny enough, when I was a kid I thought it would be really cool to have a toilet in a turret like a castle. A round room, circular tub, windows everywhere, light spilling in, like a hug. Now that sounds like an absolute nightmare. I love my current bathroom because it feels like being inside a tree trunk. But if money were truly no object, I’d want natural light everywhere, a view from the tub of the ocean or redwoods or mountains, lots of natural materials like stone and wood, warm floors, a deep tub, no white walls, no gadgets, and probably an outdoor shower or sauna because why not, I’m a billionaire. Quiet, beauty, and things that age well.

What’s in the pot under your tub?

One of the coolest things about having a skincare company is that I have a lab filled with incredible ingredients, and so we get to make our own bath products to make bath time relaxing for myself and my daughter, Eve. She actually made these bath salts mix of chamomile extract from our garden and Epsom salts.

And just because the Botnia Skincare atelier is so cool, I wanted to share some pics from our visit…

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