Celebrate Female Beauty Founders
Summer Kingsbury of Skin Frequency: Making Her Own Rules
Throughout March, we're celebrating Canadian female founders who've built skincare brands rooted in integrity, expertise, and authentic purpose.
Skin Frequency's founder Summer Kingsbury is a holistic esthetician, formulator, and podcast host in Collingwood, Ontario.
Here is her journey, the values that ground her, and what it means to create from a place of intuition.
What inspired you to create Skin Frequency and what were you determined to bring into the world?
"I've been obsessed with skincare for over 20 years, so being able to create my own line really is a dream.
As a holistic esthetician, I constantly searched for simple, skin-compatible formulas that truly supported what I saw in the treatment room, addressing barrier disruption, inflammation and congestion. I would find pieces of what I was looking for, but never the full picture.
I started imagining my ideal products and combinations. Eventually I realized I could either keep searching for them, or make them. So I decided to go for it."
As a female founder, what has been the most challenging and the most empowering part of your journey?
"The most empowering part has been making my own rules and forming my business in a way that can change and evolve as I do. It feels like a living, breathing thing.
The challenging part for me is Instagram and social media, trying to get my products out into the world and navigating that in a way that feels authentic and balanced for me."
What core values guide the way you build and lead your company?
"What guides me is helping people with their skin concerns and supporting them through that journey. Skin is layered—physical, emotional, environmental—and the beauty industry can be confusing and nuanced.
Because of that, I started the Skin Freqs podcast. I wanted space to speak more deeply about specific topics that come up in my treatment room and in conversations with clients. I've worked in medical aesthetics, spas, holistic environments, and now as a formulator so I've seen the industry from multiple angles.
I like offering a behind-the-curtain perspective so people can choose products from a place of understanding and empowerment, not marketing pressure."
Choose one hero Skin Frequency product. Why is it special to you, and what does it represent about your brand?
"It's hard to choose, but I couldn't live without Equilibrium and Warmth.
Equilibrium is so soothing and rich in antioxidants. It restores water to the skin, creating that essential first layer of hydration that softens and prepares the skin so subsequent products can glide on effortlessly.
Warmth is so multifunctional. I apply it every morning for calming protection and nourishment."
What advice would you offer to women who feel the pull to start something of their own?
"Listen to your gut. Let your intuition guide you.
You don't have to follow someone else's blueprint. There is power in doing it your way and making your own rules."
What does International Women's Day mean to you personally?
"It's a celebration of the depth, beauty, and intuition women bring to our communities and to the world. Of the ways we contribute, lead, nurture, build, and create, shaping everything around us."