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The Wellness Questionnaire With Lorrie King, Co-Founder and CEO of Caire Beauty, a Menopausal Skincare Line

Discover how this beauty entrepreneur is using her expertise to tap into a new burgeoning market
Heather Mikesell

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Lorrie King is co-founder, along with Celeste Lee, and CEO of Caire Beauty, a skincare brand designed to enhance skin health and skin-cell generation for women over 40 experiencing menopause and hormone decline. Before launching Caire, she served as president of SiO Beauty and chief marketing officer at Boots U.S. She also provided strategic leadership in licensing for celebrity brands, such as Halle Berry, Celine Dion, and Elizabeth Taylor, and held marketing and management positions with John Frieda, King of Shaves, Boots London, Boots No. 7, and Botanics.

King is a graduate of Howard University and holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2021, she was named to Forbes Next 1000: The Upstart Entrepreneurs Redefining the American Dream (2021). A beauty business veteran known for her expertise in unveiling the unique essence of a brand to create effective marketing strategies, King believes that aging is a process that we should all embrace. 

King and Lee have collaborated in beauty, personal care, and fashion for 15 years. While they never expected to discover a skincare void with a potential value of $5B in five years, they are focused on building Caire Beauty and sharing its hormone-defining science and age-empowerment message. Here, King delves into how she maintains her own personal wellbeing.

What does wellness mean to you? 

I’m a firm believer in wellness and that it should encompass every aspect of your life. This involves ensuring that your mind is connected to your body, ultimately bringing wellness, healing, and happiness to your spirit. Moreover, adopting wellness as a mindset enables you to establish a consistent pattern of health in the way you live your life.

What are your favorite things to do to maintain your personal wellbeing?

The first thing I do every day after I open my eyes and smile is a 20- to 40-minute meditation. I lay there and think through what I envision for my life from a health, love, financial, and business standpoint. This allows me to create a sense of peace before starting my day. I then follow this with a quick exercise or yoga session.  

Last year, my husband and I moved from Manhattan to be close to the beach, so after 20 years of honking horns and lots of people around us at almost all times, I now go for walks on the boardwalk along the ocean. Something about the ocean air reinvigorates me plus it helps me to sleep more restfully.  

What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?

I was diagnosed with systemic lupus shortly after getting married almost 20 years ago and through this journey of healing (I’m now in remission), I have learned that lowering my inflammation markers and stress (adrenal) levels is key. As a result, I prepare a whole-food smoothie that my doctor helped me to create (it mimics a recipe from the book Goodbye Lupus). My integrative doctor helped me to tweak this so that it is low in sugar, low in oxalates, and high in fiber. The spring lettuce brings variety through the many different lettuces. Here is what I toss in my Vitamix (most of these ingredients freeze well making it easy to blend this mix every other day):

4 to 6 leaves of Tuscan/dinosaur kale

3 to 4 handfuls of spring lettuce leaves

3 to 4 celery stalks

½ of a cucumber

3 to 4 fresh pineapple halves 

1 to 2 handfuls of blueberries

1 cup of coconut water

1 cup of almond milk

1 to 2 tablespoons of flax seeds

I then blend this in my Vitamix for one minute or more. I then enjoy this veggie smoothie with my lunch for two to three days.

What is your greatest wellness achievement?

Six months before the pandemic started in March 2020, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a 10-day silent meditation retreat up in Massachusetts. It was a time when I felt I needed more in my life for what I was building in my career, so I wanted to just go, be still, and sit with myself. 

Upon entering the main facility, I gave up all my earthly possessions for connection and wealth at the door and entered a room where no talking, writing, speaking, and physical or eye contact was allowed. We all ate Thai vegetarian meals twice a day. As we followed the daily meditations and rituals starting at 4:30 am daily until 9:30 pm nightly, I moved from joy to sadness to anger to tears as I reflected on the memories of my life. Through this purging of anger, I was able to bring forth true peace and happiness by walking away from regrets, learning to forgive others, and focusing on manifesting what I want for my life.  

Walking into the quiet of the pandemic six months later was easy for me, because I had learned the invaluable lesson of being with myself and truly being happy with who I am. I no longer say, “I’m not good enough” or “I’ve got to be or get the answer to be perfect.”

What is the best piece of wellness advice you have ever received and from whom?

One of my favorite estheticians, Mamie McDonald, known for her celebrity clientele, taught me long ago that taking care of your skin is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. I’ve always explored and asked questions about my skin, so when I entered my late 40s and began to think about my skincare needs, it was a no-brainer to develop the science-forward, health-focused skincare line, Caire Beauty, for women over 40. When people compliment my skin, it’s because it has a natural healthy glow, and my skin no longer is dull or super dry because I’ve helped to create the science that works beyond what other skincare products do. 

What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?

Hawaii is my go-to all-time favorite. It is where my mother was from, so to be able to go there feels like home. My step is lighter, my smile bigger, and my aloha spirit huge. I can’t wait to put on my flip-flops as soon as I exit the plane. 

Is there a particular wellness company or brand that truly impresses you with their efforts and why?

I’m a big believer in supplements, because my route to remission with lupus was propelled by the variety of supplements that my integrative doctor prescribes for me. Many are from the brand Metagenics, which is sold at doctors’ offices, or the well-known Manhattan pharmacy called Willner Chemists. I don’t have to fret about additives or voodoo science whenever I take a Metagenics product.

What is your favorite self-care routine? 

You can ask any of my friends, because I’m known for my go-to Sunday routine, which I call “My Self-Care Spa Facial Morning.” I start with an acid peel to get my skin smooth as a baby’s bottom. Then to lift out more impurities, refine my pores, and get a huge boost of glow and firm, I apply Caire’s Triple Lift Molecule Mask and allow to dry for 30 minutes while I sip a delicious cup of tea and watch the news. I then shower, dry off, and use my LED light panel to help even my skintone while reducing redness and any spots on my skin. I’m then set for the day and week. 

What aspect of your well-being do you struggle with the most, or would most like to improve?

I tend to be a bit of a workaholic and can put myself in front of my laptop all day until midnight. The Apple Watch is a new acquisition of mine and what’s great about it is that it buzzes to remind me to stand, stretch, and take a walk. It’s great because it at least helps keep me moving a bit more even if it’s just to stand and then glance at the sunshine for just a few minutes.  

What brings you joy? 

Every morning when I wake up, I set the vision for the day, and it starts with joy, a smile, and then a deeper smile that I can feel in my heart. I think about how grateful I am to have my husband, my family, and the abundance we have in our lives—love, health, financial stability, and so much more. Through the creation of Caire, I strive to one day give back to others so that more women can create wealth by building businesses to support themselves and their families.   

About The Author
Heather-Mikesell-author-1

Heather, co-founder of Well Defined and the former editor-in-chief of American Spa, is an award-winning journalist and content strategist, skilled in writing, copyediting, and media relations. She is also a freelance writer and has contributed to Elite Traveler, Islands, Kiwi, Luxury Travel Advisor, Organic Spa, Porthole Cruise, Travel Agent, abcnews.com, jetsetter.com, outside.com, and wellandgood.com, in addition to various custom publications. She is frequently called upon to comment on various spa and wellness trends for various media outlets.