From viral TikToks to beauty shelves—Kay of Kay & Tay is proving her influence goes way beyond the ‘For You’ page. The internet sensation, known for her hilarious pranks and heartfelt content, has now stepped into the beauty world with her debut skincare launch: the Glow Serum. Co-created with Bohemia Skin and rooted in Kay’s own skincare experiences, this oxygen-charged serum promises a fresh, radiant glow that’s just as real as she is.
In this lively Q&A, Kay opens up about her beauty philosophy, the inspiration behind the launch, and how she’s navigating her role as a first-time beauty founder. From on-camera confidence to off-duty skincare rituals, Kay’s approach is all about authenticity, simplicity, and a touch of TikTok sparkle.
What inspired you to create your own skincare product, and why start with a glow serum?
Kay: have been getting facials with Holly who works at Boho Med Spa. She owns Bohemia Skin, which is the line that I created it with. She kind of helped me through my acne journey with my last pregnancy with Ellie. We were doing a combination of oxygen facials and hydro facials, and that combination really helped with my scarring and the acne that I was experiencing.
I really wanted something that I could take home with me because I was only doing that once a month. I wanted something at home that I could kind of bottle up and have all month and use all the time. There was nothing on the market that had all of the ingredients that we wanted it to have in it. It’s truly a unique powerhouse combination. So we decided to collaborate and put our minds together and create basically the best of both of those facials so that you can have it at home.
Can you tell me about the formulation process? Were you involved in developing the texture and ingredients?
Kay: We had a list of things we wanted it to do. We had ingredients that we wanted it to have in it. We worked with a medical grade lab here in the USA that we went back and forth with, trying multiple variations. I mean, it took almost a year to get it just right. We tried, we would remove things, add things until we perfected it. We wanted it to have clean ingredients, no artificial fragrances or dyes. We gave the medical lab chemist all the things that we wanted, all the things we didn’t want, and we all just collaborated to create what it is today.
The product just launched recently, right? How has the initial response been?
Kay: It launched at the end of June, and we just did one small restock so we’ve had like two little launches and they sold out both times.
Tay: We’re doing small batch for now and we’re kind of building inventory as we go.
Kay: The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I have not received anybody, nobody has said that they don’t love it. Everybody’s getting really good results. Some of these people even trying it one time already are hooked and they’re like, “this is amazing.” Some people have used it since they bought it a couple of weeks ago and they’re like, “I will never not use this.” Seeing the reviews come in has been really cool.
Do you think this is a one-off product or the first in a larger skincare brand?
Kay: I feel like this is kind of, obviously this is the first one, we’re still very new to this venture—but it’s definitely a possibility down the road to create other products. Skincare has always been something I’ve been very passionate about and got into very early. My mom and my grandmother were both really into skincare when I was growing up, so I used to do facials with them. It’s just been something that’s always been a part of my personality. I can definitely see in the future doing something else and creating more products.
Definitely. Skincare has always been part of who I am. My mom and grandma were into it, and I’d do facials with them growing up. This is just the first product, but I can see us expanding in the future. I have so many ideas already.
What’s the division of roles between the two of you in terms of the launch?
Kay: I feel like it’s been a lot more me in terms of what it’s gonna do and the messaging. That has been a lot more me, but obviously Tay’s been such a good support role in helping promote it and market it and talk about it. He uses it—he’s using it now and seeing amazing results. So he’s been able to give his true testimonial as well. I don’t think it’s 50-50, but it’s definitely teamwork.
Let’s talk skincare. What does your daily skincare routine look like?
Kay: I have a very strict morning and night regimen. Obviously I use my glow serum both morning and night. I do eye serums, moisturiser. I’m really big on a gentle cleanser. I think in the past I would try to use really harsh acne cleansers and that was really stripping my skin microbiome. So I was just dry and patchy. Now with the knowledge I’ve learned over the last few years, I’m scared to try anything new because what I’m doing is working right now.
What are your absolute skincare must-haves?
Kay: Definitely my serum, but I would say gentle cleanser, a really good moisturizer, and sunscreen. Those are my must-haves. If that’s all I could take on an island with me, I would need those, especially sunscreen. I feel like sunscreen is kind of slept on. People don’t realize that they need that even on a cloudy day. I wear sunscreen every single day, regardless if it’s raining.
You mentioned the facials that inspired your serum. What treatments do you currently get?
Kay: Currently now, being pregnant, I’m not doing any sort of microneedling or anything, just because I like to be numbed when I do that and I can’t have the numbing right now. But I’m just doing an oxygen facial once a month. When I’m not pregnant, when I was trying to treat the acne, I would do microneedling or laser to help with those pitted scars that I have. But my at-home skincare is probably more crucial than the monthly facials I get, to be honest.
Tell me about your audience and how beauty is perceived within that community.
Kay: It really depends on the platform, it varies drastically from YouTube to TikTok to Instagram. With Instagram, which is where we typically promote through stories, that’s more going to be the millennial age group. A lot of the people in our Instagram following are pretty knowledgeable with skincare because there are so many millennials. I feel like millennials and Gen Z really get skincare because that has started so young with a lot of them. Tanning is not really a cool thing to do anymore, but it was for some of us millennials when we were younger.
What do you think current beauty brands are getting wrong that you’ve done differently?
Kay: We have the clean ingredients, we have the testimonials of how well it’s being perceived by everybody, but also we have the story behind it, which I don’t see a lot of the big skincare companies giving, a reason of why they created things the way that they created them. I think a lot of people can relate to maybe the same experience that I went through, which is why I created it. So I think that stands out compared to these big brands that are putting out serums.
What’s been the biggest learning in becoming a beauty entrepreneur?
Kay: I have had to learn that not everybody understands what you’re doing. There’s people that maybe don’t agree with the price point or don’t really understand how good the quality of ingredients are. So there has been a learning curve on just accepting that a lot of people don’t understand it and trying to educate people, but also being understanding that everybody has a different budget, everybody prioritises things differently. I didn’t understand going into it that there would be people that just don’t understand skincare or don’t care about it. You kind of just have to remind yourself that not everybody is going to care about those things, but we know what we’re doing because we want to change people’s lives, we want to give people confidence.
How has being a content creator helped shape how you see the market?
Kay: We get to actually communicate with everyone. We see their DMs, we’re reading them, we’re responding to them. I feel like the bigger brands don’t have the same advantage of getting to have a one-on-one with people who are purchasing their products. They have reviews, but it’s not really the same as communicating with our community every single day. We see their desires of what they want the product to do, what they hope it’s going to do. We get to have a more personal relationship with everybody as we make this.
Do you have any beauty brands that you look to for inspiration?
Kay: In the last two years, I’ve been mainly using medical grade products. I really love SkinBetter—that’s one of my top ones. I also like Rare Beauty. I think Rhode has really good marketing strategies and a very nice aesthetic. Everything I’ve heard about them and tried myself has been positive. But typically I do medical grade products, and SkinBetter is definitely my favorite.
You’re super open online—but is there ever pressure to look a certain way?
Oh, definitely. Social media can be tough. But I try to keep it real and remind myself that perfection isn’t the goal. That’s why launching something that’s actually helped me feel better in my skin has been so personal and empowering.
I have a quick fire round to wrap up. Morning or evening skincare routine?
Kay: I personally enjoy my evening skincare routine more. I think they’re both crucial, but I enjoy my evening one the most because I’m kind of cleansing away the day.
Dewy or matte finish?
Kay: Dewy, for sure. That’s why it’s the glow serum. I love the glow look.
One beauty product you’d take to a desert island?
Kay: Sunscreen, for sure.
Thank you both so much for your time. Best of luck with the business!
Kay: Thank you so much!
Tay: Thank you!
Kay’s Glow Serum is available at www.bohemiaskin.com (sold out at the time of writting).
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