Rocking it: Jennifer Rock on family, the Nerd Network and how to love your skin
Jennifer Rock talks family, the Nerd Network and how to love your skin, writes
Jennifer Rock wants us to take the power back when it comes to skincare. No more fearfully approaching beauty counters and handing over our wallets with a shaking hand and a promise of free samples. No more lectures of broken capillary veins and rosacea that can only be fixed with a cream that costs our monthly salary, and is made from the tears of angels. Our skin confidence, says the founder of The Skin Nerd and brand new Irish ExaminerLife/Style beauty columnist, is on the floor.
“In my column, I plan to bring honesty and an unbiased nature and approach towards skincare and beauty in general, but predominately skincare. I want to empower the readers to make their own choices,” she tells me. “I think people are tired of marketing-led conversations that are brand orientated, so they are attempting to educate themselves as to what they should be doing as a regime, what they should be doing with ingredients, and deciding what they should do as a result.” Jen hopes that her column will give an insight into what it’s like being a member of her very own skincare community, fondly known as The Nerd Network.
“If you join us, you are being educated that if you’re stressed or have too much sugar or spend a lot of time on the computer, you’ll find that what goes on inside really does reflect what goes on outside. I say that the skin is the biggest organ in our body, and I wish I lived and died by it but the reality is that I can see it in my own skin, and in our clients’ skin.”
Jennifer knows what she is on about. Her passion for skincare was born when aged thirteen, her mother treated her to a facial in order to tackle the bouts of acne that the teenager was dealing with. Steered by the success of her skincare treatments, the young Rock threw herself into education, trying beauty therapy as work experience in transition year, and going on to qualify as a facialist, before making her mark as an award-winning skincare lecturer and brand educator for multiple respected global skincare brands including IMAGE skincare.
In June of 2017, Jen launched The Skin Nerd, an online skin consultation service that would provide exactly the kind of holistic skincare service that Rock felt was lacking in the industry. An overnight success, consultations were booked out for months within days of launching. The online service, called The Nerd Network costs €50 to join, and includes a skin consultation via WhatsApp or Skype which will be followed up with your very own Nerdie Homework Sheet, which will explain how and when to use your recommended, results-driven products that are available to buy through the Skin Nerd website. You’ll also have access to events, a secret Facebook page and podcasts. So far, so fabulous.
The service offered by Rock and her team is different because of its approach. “Typically, people get a facial and the consult form would be five minutes of legal signing off, but ours is five pages long and really detailed. We truly believe that asking the right questions is the key to finding what would be right for each individual.” The detailed form gives Jen and her team an insight into their clients that enables them to tailor treatment to the whole person.
The first question that team Skin Nerd ask their new clients is why they are seeking out their service. “It’s really emotional,” she admits.
We’ll have people who say that they feel lost, who feel like they don’t know what to do to feel better.
"It can be as frank as saying that they feel awful in themselves and haven’t let their husband see them without makeup in years. Very rarely does someone say ‘I have beautiful skin and I want to keep it that way;’ it is usually related to confidence and that’s why our tag line is ‘we put the care into skincare.’ We want to make people feel cared for.”
Jennifer Rock comes from a caring background, so it makes sense that her business model is based around minding people. Mum to Matt (15), the 34-year old entrepreneur is exceptionally close to her family; her mother Eilish, father Jon and brother Jonathan formed a tight unit that provided a safe place for the young entrepreneur to fly. Last year, Jennifer lost her father Jon suddenly, and his loss is sorely felt by a daughter who idolised her father.
At the time, Jennifer paid tribute to her dad, saying, “he was the kindest soul, the most thoughtful being, he inspired me to be book smart and articulate - he was the epitome of intelligence in my eyes.” He was, and remains today, her greatest advocate and most wonderful mentor. “I fear that people say that I say my father was one of my great mentors because he has passed away, but the reality is that he was one of those people who when he spoke, the whole room listened. He spoke little, but the words were of pure quality.”
Accompanying Jen to every big meeting, he took pride in introducing his daughter to the world of business. He watched as she launched The Skin Nerd, and The Cleanse Off Mitt, a reusable mitt that negates the need for skin wipes, proud as punch to be a part of her success.
“I had a massive operation two years ago and he sat and read me company law while I was recuperating. I will never forget sitting in the Rotunda hospital, listening to him reading, and being bored to tears! He always had a massive interest in my career and wanted me to grow and grow within it.”
Her dad may have used words sparingly, but when he spoke, it was in a way that Jen likes to call Real Talk; a trait that she favours when looking to founders that she admires. She cites Oprah and Michelle Obama as constant sources of inspiration, and is deeply inspired by Jane Wurwand, who founded beauty behemoth Dermalogica and her commitment to the importance of education in the skincare arena. “In a time where marketing is rampant, my opinion is that education is crucial. I have so much respect for Jane who has never wavered in her commitment to education.”
In taking up her role as beauty columnist at the Irish Examiner, Jen is adding another string to her communication bow, and this is something that she is extremely excited about. “I am looking forward to having the opportunity to chat with readers that I may not ordinarily be interacting with.”
What does Jen want every single one of us to do every day to look after our skin?
“Three things. Shield your skin, clean your skin and put goodness on it. Everything else, I’m talking lotions and potions and sheet masks and eye creams, are just a luxury.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
