Meet Amandine Azran | Founder: Amandine Sol Botanicals

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amandine Azran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amandine, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I didn’t intend on starting my own business – I actually grew up in a very entrepreneurial family where each of my family members own their own businesses in the beauty and fashion industry. I grew up in this environment where you are tied to your business both emotionally, physically and financially – limiting down time, vacations, and seeing the ups and downs of this lifestyle. I adamantly refused to become an entrepreneur and instead decided to take the clearer path of law school. It was once this goal was achieved that I realized I didn’t actually want to be a lawyer but instead I found entrepreneurship calling me after we moved to The Farm. This point of inspiration made me realize I was always destined to start my own business and I found many of the necessary skills came easier to me than anything I had tried before.

The thought process of making the jump from law school to starting my own business came out of a need in the market for simple, effective and enjoyable to use skincare. I thought if I was seeing incredible results after paring down my skincare routine and using the right ingredients, then many others were likely on this hunt as well, and we have the opportunity to make a real impact not only for consumers skin, but their lifestyles as well.

What should our readers know about your business?
Amandine Sol Botanicals is a brand born out of fate, family and a love for beauty. I grew up in a beauty entrepreneur family but decided to pursue a career in Law because I saw the many struggles of being an entrepreneur. The summer before I was about to start law school my family suddenly decided to move from the city to a farm. I realized how this return to nature had an impact on my chronically troubled skin. My mom and I are extremely close and always bonded over trying different skincare products despite having very different skin concerns. After moving to The Farm and switching to natural products, we saw a shift in our skin.

When it came time for my mom and I to visit the law school I was meant to attend, my gut instinct revealed something didn’t feel right. Finally my mom looked at me and said: “You don’t have to do this; if you could do anything in the world what would you do?” I replied: “I would start a skincare line with you.” my mom replied: “Let’s do it!” We instantly knew what they needed to create – a product line that would bring The Farm experience to anyone, anywhere. A simple, natural and effective skincare line that delivered real results, with safe ingredients, and felt like an escape every time you used it. Through the all natural aromatherapy and luxurious textures, the products will instantly transport you to your oasis – whether that’s The Farm, the spa or your favorite slice of paradise. Amandine Sol Botanicals is meant to be shared – between mother and daughter, partners, family members, friends and all.

The products quickly gained cult status through celebrity makeup artists and skincare experts for all ages and genders. Both hero products are highly multifunctional by design – they can be added to makeup, used as a hair or bath oil, as well as a multitude of different applications – in order to deliver the utmost value to customers. The products have been featured in Forbes, ELLE, Coveteur, Town & Country and used behind the scenes on film, TV and runway shows and are available at all Erewhon locations. Down to the packaging everything was intentionally designed to sit on any bathroom counter top and remain clean and aesthetic. Amandine Sol Botanicals is more than just skincare – we are a lifestyle brand that encompasses a weekly newsletter that features the best of beauty and wholesome recipes, creative content with special guests, experiences and so much more. We are constantly innovating new solutions to enhance your daily rituals.

What sets us apart from other brands is of course highly effective products but also the purpose behind the brand – we invite customers into our family with exceptional, personalized customer service and a personal touch with everything we create. I take every ounce of feedback and weave it back into the brand and products to ensure we are constantly adding value to their lives and delivering a unique experience.

I am most proud of creating real results for customers who have felt let down and discouraged by the beauty industry – when someone tells me that our products have completely changed their skin, cleared up an issue they’ve been struggling with for years, or have been able to regain their confidence, that is truly the most proud I could be. I am blown away by the impact we’ve had by being used on celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Travis Kelce, Pedro Pascal and Matilda Djerf or being in incredible retailers like Erewhon, but the impact on peoples lives and skin, that’s what drives me every single day.

How we got here business-wise is purely from the support of people around us – I can trace back every win to a person who made it happen. From retail success to celeb placement and major articles like Forbes, it’s all because someone believed in us, our story or our products and facilitated the next step. The first step to that is hard work, dedication, and coming from a place of purpose and wanting to help others; I believe this attitude has made others want to help us and get our message out there, and that has allowed things to flow organically. Nothing has been handed to us but through dedication and perseverance it allows for the magic to happen.

It certainly has not been easy and one of the most challenging parts is the mental game of it all. There are many moments where I have wondered if I will ever be ‘successful’, if I’ll be able to ‘make it’, and these thoughts can lead to some dark places, but the people around me have pulled me out of these funks every time, and somehow, right after, a win is always found. I think that’s largely due to hard work paying off even when you don’t see it happening and staying the course. But it would be completely impossible without the immense support of my family, friends and business partners being there for me.

Along the way I have learned that you cannot give up when things get hard and to always be working from a place of purpose. Things can get very challenging; whether it’s a seemingly insurmountable production issue, financial struggles, motivational struggles, sometimes its even all at once and you just want to quit and get a ‘regular’ job. But knowing that what I do has a huge purpose behind it – to deliver real results that can change someones life, and doing it in a way that is helping our planet and giving back to causes with real impact – I truly feel like I can get through anything.

I want the world to know we are on a mission to make a difference in peoples lives through their skincare routines – while that sounds mundane, there is so much more to it. I created our products to produce real results that can help people who feel like nothing is working to alleviate their skin concerns – to bring back their confidence and allow them to be their best selves. But our products were also created to give the user a moment of calm and connection in an often unsettled world. Each product has all natural aromatherapy in them that within seconds produces a feeling of calm and encourages them to take just a few moments of their day to reflect on what makes them glow from within, to re-centre. People are busier than ever – work, kids, family, finances, global issues – but our products are there to help them take a step back, even if its just 1 minute, to care for themselves, to comfort themselves through scent, feel, experience. To also find connection is such a divided world – my mom and I always loved trying new products together and the excitement of it all would be a little escape for us – I want to bring this experience to anyone, anywhere. Where they can connect with someone they love for just a few moments. I want to bring the experience we had of moving to The Farm – the return to nature, simplicity, connection – to people everywhere, without them having to move to a farm.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First on the list – Erewhon! We have to go shop some delicious snacks from incredible purpose-driven brands. We would go to the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers Market and the Sunday Brentwood Farmers Market – you can never have enough locally sourced, grown, and cooked goods. We would go for daily walks in Palisades Park or along the beach boardwalk – I run on this path every single day and it brings me so much joy. On Wednesday we would also walk with the Hype Girl Club – a group of amazing, inspiring, women who get together every week to walk and chat and support one another. We would go shopping at Mister Freedom for some cool finds and eat at Bestia for the best pasta ever.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is a long list for sure – every ounce of where my business has gotten today is thanks to other people supporting and uplifting me and my story. My mom, most of all, for saying let’s ditch law school and create a skincare line together, my dad and brother for their constant encouragement, Tracy Gilbert for believing in my story and jumping on this train with me, Taylor Frankel the co-founder of Nudestix for meeting with me when all I had was an idea and for supporting me along the way, Sam Mason and Sydney Krames-Wainer for believing in my products and getting them on shelves.

Website: https://amandinesolbotanicals.com/

Instagram: @amandinesolbotanicals

Linkedin: @amandinesolbotanicals

Other: tiktok! @amandinesol