BEAUTY & ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL~
skincare for your hands

with Whitney Clarke founder ~Habelo Beauty

YOUR BACKGROUND~ How it started ~
Just over a year ago, I made the decision to step away from my corporate career to redefine my professional path and reshape what “work” means to me. My goal was to continue doing what I love—helping people and making a meaningful impact on the greater good while breaking free from the traditional corporate constraints that neither served me nor supported a healthy, balanced life.
Before founding my own venture, I served as the COO of a small biotech startup in San Francisco, dedicated to accelerating the discovery of life-saving treatments for people with rare diseases. Prior to that, I spent my career climbing the corporate ladder as a brand strategist and marketing executive at companies whose missions resonated deeply with my own values. This included leading initiatives at retail giants like CVS to rebrand and reposition the company to better focus on helping people on their path to better health, as well as steering smaller healthcare technology startups.
In each role, my mission was to help these companies create stronger brands and forge more meaningful relationships with the people they served. This involved developing a deep sense of empathy, shifting the focus from “selling at” people to truly understanding their needs, challenges, and aspirations. By doing so, I was able to help companies develop authentic, enduring, and trusted relationships with their customers. This commitment to genuinely understanding and helping people is a core part of who I am, and it remains unchanged. While I dedicate my efforts daily to Habelo, I also continue to consult on project-based work for companies, particularly in the healthcare space, who seek to build their brands with the same empathy-driven approach.

THE PIVOT~Why did you decide to go into skincare?
My decision to venture into skincare—and become a beauty founder at 48 (!)—was driven by a blend of personal passion and professional experience. I've always had a deep love for beauty and skincare, valuing the confidence and well-being that comes from taking good care of one’s skin. This personal interest became even more significant during the pandemic when self-care and skincare became a mindfulness practice for me. At the same time, I started to notice the accelerated aging of my hands due to increased environmental stress, such as frequent hand washing and sanitizing. Suddenly, my hands looked significantly older, which did not reflect how I otherwise presented myself. This accelerated aging made me feel self-conscious, and I quickly realized that the skincare routines I used for my face weren’t effective for my hands.
As a healthcare and biotech executive, I knew I could approach this problem differently. I wanted to go beyond superficial treatments and address the root cause to create meaningful clinical outcomes.
This realization led to the birth of Habelo. By leveraging my background in healthcare and biotechnology, I design products that not only provide immediate gratification (they are beautiful to use) but also contribute to long-term skin health and radiance. This mission aligns perfectly with my passion for helping people and making a positive impact on their lives.

THE BRAND~ Tell us more
Hand care has always been an essential yet often overlooked aspect of skincare. Our hands are constantly exposed to environmental stressors, leading to accelerated aging and skin damage. Unlike the face, which many of us diligently care for, our hands often don't receive the same level of attention, resulting in a noticeable disparity in appearance, for this reason, I created Habelo ~Habelo is latin for “to hold or keep” and Belo is Portugese for “beautiful”
Habelo: First-of-its-kind, science-led and performance-focused luxury skincare for younger-looking hands.. Habelo was born out of the realization that our hands deserve the same level of care and attention as our faces. Our products are meticulously formulated for the unique needs of hands, to nourish, protect, and rejuvenate the skin, ensuring your hands reflect the same youthful, healthy appearance as your face. We believe that taking care of your hands is not just about aesthetics but also about overall well-being and confidence. By leveraging cutting-edge science and a deep understanding of skincare, we aim to make hand care an integral part of everyone's daily routine.

SOURCING & CONCEPT~ I am always curious about this part of building a brand. Where do you start?
First, I knew that I wanted to start with a “do-it-all” multi-tasking serum-like product, which became our Activating Hand Serum. I envisioned one simple product that would be easy to incorporate into a skincare regimen and provide both immediate gratification and longer-term cumulative results. To create that product, I sought out the very best: a highly trained, respected, and unbiased independent lab partner. For something truly groundbreaking to be formulated as a “first-of-its-kind” anti-aging skincare line for hands, the brand demanded expertise stemming from years of industry intelligence, insight, formulating talent, and experience.
I had clear non-negotiables for the formula, in no particular order:
Efficacy and performance.
An elevated experience… breaking the mold of what’s on the market.
Safety and responsibility, meeting the highest safety standards of “Credo Clean” and EU regulations.
Moreover, having an unbiased and independent partner was critically important. I wanted to not only “own” the formula but also have it specifically designed for our hand-centric objectives and stringent performance criteria. Often, formulators are tied to specific ingredient suppliers and manufacturers, which can influence the final formula. I wanted to avoid that. I found an incredible seasoned expert and partner to formulate—an internationally recognized Cosmetic Chemist who has custom formulated for dozens of cult-breakthrough brands and products.
Packaging was a challenging aspect. Timelines are long, and minimum order quantities (MOQs) for packaging are prohibitive and expensive for independent brands. Additionally, the waste and environmental impact of packaging in the beauty industry are staggering. In the end, I chose a simple glass jar for the Activating Hand Serum packaging because it could be recycled. While no beauty brand or packaging solution is perfect, I aimed to create something elegant and as responsible as possible. As a Carbon Neutral brand, we remain committed to finding innovative ways to improve our packaging and environmental footprint.
And the gloves? That’s my favorite part of the story.
I decided to create the Treatment-Boosting Gloves because I knew that for achieving unbelievable skin results, the product underneath needed to be “locked in” and sealed against the skin. From being a proud skincare savant, I knew that most creams and lotions are water-based, and when applied to dry skin, approximately 80% of these formulas begin to evaporate into the air upon contact. This means that all of the amazing, skin-nourishing moisture literally dissipates—what we think is “amazing absorption” is actually evaporation via transepidermal water loss. Unlike facial products that are often layered and applied on damp skin, hand products are almost always applied to dry skin, as a result, we lose much of the moisturizing benefit almost on contact.
At home, I began experimenting with scissors, cheap cotton gloves, and a variety of materials I bought on Amazon to create something that would (1) fit everyone, (2) be comfortable to wear for an extended period, (3) enable multitasking (fingers/palms free), (4) be reusable, and (5) effectively occlude any product underneath to “seal in” the benefits. Once I created a version I liked, I found both the best innovative partner in medical-grade silicone and a fantastic glove manufacturer willing to work with me on perfecting the design.
I’m incredibly proud of the Treatment-Boosting Gloves—the gloves are incredibly soft and luxurious, but are versatile - providing stunning treatment benefits and results AND provide powerful environmental protection and damage-prevention with UPF 50 fabric. The results and reviews we’re seeing are absolutely breathtaking.

THE PROCESS~ How was the emotional part of your experience >quitting the day job, struggles, how many times you thought WTF am I doing!! And anything you want to share about becoming a brand founder?
It was both challenging and the easiest decision in the world. Life is too precious to not pursue what interests and inspires you. I see stepping into entrepreneurship as a natural part of my journey, where every tool I've picked up along my career path helps me navigate daily challenges as a Founder. We're all on a journey, and reframing life and work as something to enjoy rather than grit through to reach a distant goal resonates deeply with me now. I love what I do and have no regrets. My life and career experiences are invaluable—they've shaped who I am today and will continue to guide me in the future. I haven't lost anything; I've gained an entirely new and enriching set of experiences that I wouldn't have encountered otherwise. Most importantly, I can confidently say that I'm happier and healthier than ever before.

BEAUTY SECRETS & RITUALS~ From our brief meeting on face time, I realized you are as beauty obsessed as me! Do tell about things you've tried, game changers, things you won't try again and any supplements/tonics you take on a daily basis for health and beauty?
I've explored a variety of aesthetic treatments and products to repair damage and rejuvenate my skin, always opting for non-surgical options. Among my favorites are treatments that penetrate deep into the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin production. These include procedures like threads, Vampire Facials (PRP micro needling), and Ultherapy. Recently, I've been recovering from my first session of NeoGen, a non-surgical treatment that uses plasma energy from nitrogen gas to significantly reduce wrinkles and enhance skin elasticity and texture below the surface. The skin regeneration continues over a year or more, promising ongoing improvements—an exciting gift that keeps on giving. While I've had successes with treatments, the only "miss" for me was trying lip filler—although subtle, it didn't feel like me when I looked in the mirror, so I won't be pursuing that again. As for supplements and tonics, I've been a longtime fan of Moon Juice products and find their range appealing. I also regularly take Vitamin D, Co-Q10, Glucosamine, Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc to support my overall health.

VANITY? Besides your hand treatment, what is on your vanity?

Skincare -I believe in taking your time to gently but effectively wash your face and toning at the end of the day is underrated. I love testing new brands and products, but my favorite skincare comes from OSEA, 8 Faces Beauty, Eighth Day, Skin Medica and U Beauty. My two favorite, repeat purchase, ‘ride or die’ skincare products are (1) Farmaesthetics Fine Herbal Cleaner (in my shower) and (2) A313 pomade (retinol). To note - I would NEVER use that product on my hands - so many powerful facial products that are made for nighttime use would be damaging on hands because of sun exposure and heightened sensitivity. For sunscreen, I like Supergoop! and I’m loving Weekend Skin from Iris & Romeo.

Makeup ~For my face: Cielo’s Tint & Protect (SPF 50) or Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint (SPF 40), Kosas Revealer Concealer, Westman Atelier’s power in Pink Bubble, RMS Hydra Bronzer in Tan Lines, and Merit’s highlighter in Bounce. Contour from Victoria Beckham, Mascara from Typology. Merit and Westman Atelier’s shadows and cheeks are either Westman Atelier or Violetta_FR. I love lip products - my favorites are the glosses from Refy, Saie, and InnBeauty. My favorite lip liner is from Victoria Beckham (Shade #2). And I carry a Jones Road Miracle Balm with me for ‘refreshing’ and adding some hydration or color during the day.

Travel Diary~ Boston & Beyond
I live in a quiet town just 30 minutes outside of Boston, where horses and cows may outnumber people! The wellness scene here, aside from my Peloton at home, revolves around the outdoors. I enjoy hiking in the woods, stand-up paddle boarding on the local pond, and kayaking on the Charles River. The wildlife surrounding us is breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful—I spotted a tiny baby fawn while kayaking just yesterday.
Traveling is another passion of mine. My husband and I have started the holiday season in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the past two years, and it's truly magical during that time—storybook cheerful and cozy with its "hygge" charm. Greece also holds a special place in our hearts; we honeymooned there in 2018 and fell in love with its beauty and culture. However, my ultimate favorite destination isn’t far: Nantucket. I’ve been visiting since childhood, and we still go every August. There's something undeniably special about that island.
Weekend getaways to Rhode Island are another joy for us—we love spending time along the coast, near the water. In Newport, Rhode Island, my favorite med spa is FirmMD, where I indulge in relaxing treatments

TRENDS~ Do you jump on trends with beauty & wellness? Are you taking Fatty15, using a PMF mat, LYMA or LED mask? I am curious because I think we have similar personality types=serious FOMO.
I need someone to gift me a RED LIGHT mask...I am manifesting it. I started taking ARMRA even though I am mostly vegan (will report back). I have a whole SHOP MY shelf of FOMO things FOMO LIST

I'm passionate about skincare and wellness trends and love indulging in them. During the pandemic, I invested in various gadgets and was diligent about using them regularly: a red light mask (Dr. Dennis Gross), micro-needling, micro-dermabrasion, NuFace and Ziip. I've been consistent with my red light mask and Gua Sha (Wildling), but admittedly, the others have been less used. However, I definitely notice a difference in my skin when I do use them! I've been eagerly eyeing a PMF Mat (an unrealized Christmas gift on my wishlist for the past two years!) and a LYMA. Manifesting that one!
CURRENTLY DAYDREAMING~
I have such high hopes for this brand. My goal is to help people cherish and preserve the beauty of their hands. There's immense opportunity and a wide open space to pioneer this category and beauty movement. Right now, I'm in active listening mode—I already have about 10 products planned for the next year or two, but I'm keenly attuned to what people want and need.