Lana Kerr on building Lumisque Skincare and the business of beauty

Behind every innovation in beauty lies a story of persistence, belief, and a refusal to follow the crowd. For Lana Kerr, founder of Lumisque Skincare, that story began long before the launch of her pioneering CO₂LIFT® treatment. Her career started in weight loss clinics, where she quickly saw that confidence wasn’t only about body transformation but also about the skin’s vitality and renewal. That realisation led her into clinical skincare and ultimately into bringing Japanese topical carboxytherapy to the global market.

In this third instalment of our four week interview series, Kerr reflects on the challenges of building a brand that bridges science and beauty. She discusses the realities of entrepreneurship beyond the glossy image, the lessons learned from years of educating the market, and the importance of protecting vision in an industry driven by trends. Her journey reveals what it takes to transform a breakthrough idea into a trusted global name.

Your career began with weight loss clinics before moving into clinical skincare. What was the turning point that made you shift direction?

The turning point came when I realized that while weight loss transformed bodies, skin told its own story. People wanted not just to look slimmer but to look youthful and radiant, without pain, downtime, or invasive procedures. That’s when I started asking myself, what can truly regenerate the skin safely and effectively? That question led me into clinical skincare and ultimately to CO₂ therapy.

Bringing a Japanese innovation like topical carboxytherapy to the global market is no small feat. What did that process look like behind the scenes?

Introducing something completely new required a tremendous amount of education through every medium available, conferences, podcasts, news outlets, and of course, clinical studies. Gaining the support of forward-thinking physicians was essential, as their early adoption and real-world results gave us credibility. At that time, influencers were very different from today, their buy-in was authentic because they truly believed in the product, and they organically shared their experiences. It was a process that involved a lot of collaboration, persistence, and storytelling to help the market understand that this was not just another beauty trend, it was a breakthrough in skin regeneration.

Entrepreneurship in the beauty industry is often romanticised. What are some of the toughest lessons you have learnt building Lumisque Skincare?

Entrepreneurship wasn’t new to me, I started my first business at 14 and later even ran a pig farm I built from the ground up. So I understood that in the beginning it always takes more energy because you are wearing all the hats and doing most of the roles yourself. But the beauty industry is a completely different beast. It required years of educating the market, conducting studies to prove the wide range of applications for our product, and constantly reinvesting in the business. There were times when the response from people I hoped would embrace us just wasn’t there, and persistence became essential. On top of that, managing cash flow and scaling responsibly have been some of the toughest but most important lessons along the way.

How do you protect your vision when faced with pressure from trends or competitors?

I remind myself that trends fade, but truth endures. Our vision is anchored in science, clinical validation, and impact. Competitors may chase the latest fad, but we focus on long-term innovation and proven results. Protecting the vision means staying rooted in research and in the real stories of patients and providers whose lives are changed by what we do.

The beauty industry is crowded with new launches every week. How do you ensure your products remain relevant and distinctive?

We stay relevant by being in a category of our own. CO2Lift® is patented, clinically proven, and creates a new benchmark in skin regeneration. Our studies are published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, and the treatments have a wide range of applications, from everyday skincare to intimate health to post-surgical recovery. With a high safety profile and proven results across all skin types, we don’t compete with every launch, we stand apart as the trusted standard. And we remain relevant by showing how CO2Lift® can be used in conjunction with other technologies to enhance results. We are like the jet fuel that makes everything else work better.

What role has community played in building the CO2Lift® brand into something trusted both by professionals and consumers?

Community has been everything. Our phenomenal sales force builds close relationships with physicians and providers, listening to their feedback and supporting them daily. On the consumer side, social media allows us to hear stories directly from patients and clients, which keeps us grounded in the human impact of what we do. But it goes deeper, our brand is also built by our support team. Everyone in our company understands the brand and takes ownership in representing it well, and that collective effort is what creates real trust. The credibility we have today comes not just from our products, but from the people behind them.

If you were to give advice to a young entrepreneur with an idea that could change the industry, what would be the first step you would recommend?

The very first step is to prove your concept and start generating revenue. That is the foundation, showing that your idea works and that people are willing to pay for it. From there, reinvest those resources into building the right team. The people you bring in will help you scale, refine, and ultimately take your vision further than you could on your own.

Kerr’s entrepreneurial story is one of endurance and clarity of purpose. She shares how Lumisque Skincare was built on education, research, and a commitment to clinical truth rather than hype. From proving her concept and managing cash flow to building a community that includes physicians, patients, and her own team, she highlights the human side of innovation. Her advice to emerging founders is simple yet powerful start small, prove your idea, and reinvest in people who believe in your vision. As the third part of this series, the conversation showcases the business intelligence and resilience behind one of the most trusted names in modern skincare.