Scarlett Johansson’s The Outset skincare review: does it live up to the hype?

The brand was create to care for the skin’s barrier – and is now available in the UK

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Do we really need another celebrity beauty brand? We can’t help but ask ourselves this with every A-list focused press release that lands in our inbox.
The beauty industry is a saturated market and as a beauty editor, it’s a challenge to keep up – but for a consumer, it’s nothing short of a minefield. It feels almost daily that we hear about another ingredient set to transform our skin or freeze it wrinkle-free in time like something out of Death Becomes Her. Yet more often than not, we are left disappointed.

Turns out, this is dissatisfaction isn’t limited to us non-Hollywood folks. The stars really are just like us and experience the same trials and tribulations of nailing down a beauty routine that actually works. In fact, that’s the very reason award-winning actress Scarlett Johansson founded her brand new skincare line, The Outset.
“When I was in my twenties, my skin was always so irritated”, she explained to me over Zoom. “I had this acne that would move to different sides of my skin and it was a pain point for me for a very long time. I would go to the dermatologists and use all the drying creams and toners and actives on top of actives without knowing anything and digging and trying to find answers”.

It wasn’t until she stripped it all back with a simple cleanser, serum, moisturiser combo that it all turned around for her. “My skin was the best it had ever been for as long as I could remember and that’s where the next chapter of the journey started”, she said.
Johansson teamed up with beauty entrepreneur Kate Foster who herself struggled with acne and very sensitive skin to create The Outset that is centred around caring for the skin barrier. They believe this is the starting point for healthy skin – hence the name. The brand places an emphasis on simplicity, accessibility or, as Foster explains, “consistency over complication, nourishing and care over drying and “fixing””. They may just be on to something. With 60 per cent of the population faced with sensitive skin, a skincare label that caters for this, while also being effective can go a long way.

What first struck me about the range was how extensive it was, especially for a line that claims to be minimal. It’s launching in the UK with eight products, which doesn’t exactly seem simple on the face of it.

What is definitely minimal is the formula. The Outset is designed to be clean (free from fragrances, parabens, phthalates, sulfates or allergens) and clinically tested for sensitive and blemish-prone skin, while also being vegan. The signature ingredient is derived from the Cᴀssia flower, which adorns the bottles and is a botanical alternative to hyaluronic acid, swapped in as it’s believed to be longer lasting, sustainably sourced, vegan and eschews that sticky or tacky feeling you get with some moisturising products.

The packaging is sleek, minimal but premium and recyclable. Sustainability is also prioritised, from the refillable glᴀss bottles to the waste-conscious packaging.