Cat Chen

Cat Chen founded Skylar in 2017 after her infant daughter had an allergic reaction to a conventional fragrance. Brands are legally permitted to list 'fragrance' as a single ingredient on packaging, masking dozens of synthetic compounds including phthalates linked to hormone disruption.

Skylar is fully vegan, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, phthalate-free, and completely transparent on ingredients — in a category notorious for ingredient secrecy.

Skylar positioned itself as a 'clean lifestyle authority' — expanding into hair-care mists and body products. The brand has since been acquired by Starco Brands and continues operating as a standalone entity. Chen's founding story exposed a systemic vulnerability in clean beauty's fragrance blind spot — a gap brands across the movement still struggle to close.

Full ingredient disclosure is the standard, not the marketing line — especially in fragrance.

'Natural fragrance' is not a verified claim in most markets. Transparency must be specific.