Lesley Thornton, the Skinboss Behind Klur

She built a skincare line rooted in integrity, sustainability, and quiet power—and made minimalism feel like the boldest move in beauty.

The Origin Story

Before Lesley Thornton was a brand founder, she was a facialist with a waitlist and a mission. Growing up in Compton, she was surrounded by beauty and culture but didn’t see herself reflected in the brands on the shelves. She started doing hair and makeup for classmates as a teen—without YouTube tutorials or ring lights—and eventually became a licensed esthetician in 2010.

“My dad was watching football in the living room and I was in the back pressing girls’ hair. There were no flatirons. There was no YouTube. I just knew I loved beauty.”
— Essence

She opened a facial studio in Los Angeles and spent years quietly helping people heal their skin—no influencers, no hype, just real results. From that practice came the earliest iterations of her product line: made with purpose, tested on real clients, and deeply personal.

The Climb

Lesley didn’t launch Klur with VC backing or splashy PR. She used $5,000 of her own savings to elevate her formulations and packaging—and only after nearly a decade of hands-on client work.

“I set out to create something that mattered. The brand I had always expected but never experienced.”
— Setting Mind

She wanted the brand to reflect her values: clean, ethical, inclusive, and deeply considered. No exotic ingredient flexing. No recycled buzzwords.

“Rare and exotic ingredients don’t necessarily make better products. If it’s not accessible and it doesn’t give back, we’re not using it in our formulas.”
— Vogue

In 2019, Klur officially launched—and quickly caught the attention of the beauty world for all the right reasons.

Her Product Philosophy

Lesley’s background as a licensed esthetician shows in every formula. Klur is clean, yes—but more importantly, it’s functional, gentle, and formulated with care. Her products are often multipurpose and always created with sensitive, melanin-rich, and barrier-compromised skin in mind.

“For nearly a decade, I’ve concentrated on helping others achieve skin wellness through personalized treatments and the creation of products defined by simplicity and usability.”
— Klur

She doesn’t chase trends. She crafts longevity.

Hero products include:

Gentle Matter Cleanser – A soft, non-stripping daily wash with aloe and chamomile.
Symmetry Fluid – A weightless antioxidant serum that fights pollution and inflammation.
Stellar Restoration – A restorative retinol oil powered by vitamins A–E.
Supreme Seed – A detoxifying, non-drying clay mask.

“Everything we do is intentional. We think about sourcing, formulation, packaging, end use—and what happens after.”
— Vogue

The Now & What’s Next

Klur remains 100% self-funded and woman-owned, and Lesley isn’t interested in scaling for the sake of it. Every expansion—whether it’s a new product or a new initiative—is grounded in her original mission: to be of service.

She’s also passionate about education and slow growth.

“To me, Klur is more than just quality products and a conscious ethos. It’s about a human connection.”
— Klur

She’s focused on expanding her small-but-mighty product line while mentoring emerging founders and elevating the standards of clean beauty as a whole.

Skinboss Shelfie: Lesley’s Top 5

Gentle Matter Cleanser – “Your skin should feel clean but never squeaky. This is the foundation of everything.”
Symmetry Fluid – “Antioxidants are essential for urban skin.”
Stellar Restoration – “This oil-serum hybrid has real clinical payoff, not just hydration.”
Supreme Seed – “It’s a reset button for stressed-out skin.”
Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask – “One of the few exfoliants I trust on reactive skin.”

“I had developed a holistic framework to treat skin—and it worked. Not just for skin, but for health, for mindset.”
— The Quality Edit

Why We Love Her

She built Klur for people who wanted better—and couldn’t find it
She formulates like a minimalist and thinks like a philosopher
She’s a master of slow beauty with a big future

✨ Want your favorite Skinboss featured? Email our own Skinboss-in-Chief at julie@skinboss.com. Meet Julie Pefferman, the beauty chemist behind SKINBOSS. ✨