There’s no doubt that we are in the era of the derriere, the hip body part of the moment that will be making its share of cheeky appearances this summer.  And with that focus comes responsibility. That’s something that isn’t lost on Roger Ein, who launched Buttface this month, the first dermatologist-developed skincare brand solely for the backside.

“The backside is some of the hardest working skin on the body and also the most neglected,” Ein tells LA Weekly in a booty call on Zoom.  “The bigger conversation is about delivering care and transparency to those neglected parts without any shame or stigma. I mean, think about wrapping your face in sweaty underwear all day, you wouldn’t just wash it with a bar of soap.  It’s no wonder there are pervasive skin care issues down under, like breakouts and in-growns. We’re sweating, we’re putting on an old pair of jeans. It’s under a lot of tension and friction.  It’s a tough environment down there – much more so than your face.”

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Roger Ein (Courtesy Buttface)

The three step Buttface system routine, which spent three years in development with a team of dermatologists from Asia,  starts with a high density resurface,  then a treatment phase, which involves a  15-minute hydrogel sheet mask that’s made in two panels.   The final step of the butt facial is a soothing moisturizer called the BBL firming cream with active peptides.  Everything is fragrance-free.

“It certainly wasn’t in my life plan,” says the Northridge native.  “It was during COVID that  I was in the shower with someone I was seeing and was watching his self-care routine. I watched him mix three different products and proceed to massage them onto his butt.   He looked at me sheepishly and said, they just don’t make skin care for the butt. That moment it hit me like a lightning bolt.   I yelled Buttface at him and jumped out of the shower soaking wet to the phone and immediately filed the trademark before he was even out of the bathroom.”

Ein will donate $10 of every order to  Immigration Equality for the month of June, which serves the immigrant LGBTQ+ and HIV positive communities that are seeking asylum.

“There’s an expectation as a queer founder that we’re going to do something for Pride,” he says.  “But we’re also an LA Brand, and I’m an LA native watching the unraveling of our city right now and the systematic attack on a community.  It’s about the intersection of LGBTQ+ and immigration, which felt like a natural fit. The point of Pride is that everyone belongs.”

 

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Courtesy Buttface