Motivo custom formulated skincare for scar care with Blanka

All articles / From personal scars to a scar-care mission: How Motivo is building better recovery products with Blanka

From personal scars to a scar-care mission: How Motivo is building better recovery products with Blanka

Intro: Motivo started with a problem its founder, Jadis, knew personally.

During his own post-surgical recovery, Jadis struggled to find scar-care products that met his needs. The options available felt uncomfortable, underwhelming, and disconnected from the experience of the people actually using them.

That experience sparked an idea: build better recovery products informed by the people who need them.

Together with his surgeon, who later became a partner in the business, Jadis began developing Motivo - a scar-care brand designed to support people recovering from surgery, injuries, and other experiences that can leave scars.

But turning that idea into a scalable product presented another challenge: finding the right manufacturing partner.

Industry

Skincare

Audience

Beauty Entrepreneurs

Products

Cleanser

Gel Creme

Facial Mist

The problem

Building a specialized product without massive minimums.

Like many emerging beauty and personal-care brands, Motivo needed the flexibility to develop and test products without committing to inventory levels designed for established brands.

The team initially worked with another manufacturer through a third-party chemist, but the pricing and minimum order quantities made it difficult to build the business at the pace they wanted.

Motivo needed more than a manufacturer. The team wanted a partner that could support custom product development while giving an early-stage brand room to grow.

“The MOQs and pricing didn't make sense for where we were. As a small brand, we needed a partner who understood that.”

Your values aligned so closely with ours. That mattered to us - we weren't just looking for a manufacturer, we were looking for a partner.

Jadis, Brand Owner

Scar Care skincare set featuring a white and black serum cream bottle, a black and silver serum bottle, and an orange silicone mask cover, arranged on a solid orange background.

The solution

A more flexible path to custom formulation.

From the first conversations, Jadis saw alignment between Motivo's mission and Blanka's model.

Blanka's lower minimum order quantities gave the team a more accessible path to product development, while direct communication with the team made it easier to navigate formulation, packaging, and production decisions.

Working with Blanka's lab, Motivo developed a custom scar-care formula designed around the brand's product requirements. Blanka also helped the team navigate packaging and sourcing.

Instead of having to build every part of the supply chain independently, Jadis could focus more on the product, customers, and the larger mission behind the brand.

The result

Building the foundation for the next stage.

With Blanka, Motivo has successfully brought two core products to market, with additional products in development, while establishing a scalable manufacturing foundation designed to support the brand’s continued growth.

For Jadis, though, the most meaningful result has been hearing from people using the products.

CUSTOM FORMULATE

“Hearing that it's actually helped people - that's the whole thing for me. I went through this myself, so being able to make it easier for someone else? That became the mission.”

Jadis, Brand Owner

With Blanka, Motivo was able to:

Child holding a small black bottle with a cap, wearing a blue 'Coastal Surf' t-shirt.

Lower the barrier to custom product development

Lower minimums gave the team a more realistic way to develop products as an emerging brand.

Develop a custom scar-care formula

Motivo worked directly with Blanka's lab to create a formula based on its product requirements.

Simplify manufacturing and packaging

Blanka helped the team navigate packaging and sourcing as Motivo transitioned from its previous setup.

Build a strong foundation for growth

Motivo now has a manufacturing partner that can support its plans for new products, distribution, and partnerships.

Advice from the founder

Jadis's advice for other entrepreneurs starts with the reason they're building in the first place.

Solve a problem you genuinely care about:

“You have to really love what you're building and the problem you're solving. That's what carries you through the hard parts.”

Entrepreneurship requires a bigger motivation than financial success:

“No matter how hard you work, it doesn't mean you'll be successful. It has to be about more than the money.”

Never stop learning:

“I'd built a company before, so I came in well-rounded - but there are always new mistakes to learn from. That's part of it.”